Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume has come under a fresh attack over his instructions to his media handlers to blackmail the national chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda of taking huge million of Naira from Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State to support his reelection bid.
According to the APC National Youth Council in a press statement signed by its President, Mr. Donald Okechukwu, it is morally wrong for a respected leader of the ruling party like Senator George Akume to be part of such blackmail which tends to bring the name of the national chairman to disrepute.
This afternoon, some media influencers took to their various Social Media accounts on the order of the SGF to blackmail Professor Nentawe Yilwatda of using his Chief of Staff’s bank account to get funds from one Dr. Livinus Tsar who is a close ally of Governor Alia.
They reported that the funds are being sent to the national chairman for him to support the governor against all the governorship aspirants from the camp of the SGF in 2027.
Recall that Senator George Akume and Governor Hyacinth Alia have locked horns over who controlls the structure of the ruling party in Benue state.
Apart from the battle over the party structure, there were reports that the main reason for the fight was that the governor refused to allow the SGF to control the state resources.
Recall that there was an earlier report that immediately Father Alia assumed duties as governor, Senator Akume allegedly made a demand to be given the sum of N2billion and his wife to also be given N200 million every month. “This angered the governor who said that he would not give the state funds to Akume and his wife” the reports said..
The internal clash between both leaders had led to the emergence of two factions of the party in Benue state. Comrade Austin Agada controlled one faction that was loyal to Senator Akume while Mr. Benjamin Omakolo controlled the other faction that was loyal to the governor.
While the crisis lingered without a remedy, the National Working Committee of the party led by the former national chairman, Alhaji Umar Ganduje disbanded the State Executive committee led by Austin Agada and constituted a seven-man Unity Caretaker Committee.
Despite court litigations, the Ganduje-led NWC dared Senator George Akume and extended the tenure of the Unity Caretaker Committee led by Benjamin Omale.
Reacting to the allegation by Akume’s media handlers that the governor has been using Dr. Tsar to remit millions of Naira to the bank account of the national chairman’s Chief of Staff in order to get favour from the National Working Committee, the APC National Youth Council condemned the allegation, saying that the SGF shouldn’t have taken local political fight that far.
According to the group, the SGF must provide proofs like bank statements to substantiate the accusation from his media handlers that millions of Naira were being sent to the National Chairman.
“We find the allegation laughable as there is no iota of truth in it. As a matter of fact, it was the figment of the SGF’s imagination to think that Professor Nentawe Yilwatda would take bribe from anyone to betray the oath he took while assuming duties as the party’s national chairman.
“We are going to stage an open protest to protect our national chairman and make the world to know that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation is behind the false allegation of bribery against him” group said
The group said that it would take a decisive action against the SGF if he doesn’t give another order to his media handlers to retract the report since it is all lie.
The group however called on President Bola Tinubu to caution the SGF before he ruins his chance of winning the 2027 election with his false allegation against the national chairman..