December 29, (THEWILL) — After several attempts to deny and hush up the prolonged rift between Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, with its implication for managing the insecurity in the violence-prone state and impact on politics of the North Central geopolitical zone in 2027, Vice President Kashim Shettima at the weekend publicly admitted that it was time for both men to settle their conflict as their discord would impact the whole North Central and the country.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, the Vice President, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the wedding reception for Samuel Akume, son of the SGF, and his bride Deborah, held on Sunday in Makurdi, said President Bola Tinubu has promised to resolve the political feud between Akume and Alia.
Shettima who described the SGF as the longest-serving public servant in the contemporary history of Nigeria, who has paid his dues and therefore has no need for a quarrel with the governor, disclosed that the President has the moral obligation to wade into the prolonged dispute because what affects Benue would affect the entire North Central.
He said, “Benue is too important for us to toy with. We cannot afford to allow the discord between the elder statesman, Sen. Akume and Gov. Alia escalates. What binds us together supercedes whatever divides us. If this relationship goes asunder, it is the people of Benue, North Central and Nigeria that will suffer.
“Sen Akume has paid his dues. He is the longest-serving public servant in the contemporary history of this country. He was director of protocol, permanent secretary, two-time governor, three-time senator and minority leader of the Senate, minister and now SGF.”
Going deep into the political genesis of the prolonged discord between the duo, VP Shettima further said, “This is why I used to call him a cat with nine lives. He installs a governor and dethrones and puts another. He fell out with that one; he dethroned him and installed another one. We have that moral obligation to step in and heal the wounds. What binds us together supercedes whatever that divides us. If this relationship goes asunder it is the people of Benue that will suffer.
“It is the people of the North Central that will suffer, it is the people of Nigeria that will suffer.”
Earlier, in his remarks, the father of the groom, Sen. Akume, thanked the president for honouring his family during their moment of celebration, while Governor Alia congratulated the new couple and commended them for bringing joy and respect to their respective families, the state and the nation at large.
THEWILL recalls that the governor has persistently denied the feud between them until the public revelation by the Vice President.
Governor Alia once said that, “All the insinuations of crisis between me and the SGF by some people are not true. We don’t have a problem, it’s just the creation of those making the insinuations.”
However, the conflict between Akume and Alia deals primarily with the battle for control of the All Progressives Congress, APC, party structure in the state since the assumption of office by the governor. It has defied interventions by traditional rulers, prominent businessmen and politicians in the state. Over the years, it has become a source of political tension in the state.
At a point, the factions of the party in the state loyal to either leader embarked on the physical sealing of a faction’s secretariat and the suspension of lawmakers perceived to be loyal to the SGF. The National Working Committee of the party had to intervene and dissolve the state executive committee. It appointed a caretaker committee, a move which was contested in court.
Even as late as December 14, 2025 when the state hosted the usual Tiv Day Celebration in Gboko, the headquarters of the Tiv ethnic nationality, supporters of both sides clashed and almost marred the cultural activity.
Groups such as the Campaign for Equal Rights and Opportunities for all Nigerians, CERON, have since 2023 persistently called on President Tinubu to intervene in the “escalating supremacy battle” to prevent it from worsening the state’s security and political climate.
Leader of the group, Comrade Dan Boor, has been on this call since 2023 when the appointment of commissioners, the Secretary to the State Government and Chief of Staff to the governor was delayed unnecessarily because the governor was said to have refused to defer to the SGF.
Boor said, “There is a problem between the SGF and Governor Alia. You can see the delay in the appointment of commissioners and period of assigning portfolios.
“The battle is for the soul of Benue State, this is the third time it’s happening, it happened during the tenure of Governor Gabriel Suswam, then Ortom who had to leave APC then and now Fr Alia.
“The signs are very obvious and clear. We read between the lines. Another example is what happened during the reception held after the inauguration of the Minister of Water Resources where the wife of the SGF and member representing Gboko/Tarka openly said that governor Alia did not attend the reception.”
With the African Democratic Congress, party led by Senator David Mark, a prominent politician from the state, waiting to reap bountifully from the ongoing discord, the promise by the President to wade into the conflict is seen as a significant balm on the conflict. This presidential move is largely seen as strategic to the 2027 general elections because, if left unchecked, the outcome of the power struggle will significantly impact the APC’s chances in the state and Alia’s re-election bid.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
