KULA TERSOO reflects on the unfolding political drama in Benue state ahead of 2015, especially the fierce battle of supremacy between the gladiators who call the shots in the game
When in 2010 two prominent personalities, Sen. George Akume and Prof. Steve Ugbah joined the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the party which was hitherto ranked second behind the All Nigeria Peoples’ Party (ANPP) in Benue suddenly attracted a mass appeal. This was indeed confirmed when the party performed wonderfully in the 2011.
However, as the party was later in 2013 amalgamated with others at the national level into All Progressive Congress (APC) and has continued surging higher, the case in Benue is different – as the party is observed to have since lost its fame and mass appeal – while its fortune is continuously and progressively diminishing.
Party Primaries for 2015
Observers of political developments in Benue have variously expressed reservations about the Benue APC’s primaries, arguing that the elections were anything but credible. A party that prides itself as progressive has been enmeshed in one crises or the other at all levels of the primaries.
From the State House Assembly to National Assembly and the governorship, it was fighting, petitions and protests, as stakeholders, aspirants and delegates were confronted with organized imposition of candidates as perpetually perpetrated by the leader of the party in the state, Sen. George Akume.
While some aspirants allowed the Minority Leader of the Senate to get away with the alleged high-handed display, others have since instituted court cases that are at different levels at the time of this report.
It was learnt that soon as party primaries commenced, Akume immediately got a feeler that the people were tired of his autocratic leadership of the party when delegates vowed to reject at the primaries any name associated with him and they depicted that at least where primaries were eventually held but with the insistence by delegates.
Many of Akume’s candidates including his godson and former Personal Assistant on crucial matters, Simon Abua, Comrade Terhile Utaan and Mrs. Ikpambase, one of the Minority Leader’s closest allies tested the bitter pile. But while he used his powers in foisting some on the party despite the results, other areas stood their ground and dared him, threatening fire and brimstone.
In the North-East senatorial district, while three aspirants including Andrew Ayabam (most popular amongst the people), Adaa Maagbe, Kyanyion all who hail from Kwande where the position is zoned to were in Katsina-Ala, the headquarters of the zone thinking the contest was amongst them, a convoy drove in and behold the former national chairman of the PDP and serving senator of the area who in less than twenty-four hours after obtaining the party’s card was at the venue to contest.
Gemade whom it was alleged secretly sealed a deal with Sen. Akume and the state secretariat without the knowledge of other stakeholders allegedly brandished huge sums and delegates fell flat for it with Gemade picking the ticket.
State secretariat excesses
It has been observed that the party officials at its secretariat especially, the chairman Mr. Aba Yaro are serving an interest outside of the party. He is said to be uncontrollably mad with whoever Akume has issues with or abhors their aspiration.
It would be recalled that it was because of Akume’s insistence of Aba Yaro been the party chairman that got the party scattered with prominent figures and stakeholders including, Sen. David Iornem, Sen. Daniel Saor, Alh. Usman Abubakar, Ambassador Michael Gbasha, Ralph Igbag, Godwin Ogboju leaving in different directions.
As party chairman, Yaro allegedly held a press conference in Makurdi where he stated unequivocally that one of the party’s gubernatorial aspirants Prof. Steve Ugba was on his own and the party in the state does not know him.
Ugbah was the party’s flag bearer in 2011 whose mandate the party pursued up to the Supreme Court but lost after accusing Gabriel Suswam and the PDP of rigging the 2011 gubernatorial polls.
This is after it was gathered he denied Ugbah’s courtesy to visit him and other part officials to brief them on his intentions to contest. Subsequently, Ugbah was denied submission of his form but went to the national secretariat to submit and was duly screened and certified.
It was the state chairman and party’s administrative secretary who personally, physically assaulted an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official who was at their secretariat to monitor an Assembly election that was shifted to Makurdi for “security reasons”.
Yaro, as party boss was also reported to have displayed his pugilistic prowess beating severely Barr. Mike Utsaha, a House of Assembly aspirant right at the Party Secretariat.
With these developments and many more, many observers are of the opinion that APC as is presently constituted, especially, the state officials grossly lacks maturity and has its officials made up of less responsible people who can go to the extreme to satisfy their master.
The straw that broke the camel’s back
Sen. Akume’s insistence to scuttle all legitimacies and foist on the party his anointed gubernatorial candidate for 2015 not minding whether or not the person’s popularity amongst delegates is allegedly a manifestation that is fast tearing his party apart. It has been learnt that the crack this time has engulfed even his kitchen cabinet, most of who are said to have called his bluff.
The party primaries that were to be held on the 4th December, 2014 were shifted to the December 5, 2014 on Akume’s directives. But on the new appointed date, Ugbah who felt dissatisfied with the manner the state secretariat were handling his candidature and giving him the treatment of leprosy approached the court where he also secured an injunction to stop the primaries.
But the party leadership evaded service and continued with the exercise. Curiously, at around 10pm, after about six Local Governments have voted already, same officials who had earlier at around 12noon declined service of the court process on them dismissed the delegates with a reason that there was a court injunction.
Though Prof. Ugbah sarcastically responded that “some persons see better in the night”, findings revealed that Akume decided to halt the process when it became evident that two term House of Representatives member, Barr. Emmanuel Jime who was preferred by the delegates was in a clear lead since most of the illiterate delegates queued in front of his agent to help them vote.
Igwoche Obande who is a chieftain of the party from Ogbadibo Local Government revealed that, “we were called and directed by Regina Akume that her husband insisted that we should all vote for Akange Audu. Some of us protested that we have only seen the man’s poster and have never seen him in our place so it will be difficult to convince our people but she insisted that she had just passed a message which was not to seek our opinion but directives from the party leader”.
He said that many of them were rebuffed soon as the message got to the delegates who insisted that they must vote for the person whom they have seen and also knows them.
“What even worsened the situation was when we got wind that the ploy was to hand the ticket to a weakling with the understanding that someone’s name would later be brought in as a substitute. We felt we were being taken for granted since the reason for our compacted resistant”.
But when the injunction was vacated, and the officials from Abuja came for the primaries, two times, it was postponed while the state Chairman Aba Yaro remained constant he would not speak to the press as it was noticed that the time frame designated for party primaries elapsed on the December 11, 2014.
Akume’s agenda came to the fore
Shortly after the former Minister of State for Trade and Investment lost the PDP primaries, indications that Akume was delaying the primaries in wait for Chief Samuel Ortom whom it was alleged Governor Gabriel Suswam vowed would not get the PDP ticket started manifesting.
The impromptu primary that was organized at Akume’s hotel, HAF Haven was after all a test case to know the extent of sympathies Ortom who barely obtained the party membership would garner. But the handwriting was clear; the delegates said they wanted Jime. The exercise was again postponed.
But the five aspirants including, Prof. Steve Ugbah, Sen. JKN Waku, Mike Iordye and Akange Audu quicly wrote to the national secretariat urging it to discountenance any name forwarded to it hence there was neither consensus or party primaries.
The group stated amongst other things that, “ … all is not well with our party in Benue State. We have not been able to conclude our primaries to elect a flag-bearer for the governorship elections in 2015”.
“We understand that some individuals are attempting to forward to the National Secretariat of our party the name of a so-called consensus candidate who is not among the five aspirants contesting for the slot. We have not yet agreed on a consensus candidate. Therefore, we ask that you use your good offices to intervene in this matter so as to save our party, APC, which we all love so much”.
Meanwhile, the appeal panel of the party while in Makurdi faced a form of frustration as the party hierarchy shielded it from aggrieved aspirants telling them that there were no issues as a fallout from the primaries.
The panel led by Mr. Godwin Ukpanukopong, expressed surprise at the number of petitions they had received barely a day after aggrieved members discovered their presence. He also frowned at the deceptive tactics employed by the state secretariat to hinder them from performing their task.
A political analyst, John Nongomi observed that “for a political party that is constantly preaching against impunity, it is politically unhealthy for same party to have impunity as its hub”
According to him, “as it stands now, and based on what I have heard, torrent of litigations are on the way should Ortom’s name be considered by the national secretariat and that. Should this is not addressed and quickly too, done, the development may render the party without a candidate in some positions and particularly 2015 general polls”.
