The Tiv Youth Organization, TYO, Worldwide, on Sunday asserted that Senator George Akume who is the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, has been used and dumped by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
President General of TYO Timothy Hembaor, made this assertion while reacting to the decision of the APC in the North Central to pick former Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura as its candidate for the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, ahead of Akume.
Hembaor insisted that Akume got what he deserved for turning his back against the Tiv nation following attacks by armed Fulani herders.
In a statement, the TYO President-General said: “The Fulani hegemony has given its rating and conclusion on what they think about Senator George Akume, that the man cannot be trusted to lead the All Progressives Congress (APC).
‘The North Central body of the party has decided and put forward Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura, the former governor of Nasarawa state as the favoured candidate for the position of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress.
‘The Tiv nation will not sympathize with Senator Akume! He has only received a befitting reward for betraying his people!
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‘We don’t have to use a crystal ball to understand that such sensitive party positions are made possible by the leader of the party and it has been proven clearly that a man who easily betrays his own people like Akume has repeatedly done to the Tiv nation cannot be trusted to lead the APC in Nigeria.’
TYO criticised Akume for failing to learn from the late Senator Joseph Tarka who was rejected by the “caliphate” to assume leadership position of Nigeria.
‘And it is such a tragic repetitive déjà veux that it throws us back to the NPN days when the NPN refused to back late Senator Joseph Sarwuan Tarka for the position of President. Akume should have learnt from that sad incident, but he didn’t. His own case was even worse because Tarka did not betray Tiv people. In fact, Tarka stood firmly for his people and protected their interest, yet, the Caliphate did not trust him with the leadership of the country.
‘George Akume has been used and dumped! Painful but true. But we cautioned him to thread carefully with mortal enemies of his people. Sad that his insatiable appetite for power and more power didn’t let him listen to the voice of reason.
‘It would be boring to regurgitate the serial incidents that the Fulani hegemony has put hurdles on the emergence of Tiv leadership in the Nigerian state. And JS Tarka was Akume’s kinsman from Mbakor, Jemgbagh and Tiv. These were all manipulations of the Fulani and it continues to this day,’ TYO said.
The group also accused the minister of supporting Fulanis against the Tiv nation.
Hembaor noted that Akume’s fall from grace should serve as a lesson to other Tiv sons and daughters.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK