Benue APC Crisis: Tor Tiv Reconciles Gov Alia, SGF Akume
The Paramount ruler of the Tiv Nation, HRM Professor James Ayatse, has brokered a peace deal between Governor Hyacinth Alia and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Senator George Akume.
After the closed-door discussion, the estranged political allies who had been enmeshed in a cold war over the political leadership of the North Central state, embraced themselves to the cheers of their supporters.
The conflict reached its peak with the recent inauguration of a factional All Progressives Congress (APC) State Executive Council by the governor, a development that saw the police stepping in to take over the APC State Secretariat to forestall violence.
Worried by the worsening crisis, the Tiv paramount ruler and his council invited the duo to discuss the differences at Tor Tiv Palace in Gboko.
Governor Alia was accompanied to the reconciliation meeting by former Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) National chairman Chief Barnabas Gemade while Senator Akume was accompanied by Senator Jack Gyado and National Assembly members from the State , including Chief Titus Zam ( Benue North West); Asema Achado (Gwer+ Gwer West ) and Minister of Water Resources Joseph Utsev.
Alia and Akume shook hands and embraced before Tor Tiv and the public signalling acceptance of the reconciliation deal.
But the terms of the deal have not been made public.
Governor Alia’s faction of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) has already set up another Secretariat headed by Omakolo as chairman while Senator George Akume and the National Secretariat of the APC recognised Austine Agada as the chairman in Benue state.
