NL Politics: End Of An Era – Akume Vs Ortom (Part 2)

“No empire lasts forever, no dynasty continues unbroken. Some day, you and I will be mere legends. All that matters is whether we did what we could with the life that was given to us.” – Krishna Udayasankar

…Unlike Bukola Saraki who had it easy starting of as a politician, the one time governor of Benue State, Mr George Akume whom after a successful civil service career having served from the lower rungs to its peak as permanent secretary and even enjoyed a brief stint with the federal service where he served his later benefactor Sen. Iorchia Ayu as aide in Lagos, he came into political limelight in 1999 when with the combined efforts of his boss Senator Ayu and in-law Senator Barnabas Gemade who insisted on his candidacy above the well known, Mr. Mike Mku. He also is one of the newly retired godfathers of politics in Nigeria.

On winning, he served two terms as governor and like every other godfather – godson relationship, he severed ties with his erstwhile benefactor, Gemade and also severing same with the other half, Ayu who abandoned the PDP for the Action Congress (AC).

On completion of his tenure, he moved on to the National Assembly as Senator as it has become common practice for retired governors, and he also successfully installed a governor to replace him, the very well connected Gabriel Suswam.

But just like the proverbial Yoruba adage; eyin ti aja fin ba omore Shere na lo fi n bu je, Akume and Suswam soon fell out, with the later bent on retiring the former but in a chess-like move by Akume, the ace politician out-smarted his godson by selecting a strong force from Suswam’s constituency to contest against him, thus the choice of Prof. Stephen Ugbah, thereby diverting Suswam’s attention away from him.

In 2015, he gave safe haven to his former political ally Samuel Ortom who even in the PDP had maintained very close relationships with Akume. As far as Akume was concerned, he had chosen in actual sense the best product for the market in that season as Ortom had known political pedigree and had the financial strength to carry both campaigns. Thus ensuring another tactical win-win scenario.

However, in a deja vu like manner reminiscent of the Suswam/ Akume scenario, only two and a half years into the tenure came rumours of a rift between the political couple as it was again claimed that Akume had an over bearing influence on the state finances and his wife in the same manner was demanding a portion of the state allocation.

In the past few months, that rift has finally opened and Akume has gone back to his customary rant of falling out with his “godson” over the affairs of the state and is crying oppression that he is again being victimized by his own creation.

He’s mistake this time around was taking Orthom as Suswam, he relied heavily on his old tactics of sympathy by causing disaffection to his benefit. This time around, it failed woefully as the sitting governor had learned from his predecessor and he successfully retired his political godfather.

Read End If An Era – Part 1 (HERE)

– By Abimboye Femi (Political Analyst)

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