Vice President Kashim Shettima on Sunday declared that, as the North’s political leader, he will not stand aloof from the ongoing strained relationship between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, and the Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, and watch while it drags on.
“We will not allow the relationship between him and the transformative Governor to go asunder.
“I have that moral obligation as the leader of the North to work with them, to repair the damaged relationship because, he has a big heart. He is our leader that we hold in the highest esteem,” Vice President Shettima stressed.
Vice President Shettima stated this when he represented President Bola Tinubu in Makurdi, the Benue State capital at the wedding ceremony of the SGF’s son.
The Vice President continued, “We cannot afford to allow the discord between the elder statesman, Distinguished Senator George Akume, and the Governor of Benue State, my brother Reverend Hyacinth Alia to fester.
“We have that moral obligation to step in and heal the wounds. What binds us together supersedes whatever that devides us.”
The solemnization of the holy matrimony was between Samuel Aondoakura and Deborah Ershima, the daughter of Engineer Msula Atoga.
The rift between the top two Benue politicians, which is rooted in power struggles within the All Progressives Party (APC), in the State, has led to public clashes and sidelining of Akume’s allies by the Governor.
NewsQuest reports that President Tinubu on December 24, 2025, inaugurated an APC committee for strategy, conflict resolution, and mobilization ahead of the 2027 elections, which could indirectly address party rifts like the current issues in Benue.
Speaking during the wedding ceremony, Vice President Shettima described SGF as the leader of Benue, the leader of North Central.
“He is a leader in Nigeria. I was quite pleased by the tone of his speech. It shows leadership, it shows accommodation, it shows large-heartedness,” Shetimma added.
According to the Vice President, “Benue is too important for us to toy with. As Martin Luther said ‘we ever learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.’
“If this relationship goes asunder, it is the people of Benue who would suffer. It is the people of the North Central that would suffer. It is the people of Nigeria who would suffer.
“Senator Akume has paid his dues. The longest serving public servant in the contemporary history of this country.
“Abdullahi Umar Ganduje used to hold that title. Now, that mantle has been passed on to Senator George Akume.
“He was the director of protocol. He was a Permanent Secretary. For eight years, he was the Governor of Benue State. For twelve years, he was in the National Assembly. He was the Minority Leader in the Senate. He was a Minister. He is now the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“This is why I used to call him a cat with nine lives. He installed a Governor, dethroned him, and put his own Governor. He fell out with that one, he dethroned him and installed another one,” the Vice President noted.
Our correspondent gathered that post-2023 elections, supporters and political groups have exploited this feud through media campaigns, proxy attacks, and public clashes, amplifying divisions for personal gain.
