130 Million Naira Campaign Funds : Suswam, Tarzoor at war

Terhemen Tarzoor

The party may soon be over before the arrival of the guests for the relationship between the Benue state governor, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Suswam and his intended successor, Hon. Terhemen Tarzoor, as there is no lost between the duo over funds for the campaign organisation.
According to a leader of one of the groups formed to

Gov. Gabriel Suswam

canvass votes for Tarzoor, the relationship between the duo is taking  a deep dive as Tarzoor is said to be uncomfortable with the way and manner campaign funds are released to the campaign team and groups.
This disagreement blxg gathered came to its climax yesterday when the governorship aspirant confronted Suswam to release the funds donated to the team during Friday's fund raiser. The funds which amounted to 130 Million Naira are alleged to be in the governor's custody for onward submission to Tarzoor and the Campaign team.
The incident which we have also gathered precedes an earlier disagreement between the duo over the huge debt profile to be inherited by the incoming government due to unpaid salaries and bonds acquired by the Suswam administration.  Tarzoor has been alleged to have plead with his boss to clear some of these which did not go down well with Suswam who felt the gubernatorial aspirant was prying too much into his affairs.
Our source has reliably revealed that there is a possible withdrawal of interest and participation of Suswam in the affairs of Tarzoor as he is beginning to be sceptical of the latter's plans after swearing - in,  as he now  sees a possibility of probes and investigations after his exit from office.

Benue: Gemade to take over APC leadership

Se. Barnabas Gemade

There are strong indications that former National Chairman and  Board of Trustees member of the  Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ),  Chief Barnabas Gemade,  who just decamped into the All Progressives Congress ( APC ), may be set 4 on take over the party's leadership from Senate Minority Leader, Sen. George Akume.
This move is not unconnected to Akume's disagreement with the national executive council of the party over his handling of party affairs and also the recent primaries in the state which has caused a lot of bad blood amongst party members.
The national executive council had directed that the Governorship ticket of the party

Sen.  George Akume

by given to Hon. Emmanuel Jime,  who was agreed by the remaining four contestants as their concensus candidate, to Akume's disapproval and thus has threatened to dump the party and also expose some dirty deals within the party.
However an insider who has hinted the league, said "the party is not scared of loosing Akume, because the man is more of a liability than asset and so his absence won't be felt". He further added that the party had already prepared Sen.  Barnabas Gemade to take his place even at the senate as minority leader and state party leader, even before the series of events and crisis instigated by Akume.
The source which also claims that the party is bent on replacing the minority leader with Gemade due to the former ' s mental health and public display of immaturity.  According to him,  the party has promised to release medical records of senator Akume's mental treatment in Germany as proof of his instability.
The party is also believed to be more comfortable with Gemade's candour and carriage as he is believed to be more responsible and orderly in his behaviour.
Meanwhile feelers from the state have it that the governirship candidate of the party is yet shrouded in mystery as the claimed declaration by Dr. Samuel Ortom was only a mere road show which has been attributed to the national Exco rejection of his candidacy for Jime.

Akume May be on his way back to the PDP

Sen. George Akume

Indications are rife that the senate minority leader Senator George Akume,  may be on his way back to the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ),  due to recent happenings in the party.
According to sources close to the Senator who is the kneaded of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ), in the state, his grouse with his party stems from the decision of the party's national leadership led by Sen. Bola Tinubu, to revert the impositions which he made during the latest party primaries.
The national executive council of the party had in recent times reverted certain nominations made by the Benue state chapter of the party, where candidates were imposed without proper or no elections at all.
Amongst this is the latest which has provoked the former governor's decision, is the submission of the party's governorship ticket to the concensus candidate of the five legal aspirants of the party, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Jime against the wish of Akume who preferred a PDP decampee, Dr. Samuel Ortom who was allegedly submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), without participating in or holding any elections as stipulated by the party’s constitution.
The party was said to have yesterday returned the ticket back to Jime after a closed door meeting, with national stakeholders of the party, where Akume was also directed to also relay the message of Ortom's rejection to him.
According to our source who is an aide to the National Chairman of the party, the meeting had in attendance,  Chief Oyegun,  Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,  Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Miss Banire and all the five aggrieved governorship aspirants from the state who willingly withdrew for Jime and openly expressed their undesire to work for the party if Ortom be impressed on them.
However Akume who jetted out of Abuja yesterday to Lagos was said to have been sighted entering the house of the national leader of the party in order to see Tinubu so as to upturn the decision and save face.
Meanwhile he has instructed the PDP decampee governorship aspirant to go ahead with plans for a formal launch of the governorship campaign while he seeks Tinubu's face. He has been quoted to be threatening to move back to the PDP if his place to Tinubu and Oyegun.

Akume and 30 Pieces of Silver

Christians around the world are familiar with the story of Jesus' betrayal by his own disciple, Judaism Ischariot, who went to the high priests in the middle of the night and betrayed his master for thirty pieces of silver and a kiss as the betrayal sign.
The story may be seen by many as another fable or folk tale however it is seen it's import is never changing that the ones who you trust most are those who will someday betray you and many times for little stipends.

Sen. George Akume

The Senate Minority Leader,  Sen. George Akume,  has become a Judas Ischariot of some sort as he has embarked on placing price tags on any and all the party's tickets in the on going party primaries in the state, doling out party slots to the highest bidder.
Only on the 7th December 2014,  a serving senator under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ), was sold a the a senate slot for the sum of Fifty Million Naira, even as the same senator had been Akume's sworn enemy for the past sixteen years.
Akume whose party already had three contenders for the senate invited Senator Barnabas Gemade,  who lost his party's ticket to Governor Gabriel Suswam in the PDP,  to come and attend his bazaar where the only requirement to the party hierarchy's support was the highest bidder.
Gemade a wise businessman, aware of his auctioneer's schemes did not decamp from

Sen. Barnabas Gemade

his party but stayed on in the PDP while Akume and his goons filled and submitted his form for him. The services and party ticket were signed, sealed and delivered to Gemade at the venue of the elections in Katsina-Ala,  for the sum of 50 Million Naira.

Same story played when the former minister of state for Trade and Investment,  Chief Samuel Ortom,  lost his acclaimed God ordained PDP ticket, to Suswam's anointed, Rt. Hon.  Terhemen Tarzoor.  Immediately Tarzoor defeated Ortom, Akume got his act in place, sent his con spinners to invite Ortom who had previously made attempts to cross carpet.

Chief Samuel Ortom

A desperate Samuel Ortom,  hurriedly jumped at the opportunity to actualise his self - professed God sent mission. For his sake the party's primaries was postponed a day later to make space for his admission and proper behind the scene negotiations. Ortom a man known for his deep pocket is believed to have parted with a meagrely Seventy Million Naira to vouchsafe the party ticket.

Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Jime

Meanwhile, others like Hon.  Herman Hembe had also played part in the Akume party auction and consequently won against a female House of Assembly, aspirant,  Mrs. Dorathy Mato who was the preferred candidate in the kangaroo election held in his wife's hotel.
But like the biblical Judas Ischariot, Sen. Akume may not get the opportunity to spend these thirty bags of silver as his party will soon go extent or he may loose relevance.

Understanding Why Suswam Prefers Tarzoor

Terhemen Tarzoor,  Suswam's Anointed

Yesterday media reports were rife with news that Suswam had anointed former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly Hon. Terhemen Tarzoor,  as his successor after the governor's eight years as governor.
The announcement which has caused so many ripples and confusion in the polity, is certainly one to raise eye brows as it seemed his body language changed in a bath of an eye. Many do not however know that the decision was not without ulterior motives.
It has been discovered that the gift of a governorship ticket is not just an anointing but one with deeper reasons.
Tarzoor who was disgraced out of office during his infamous sojourn as speaker for cheating and electoral malpractice, has all of a sudden become the favoured and anointed for obvious reasons.
It has been gathered that the governor's decision to ensure Terhemen Tarzoor is declared the party's flag bearer for the 2015 Elections is not unconnected to his desire to remain politically afloat and even retire at the senate.
It is common news that the president is finally deciding who goes to the Senate,  which is what has earned Tarzoor an unanticipated favour. Tarzoor who was disgraced out of office ran to Bayelsa where an army captain introduced him to the bunkering and also legal dredging business and subsequently to the defacto president of Nigeria,  Dame Patience Goodluck Jonathan which has become his meal ticket.
In the heat of the governor's desperation to get to Abuja by all means Terhemen Tarzoor granted him the needed link to the villa and thus is worth mortgaging nourishing future and that of generations yet unborn.
Thus theory has been given credence owing to the insistence by Suswam to turn in the ticket to Tarzoor even after knowing that the latter has a gun running case and even a cultism tag hanging on his neck. According to sources Tarzoor has become the prefer as he will be blackmailed using his a chilled heels- cultism and gun running to be put in check.
However, it is also peddled that the a choice of Tarzoor may just be another kite flying expedition to save his hide as the latter may not even scale security screening based on the a results from the state security agencies and as a result may have to give way to more crumble and character tested candidates.
Meanwhile the fie is cast as the candidature of Terhemen Tarzoor has put the leading governorship aspirants at logger heads with their party, having many to publicly declare their desire to jump ships in your the opposition if the candidacy of Tarzoor is upheld.

More Trouble for PDP as Ortom Set to Join APC

• Suswam to fund his rival



Former Minister of State for Trade and Investment and supervising Minister of

Aviation,  Chief Samuel Ortom may within the week dump the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ),  for the All Progressives Congress ( APC ),  to further his political career.
Chief Ortom who has got the nod of his core supporters and campaign team after intimating them of his decision to jump ship to an alternative platform,  is said to be considering the APC where he also has a great amount of followership.

This decision which is not unconnected to his silent rivalry with the incumbent governor,  Gov. Gabriel Suswam,  who is obviously intimidated by the minister's mass acceptance,  will certainly create an irreplaceable dent in the followers hip of the PDP in the state for which Ortom has been a major stake holder.
An aide of the former minister who confirmed the rumour also stated that the minister's decision to leave the party may have been instructed by the president who is in close relations with Ortom.
He informed that although the former minister contemplated the matter, most of them have since advised him to move to any platform of his choice as advised by the powers that be.
However the news of his planned decamping is no longer secret as it has caused some unsettlement in the PDP and Suswam's can, please who as at last night had already began to seek strategies to frustrate the latter's chances of becoming the ADC'S flag bearer.
Suswam it is gathered has already sent emissaries to the President in order to inform and try to create bad blood between OOrtom and his former boss so as to curry favour aimed at gaining the president's support for his Senatorial ambition which Goodluck is said to be supporting Gemade.
A source close to Benue government house further disclosed that the state governor I  his desperation to kill the former national auditor of the PDP'S dream, has sent fore runners led by his personal assistant on Public Private Partnership,  to negotiate with a former PDP legislator who has decamped to the APC and is gunning for the nomination, with a proposal to financially support him in a bid to fight Ortom.
This news has not only unsettled Suswam and his camp but has also put smiles on some of the aspirants of the PDP who saw Ortom as a stumbling block to their hope for a ticket to represent the PDP.
One of such candidates is Dr. Eugene Aliegba accompanied the aide of a former Special Assistant to the governor, who also doubles as the defacto god father, who was seen driving through the streets of Makurdi,  from one party chieftain to another to an announce Ortom's decamping and further push forward his candidate since their only threat is about to leave for good.

Successor Tussle: Suswam's Camp in Disarray

*As Eugene Aliegba sponsors campaign of calumny against other aspirants

Gov. Gabriel Suswam

The battle to succeed the Benue state governor, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Suswam, has long began and may have reached its crescendo as intrigues and under hand tactics are now been employed by most contestants especially those acclaimed to be anointed by Suswam.
Before the infamous ward congresses that are threatening to tear the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) apart, nearly all the candidates of the party especially those who were once in the employ of the state government,  claimed to have been drafted into the race by the governor. While little or nothing was done to debunk such claims, Suswam became the selling point of most candidates except for former Minister of State for Trade and Investment,  Chief Samuel Ortom,  who has since his entrance into the race been known to be out of favour with Suswam.
However most recently the dust has begun to settle and as the numbers of Suswam boys has gradually whittled down with many claiming independence due to since the hand writing on the wall has clearly proven that they are not anointed.

Mr. High Bem
Built Suswam's Ashi Polytechnic

Chief amongst them is Mr. High Bem,  who spent a fortune on the governor's elder brother, Chief Terkura Suswam and even built the Chief's Ashi polytechnic, all in a bid to curry favour, also tugging to Suswam's cloak was former permanent secretary Prince Andy Uwouku,  who was always eager to flaunt and trace his genealogy to the Suswam's Diaka dynasty, until his unfortunate fulani saga.
Unfortunately it now seems that it may be difficult after all for Suswam to chose and anoint a successor as those linked to him have already began mudslinging and blackmail to ruin each other's reputation. This trend is now popular among those now remaining as the inner three of Suswam's anointed; Rt. Hon. Terhemen Tarzoor, Bar. Ter Adum and Dr. Eugene Aliegba. This trio have most recently employed shenanigans aimed at running down each other and blackmailing one another with the aim to ruin the reputations of perceived contenders to Suswam's love.

Dr. Eugene Aliegba

Only recently makurdi, woke up to news of Tarzoor's membership of a notorious cult group which has tormented the state for a long while. He was not only associated with this group but posters and flyer have been circulated around town and drinking joints claiming that the cult groups in the state were threatening to cause mayhem if he wins in the elections.  This unfortunate news has however been linked to the Dr. Aliegba camp who have seen Tarzoor as the reason for their loss of favour from Suswam.
Only recently a source close to the Consolidation Secretariat said they had over heard the Aliegba team boast of running down any threat and have even engaged the services of certain journalists to malign those they identify as threats.
Aliegba and his campaign team are believed to be hitting at these contenders because they have all of a sudden been sidelined by the governor, who only last week gave standing orders that Aliegba and his promoters be barred from the government house.

Rt. Hon. Terhemen Tarzoor

Aliegba whose campaign is widely known to be enjoying the financial largesse of the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs courtesy of the just sacked Special Adviser,  Prince Solomon Wombo,  is said to be fighting Tarzoor seems the latter has now become the beneficiary of that purse courtesy of Hon. Kester Kyenge,  who now sits on the allocation head and is secretly now channeling that which used to be Aliegba's to "the man wey sabi"(as Tarzoor is fondly called), through his younger brother, Torwua Kyenge who sits on Tarzoor's directorate.
It is however unclear how long this will continue, however what is obvious is that coupled with the recent declaration by the president stating that governor's interested  in going to the Senate will have to forfeit their opportunity to install a successor there is certainly going to be more drama and under hand play with below the belt punches featuring prominently.