Former governor of Benue state, Senator George Akume, has retained his soaring political status as a notable leader in the north-central region after President Bola Tinubu named him the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
Akume, 69, is the immediate past minister of special duties in the Buhari-led administration.
He also spent 12 years in the Senate and served as the Minority Leader between 2011 to 2015.
Interestingly, his wife, Regina, won the Tarka/Gboko federal constituency election on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform in the 2023 general elections.
Akume was reportedly eyeing the seat of the APC national chairman before he was appointed the SGF.
Photos shared on social media showed his political associates congratulating him in his Abuja home after President Tinubu announced the appointment.
Among the early callers in his home was the immediate past SGF, Mr Boss Mustapha, who also chaired the transition committee that ushered in the Tinubu-administration.
Political watchers say the appointment has cemented Akume’s trajectory as a political juggernaut in the Middle Belt of Nigeria.
As the SGF, Senator Akume is expected to monitor and coordinate the implementation of government policies and programmes.
The role will also enable him serve as a front-line advisory of the residency; drive policy formulation, harmonization, and implementation; and monitor institutions of governance.
