Exclusive: Former Perm Sec Government House & Benue GovernorshipAspirant Dr Gabriel Tivlumun Nyitse Receive Blessings From UtyonduCommunity. Read more.

It was a gathering of Utyondu sons and daughters from all political parties and from different works of life.They gathered at the residence of Elder Aondo Kenase to close ranks within the clan to ensure that Dr Gabriel Tivlumum Nyitse occupies Government House Makurdi come may 2015.read more .......






The people of Utyondu in Guma Local Govt. Area of Benue State have expressed their unified support for the governorship bid of one of their own, Dr. Gabriel Tivlumun Nyitse, and have resolved to leave no stone unturned to ensure he clinches the seat at the 2015 polls.

The Utyondu people who are regarded as the eldest of the three clans of the Ihyarev stock of the Ichongo sub-race of the Tiv race, have major population concentrations in Guma Local Govt. Area of the state, and also in the neighboring Nasarawa State.

At a hugely attended congress of the clan yesterday, at the Makurdi residence of President-General of the Utyondu/Isherev Development Association, Elder Aondo Kenase, prominent Utyondu sons and daughters, from across political divides, called for a closing of ranks within the clan and a stiffening of resolve for the actualisation of the governorship bid of Dr. Nyitse as a collective project.






Speaking, renowned advocate of good governance and elder statesman, Senator JKN Waku, charged the Utyondu people to rise up and uphold their well-known heritage as the leading people of the Ichongo sub-race by producing the first governor of Ichongo origin, come 2015, saying that Dr. Nyitse being the sole governorship aspirant from Utyondu has made it easier and imperative for the people to unite in support for his ambition.
















Senator Waku further cautioned against what he viewed as the increasing involvement of traditional rulers in politics, warning that such a development, if allowed to go unchecked, is capable of emasculating the special role of the traditional leadership institution as custodians of our cultural values and the last resort for the maintenance of unity and peace in our communities.

On his part, former President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Justice APB Utsaha (Rtd.), urged the Utyondu people to see politics as a system through which they could attract much needed development to their domain, rather than one for their disunity and underdevelopment, even as he charged them to unite in support for the governorship bid of Dr. Nyitse as a collective Utyondu project, one which he said holds potential for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Utyondu land after the heavy devastation inflicted by the recent Fulani invasion.










The retired Justice, who clocks 40 years at the Nigerian Bar next June, as the first lawyer from the Ichongo sub-race, further urged the Utyondu people to disregard the antics of those who seek to propagate the view that the Tor Tiv and governorship cannot both originate from among them, pointing to the dissimilarity in the powers and functions of both offices, as he argued that there abound instances, in the state and elsewhere too, of both the traditional and political leadership powers coming from the same place, without any problems.




Notable other speakers at the occasion, including Hon. James Gwabo for Uvii Council Ward, Elder Aondakaa Tyo for Mbadwem and Elder Tarkpoghul Uche for Mbabai all pledged the resolve of the Utyondu people to rally their unified support for the 2015 governorship bid of their son, Dr. Nyitse as the sole Utyondu aspirant in the race, with James Gwabo particularly calling for the political and traditional leaderships to play their various roles effectively to ensure the success of the project.

President of Utyondu Youth Development Association, Mr. Sylvanus Apav and President of Utyondu Women Development Association, Mrs. Ruth Kpengwa separately charged the youths and women to rise up to the challenge of ensuring the success of the Dr. Nyitse governorship bid in 2015, as according to them, the interests of Utyondu people will be adequately protected with the success of the project, as the aspirant has over time shown himself as one who has the best interests of his people at heart.






Speaking in his capacity as a witness at the occasion, former Federal Commissioner at the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation & Fiscal Commission, Citizen Asema Richard, who hails from the sister clan to Utyond known as Isherev highlighted the advantages being enjoyed by Dr. Nyitse in the race resulting from what he described as the aspirant's unparalleled career record and level of cognate experience, stressing that the Utyondu, being blessed with such a son, stand the best chance of clinching the governorship of the state, come 2015, and urged them to unite for the realization of the dream.

Earlier in his address at the occasion, governorship aspirant, Dr. Gabriel Tivlumun Nyitse, who was until January this year, the Permanent Secretary for Govt. House Administration in the state, told the people that he alone as the sole Utyondu aspirant in the race will make it a priority, if voted in as governor, to reconstruct and rehabilitate the land after its near total destruction by the Fulani invaders recently.

Dr. Nyitse stressed that he is eminently qualified and most suitable for the office of governor of the state, owing to his rich educational and career background, which he said is firmly anchored by an unrivaled level of cognate experience as one who has spent 13 years working inside Govt. House in the state, as Chief Press Secretary to two military administrations, and recently as the immediate past Permanent Secretary where he worked closely with incumbent Gov. Gabriel Suswam for close to seven years.








The governorship aspirant emphasized that his work at his last duty post at Govt. House afforded him rare insight into the dynamics of government at the highest level in the state, thereby enriching and deepening his vision for the governorship which envisages to consolidate on the gains recorded by the Suswam administration by undertaking the execution of transformational projects in the areas of Agriculture, Health care delivery, Education, Commerce, as well as the provision of robust security network underpinned by the speedy and effective dispensation of justice.

He also revealed that an administration under his leadership will utilize globally tested models of youth and women empowerment which have recorded high success ratings, to deliberately stimulate a bedrock of small-scale entrepreneurial drive to serve as a springboard to an economic breakthrough such as would take Benue State to the next and competitive level of development.

Highlight of the occasion was achieved in the presentation of Dr. Nyitse by his Mbadwem kinsmen, led by former Guma council chairman, Pharm. John Enger, to the entire Utyondu clan for the traditional cleansing and blessing ritual, which consisted in the sprinkling of water and washing of the aspirant's feet, signifying purification and fortification for success in his governorship quest.


































The occasion was rated to have witnessed an unprecedented turnout in attendance, as all segments of the Utyondu clan were represented by the most elderly of family heads, traditional rulers and political leaders, among them former Commissioner for Lands & Survey in the state, Arch. Sam Dura; Personal Physician to the state governor, Dr. Yanmar Ortese; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Industries, Hon. Dickson Tarkighir; Abuja based Legal practitioner, Barr. Mike Utsaha; the People's Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman for Guma, Hon. Athanasius Atema'akaa; and the host, President-General of the Utyondu/Isherev Development Association, Elder Aondo Kenase, as well as many others.