Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has refuted claims suggesting he is vying for the position of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing such reports as baseless and a distraction from his responsibilities.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yomi Odunuga, the SGF condemned a recent publication (not by The PUNCH) which listed him among key politicians purportedly positioning themselves for the APC chairmanship.
“The attention of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has been drawn to a publication in the Leadership Newspaper indicating that he is one of the top politicians jostling for the position of Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress,” the statement read.
“To the best of our knowledge, this statement is nothing but a fabrication meant to distract the SGF from the key responsibilities that have been placed on him by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Senator Akume categorically denied any intention to seek the position, insisting that his focus remains on delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.
“For the record, Senator Akume is not jostling with anyone for the post of either the APC National Chairman or any other party position,” Odunuga stated. “His main focus is to ensure he does not in any way betray the trust that President Tinubu reposes in him in delivering on the promises of the administration.”
While acknowledging that the North-Central zone, to which he belongs, has qualified candidates should the party zone the chairmanship there, Akume emphasized that his current priority is national development.
“I am not in a hurry to abdicate my responsibility and the task that the President has placed before me,” Akume said. “I am a firm believer in the principle that whatever God plans for you will surely come to pass. So I can’t be in a race that I am not interested in.”
He further stressed that he remains committed to his duties as SGF and to advancing the administration’s developmental agenda. “To say that I am one of the prominent politicians gunning for the position of APC National Chairman is completely false,” he said. “We are working day and night to deliver on our promises under the supervision of the President, and we are totally committed to this.”
The SGF’s office also appealed to the media to adhere strictly to the principles of professionalism and ethical journalism, especially when reporting on politically sensitive matters.
“The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation would appreciate, in the principle of fairness, that professionalism and the ethics of journalism should be taken seriously,” the statement concluded. “We urge media practitioners to contact us for verification of facts when in doubt, to avoid misinformation that could unnecessarily heat up the polity.”
