The President of the Tiv Development Association in Nasarawa State, Barnabas Zayol, has accused his opponent in a recently held election, Simeon Apusu, of parading himself as the duly elected President of the association in the state.
Our correspondent reports that TIDA is the umbrella body of the Tiv people across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state.
Zayol’s claim was contained in a statement signed and made available to journalists in Lafia on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Kelvin Atime.
According to the statement, the TIDA President lamented that Apusu indicated an interest in contesting the position but never presented himself to the TIDA congress before and after the election.
The statement read in part, “Ordinarily, we would not have bothered joining issues, but it has become imperatively important to respond in order to save the general public from being misled by falsehood.
“It is a notorious fact that Apusu indicated interest in contesting for TIDA presidency, but he never presented himself before any congress of TIDA until the election of TIDA president and other TIDA executives was conducted, and leadership validly emerged.
“Even by a figment of imagination, Apusu would not have embarked on a self-deceptive mission, at least for moral conscience, because a house can not stand without foundation.
“As it is, Apusu is operating a faceless and one man TIDA without a valid structure and I wonder how someone who never presented himself for an election, talk more of oath taking, will lost both morality and legality to be self acclaimed leader of a noble organisation which is guided by constitution.”
The CPS further explained his principal’s intention to embark on a sensitisation to enlighten Tiv people across the state and the general public on the recent activities of Apusu to protect them from being misled.
While calling on all Tiv people in the state to continue to live in peace and harmony with other residents, Atime urged Apusu to accept the election outcome in good faith for the good of his tribesmen and the state at large.
Meanwhile, when contacted, Apusu insisted that he is the duly elected President of TIDA, adding that he was fully endorsed by the Tor Tiv of Nasarawa State, Chief Clement Ibo, his council of elders, and all relevant stakeholders in the state.
He narrated that elections were usually not done for the position of TIDA president, explaining that the position was usually zoned by the elders and stakeholders of the Tiv people in the state.
He expressed dismay that Zayol, who is currently the president of the Tiv Youth Organisation in the state, was still interested in becoming TIDA president.
He said, “The election day was May 31, 2024, and I emerged as the winner because the position was zoned to my clan.
“Normally, in TIDA, there is nothing like an election. What happens every time is that the Tor Tiv and his council of elders will sit and do zoning, and then whoever it favours is selected and ratified as the TIDA president.
“So during this time, the stakeholders sat in a congregation of Tiv people and decided to endorse me for the position.
“I was actually the only person contesting the position with Barr. Banabas Zayol, but I happened to be favoured by the Tiv elders and stakeholders in the state.”