Suswam made the remarks during an appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he dismissed reports suggesting a rift between Governor Alia, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and other stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State.

According to Suswam, both Alia and Akume have resolved their differences following a major reconciliation meeting involving APC stakeholders at the Benue State Government House in Makurdi.

“The governor is currently the political father of the state, so everyone must seek his support,” Suswam stated.

“All of us are seeking the governor’s support, and I thank God that I emerged victorious in the nomination process.”

He explained that the reconciliation process was facilitated by President Bola Tinubu, who reportedly encouraged APC leaders in Benue to unite.

“A few weeks ago, under the directive of Mr President, all of us in Benue, including the governor, the SGF, and APC stakeholders, gathered at the Government House for a reconciliation meeting,” he said.

“It was a very successful meeting, and at the end of it, both the governor and the SGF publicly confirmed that reconciliation had taken place.”

Suswam insisted that there is no division within the APC in Benue State.

“As far as I know and I’m concerned, there is no divide in Benue,” he added.

Speaking on his victory at the APC senatorial primary, Suswam also rejected claims that he belongs to any faction within the party in the state.

“I contested and won under the platform of the APC, not under the platform of either the SGF or the governor,” he stated.

Recall that Suswam won the APC senatorial primary for Benue North East (Zone A) after polling 131,083 votes.

He defeated the incumbent senator, Emmanuel Udende, during the keenly contested exercise held across the seven local government areas of Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ukum, Konshisha, Vandeikya, Kwande, and Ushongo.

Kolade-Otitoju made the remarks on Thursday while speaking during a programme on TVC Communications.

He also questioned why Governor Makinde and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, did not purchase presidential nomination forms from the Taminu Turaki-led PDP faction.

According to him, Makinde is aware that remaining outside the APM could affect his chances of appearing on the ballot.

“Why did Makinde and his Bauchi State counterpart, Bala Mohammed, not obtain presidential forms from the Taminu Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party?” he queried.

‘No Merger Without INEC’

Kolade-Otitoju further downplayed ongoing discussions about a political merger, insisting that no legitimate merger can happen without the involvement of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Forget all the noise about the merger, you can’t do a merger without the regulator, INEC,” he said.

He compared the current political situation with the process that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013, noting that the circumstances were entirely different.

“APC emerged through a merger around 2013, but not in this manner. An individual cannot simply rise after losing out in a political power struggle and then declare that there is a merger,” he added.

Professor Aina will take over from Is-haq Oloyede, whose second tenure as JAMB Registrar is expected to end on July 31, 2026.

The appointment was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to Onanuga, President Tinubu is confident that Aina will leverage his wealth of experience, expertise, and deep understanding of JAMB’s operations to further strengthen and advance the examination body beyond the achievements recorded under Oloyede’s leadership.

Naija News gathered that Aina, who turns 40 in July, is a renowned academic and systems specialist with vast experience in examination administration, digital infrastructure, and reforms within public institutions.

Profile Of Professor Aina

Professor Aina earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computer Systems Engineering from the University of Kent. He also obtained an MSc in Internet Computing and Network Security, alongside a PhD in Digital Signal Processing, from Loughborough University. In addition, he completed the Senior Management Programme at Lagos Business School.

Currently a Professor of Computer Engineering at Obafemi Awolowo University, Aina first worked with JAMB during his National Youth Service, where he gained valuable experience in admissions processing and data-based institutional operations. The experience reportedly shaped his continued contributions to examination reforms and systems improvement.

With more than 15 years of post-graduation experience, Aina has built a career around technology, governance, and institutional transformation, advising both federal and state governments on digital transition, system development, and operational reforms.

At age 39, he became one of Nigeria’s youngest professors in Computer Engineering and is now set to become the youngest Registrar in JAMB’s history.

Professor Aina has also consulted for major examination agencies, including National Examinations Council (NECO), National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), as well as several state ministries of education, offering expertise in ICT systems, examination security, and digital process enhancement.

He is a member of several professional organisations, including the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).