George Akume is a Nigerian politician who is the current and 21st Secretary to the Government of the Federation, appointed by President Bola Tinubu. He served as Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs under President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2023. He was the Senator representing Benue North-West Senatorial District from 2007 to 2019. He was also the Minority Leader of the Senate from June 2011 to June 2015. He served as the Governor of Benue State from May 1999 to May 2007.
Akume was re-elected Senator for Benue North-West in the April 2011 elections, running on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria. He won another term in 2015 but lost to Senator Orker-Jev of the PDP in 2019. On 23 July 2019, President Buhari nominated Akume to serve as the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.
Akume obtained a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a master’s degree in Labour Relations from the University of Ibadan. He now resides in Abuja, Nigeria. with his wife, Her Excellency Regina Akume, who is currently a member of the green chamber of the National Assembly. They are blessed with beautiful biological and adopted children.
In 1999, Akume became governor of Benue State and served two terms of four years. He won elections to represent the people of Benue as a senator for Benue North-West in Nigeria’s senate. Akume was re-elected Senator for Benue North-West in the April 2011 elections, running on the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) platform. He polled 261,726 votes, defeating Terngu Tsegba of the PDP who won 143,354 votes. He was again re-elected to the Senate under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015. He was chairman Senate committee on Army and a ranking member of Senate.
Akume was nominated and confirmed a minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nigeria by Muhammadu Buhari. Then, on 2nd June 2023, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu appointed him Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
