10/08/2026
"LEAN ON ME"
Why the Tiv Nation Must Come Together in 2027 General election and Beyond
"Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on...
We all need somebody to lean on"
Bill Withers, 1972
In April 1972, American singer-songwriter Bill Withers released "Lean on Me" as the lead single from his album Still Bill. The song became an instant anthem of solidarity. It reached No. 1 on both the soul and Billboard Hot 100 charts for three weeks, was ranked No. 7 song of 1972 by Billboard, and later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007. Its message was simple yet profound: in times of pain and sorrow, we survive because we have each other to lean on.
That same message echoes loudly today in the political life of the Tiv Nation, Benue State, the Middle Belt, Northern Nigeria and across the Diaspora.
Since 1999, the political governing class in Benue State has experienced seasons of pain, seasons of sorrow, and seasons of division. Party lines have often been drawn so thick that brother stood against brother, and the collective interest of the Tiv people was sacrificed for personal and partisan gain.
We have fought, we have disagreed, and we have carried loads too heavy to bear alone. But if we are wise, we know that "there's always tomorrow." And for tomorrow to be better, we must choose unity over division.
The lyric says: "Please swallow your pride, if I have things you need to borrow. For no one can fill those of your needs that you won't let show." This is a direct challenge to every politician in Benue State today across APC, PDP, LP ,NDC, SDP, ADC, and other parties. The Tiv Nation cannot continue to fragment itself along party identity while our common challenges of insecurity, poverty, and underdevelopment grow worse.
This is the moment to "call on me brother, when you need a hand." This is the moment for the political class in Benue to lean on each other for the sake of our people.
In every generation, God raises someone for such a time as this. Today, in the entire Tiv Nation, Benue State, Middle Belt and the North, that available shoulder belongs to His Excellency, Chief Senator George Akume Dajoh, Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Yes, no leader is perfect. But perfection is not the standard for service. Availability, experience, and national reach are. Today, Senator Akume is the highest-ranking public office holder from our nationality in Nigeria. He is the one the Tiv Nation can currently "lean on" at the center of power in Abuja.
Just as the song says "I'm right up the road, I'll share your load," Senator Akume's office is that road. It is the bridge between Benue and the Federal Government. It is the platform through which Tiv sons and daughters can be empowered, projects can be attracted, and the voice of our people can be heard at the highest table.
For this reason, we must appreciate him. We must recognize that having someone in that position is itself a blessing that must not be wasted in petty politics.
Unity must not be limited to Benue alone. It must also be lived out wherever Tiv people reside and contribute. In this spirit, the Tiv Political Hub, FCT Abuja further appeals to the entire Tiv community in the FCT and beyond to rally support for Hon. Mwuese Judy Shuaibu, who has emerged as the flag bearer of the Labour Party for FCT Abuja South Federal Constituency, Gwagwalada, Abaji, Kuje and Kwali Area Councils in the 2027 general elections.
This candidacy is more than a constituency contest. It is a strategic step to place the Tiv Nation firmly within the leadership framework of the Federal Capital Territory. As we lean on His Excellency Senator George Akume Dajoh at the national level, we must also lean on and lift our own at the grassroots.
The success of Hon. Mwuese Judy Shuaibu will be the success of the Tiv people in FCT Abuja. It will prove that when we put “Tiv man first” above party lines, we create new opportunities for representation, empowerment, and development for our people wherever we are found.
This article serves two purposes:
1. To all politicians in Benue State and the Tiv Nation: Let us not mind political party identity at this moment. Let us unite. "We all need somebody to lean on." The challenges facing our people from herdsmen attacks to unemployment are bigger than any party logo. The wisdom in "Lean on Me" is that when one person is weak, another must be strong. If we continue to fight ourselves, we will all fall. But if we lean on each other, we will "help each other carry on."
2. To His Excellency Senator George Akume Dajoh: Sir, you are the one available at this moment for the entire Benue to lean on. In that spirit, we humbly advise and appeal: be kind enough, as has always been your nature, to forgive those who have fought you. Leadership at this level demands a big heart. The Tiv Nation needs all her sons and daughters, even those who disagreed with you yesterday.
Use your exalted position to empower Tiv sons and daughters for growth and development. Share the load. Open doors. Mentor the next generation. Because just as the song ends, "If you ever need a friend, call me." Today, the Tiv Nation is calling on you not as a partisan, but as a father.
Bill Withers wrote "Lean on Me" as a song about friendship. But its greatest power is in leadership. True leadership is when the strong help the weak carry on, until the weak become strong enough to help others.
Benue State, the Tiv Diaspora, and the entire Tiv Nation are at that crossroad. Let us swallow our pride, forgive one another, and unite under the one available umbrella we have today.
Because "we all need somebody to lean on."
And today, for the Tiv Nation in Nigeria, we are leaning on Senator George Akume.
TIV NATION FIRST. UNITY FIRST. PROGRESS FIRST.
Iorver Tavershima Kennedy
