Emmanuel Yisa ORKER-JEV

Since May 2015, he has been in the Rules & Business committee. Hon. Yisa’s legislative interests include rural development and youth empowerment. He is a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC).Rt Hon EY Orker Jev never really set out to run for the Senate. But after winning a second term to return to the House of Representatives in 2011, some political jobbers around Sen. Akume went to town with false and dubious allegations. They sowed seeds of discord between him and Sen Akume. To make it look real, they printed T-Shirts, fez caps and posters and took them to Akume as evidence that Jev was planning to contest for the Zone B senatorial seat. Former SSG Targema Takema, another female confidant of Sen Akume from Buruku and a host of others were all part of the plot. Whenever they found space, they painted Jev in bad light before the Leader. Thereafter, the cold war began. Some say it was part of the strategy to stop Jev’s senatorial ambition that fuelled the legal battle to sack him from the House of Representatives. They succeeded but Jev returned to the National Assembly powerfully in 2015. Those close to both political leaders said Sen Akume saw Jev as an ‘ingrate.’ You know the usual diatribes that follows. All attempts by Jev to make his political leader see reasons and discountenance such allegations fell on deaf ears. Like joke, the war grew and the once robust relationship between Akume and Jev became worse. Gradually, the idea began to settle in on Jev and his close associates too that after all, he’s competent enough to take a shot at the seat because it was really a loan due for repayment. As the days went by, the cold war became an open confrontation. The camps were widened with more combatants recruited on both sides. By this time, people like Dr Bemsen Melladu, Arc Tyoapine Tsegba and others who were part of the support base of Akume moved and pitched camp with Jev. It was in such drive that Jev, while consulting among various key stakeholders in the zone, found an ally in his former colleague in the House of Representatives, Emmanuel Jime who himself was still nursing the wounds of losing out in the 2015 governorship on the platform of the APC. That was a bitter loss for Jime and finding Jev as an ally was a good start to give someone a bloody nose. Jime followed Jev to attend most church thanksgiving services as well as other social gatherings within the senatorial Zone. Jime’s speeches at such gatherings were fiery. Events took a dramatic turn in quick successions. While Jev’s ambition received tremendous acceptability, Jime too reconciled with Akume and went back to contest for the governorship ticket and eventually emerged the flag bearer of the APC. Jev also moved back into PDP where he first won elections in 2007 and was nominated to contest the Benue North West senatorial seat. Even at that, they never gave Jev a chance. The other camp called him names of all sorts. As the election drew closer, many didn’t take Jev serious. Some raised doubts if the delegates that nominated him were even sincere or he was a mere stooge. But behind his calmness and unassuming disposition, Jev was already building a coalition across party lines. His ambition found steam in already traumatised populace who sought to extricate themselves from a dynasty sort of. So it wasn’t surprising that the results turned out this was, lifting up a man who was literally compelled to dislodge Akume who has been here since 1999. Today, Jev has moved up from the Green Chambers into the Red Chambers by virtue of his election by a majority of voters in Zone B to beat the incumbent. Congratulations Senator-Elect Emmanuel Yisa Orker Jev Hon. Yisa is married.