2019 “Zone A” Senatorial Election, Suswam Vs Gemade -By Chir Msugh Iorwase Armstrong.

Gameda and Suswam

Will Engr. Barnabas Gemade defeat the immediate past Governor of Benue state, Gabriel Suswam in the next round of election again? Or will suswam “come back” in a grand style? Between Gemade and suswam who will the electorate vote under a transparent election?

Senator, Egnr. and chief Barnabas Gemade is a Gaav man from Konshisha LGA of Benue State of Nigeria.He was the former managing Director of Benue Cement Company, BCC, he became the secretary of the Federal Ministry of Works and Gen. Abacha later made him the National chairman of CNC with the additional powers to supervise other political parties which were formed during the days of late Gen. Sani Abacha, he also became the national chairman of the People’s Democratic party, PDP. He is serving his 2nd term as a Senator representing the people of Benue north east senatorial district, zone A. He made history by defeating an incumbent governor when he defeated the immediate past Benue state governor, Rt. Hon. Gabriel Suswam in 2015 election to be re-elected.

Gemade who is seen by many as a political leader since 1999 when the military Government accepted and handed power to civilians where he led a very powerful cabal on whose platform and shoulders Sen. George Akume became Governor.

Before I will talk about the strength, the weaknesses of sen. Gemade as we run up to the 2019 elections it is pertinent to revisit the 2015 election episodes.

In 2007 as all was set for a smooth transition of power, Sen. George Akume as the out going Governor was opposed to Gemade going to the red chamber. This was so because someone from Jamgbegh and Ipav, Gboko to be precise had earlier incited Akume against Gemade and Gemade was pushed away from the corridors of power. So Akume worked against a man on whose platform he became Governor and Gemade lost the 2007 senatorial election to his kisman he brought into partisan politics. Another factor was Akume’s phobia for Gemade’s national prominence as the out going Governor was nurturing the ambition of becoming the president of the senate and he saw Gemade as a possible threat and was not comfortable with Gemade so he worked against him using all machineries at his disposal.

In 2011, Suswam was also seeking for a reelection and having an eye on the Zone A slot after he might have completed his two terms in office was not comfortable with the then incumbent senator, chief Joseph Akaageger who is a retired col. Sen. Akaageger who is said to have possesed very good military and academic credentials ran out of favor with Suswam.

So Gemade was elected to represent the good people of “Zone A” on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Before Gemade finally made it to the red chamber few things that are worthy to be mentioned played out.

Mathias Buyuan, a shangev Tiev Man also was seen in the race. According to strategic stakeholders of that time. Buyuan was brought him because Suswam was more comfortable with him as it was agreed and a plan was perfected and accepted by Buyuan to hand over the zone A seat to suswam in 2015. However Gemade manage and got the party ticket and he eventually won the election.

Another important scenario also played out. The 2015 zone A senate slot was meant for the people of Kwande and the incumbent Governor, Gabriel Suswam was interested and has vowed and hence declared a “done deal” for him.

And the zone A situation became a delicate and sensitive issue. Speculators watched with high interest how the prevailing events unfolded and as usual, Suswam managed to secure what was term a “Loan” from the Kwande bloc that formed part of the zone A geo political axis.

By 2015 when Rt. Hon. Gabriel Torwua Suswam was preparing his hand over note in Government House, Makurdi he was also warming up to represent the good people of zone A. During this time Gemade had completed his four year term in the senate and was also seeking for a reelection and the battle line was drawn.

Suswam who had faced tougher political battles in his life especially with Ambassador Steven Ugbah during the 2011 election had already adapted to the regorious political intrigues that accompanied his reelection and he saw the zone A senatorial election as a walkover and no challenge at all. As it was seen written all over him. His utterances and body language proved that he was not in any contest with anybody even as he was heard in different fora and media outings saying “During the party primaries I shall take a leave and I shall travel oversea, the primaries shall be conducted behind me and I shall beat Egnr. Barnabas Gemade hands down”. He was most concerned about the party ticket because before the sarcastic wind of CHANGE that blew PDP tickets were only what a candidate needs to win elections.

So Suswam boasted knowing that he was the one holding the knife and the meat and he dictates the magnitude of who gets what, where and when.

Gemade on the other hand knew that he was indeed into a fierced battle with a lion. He never left any stone unturned. As widely said by those that took part in the 2015 elections, this was the first time that the “Nonwange U Tiv” spent “that magnitude of money” on an election, it was a do or die election for Sen. Barnabas Gemade.

Although Gemade later won the contest after he had defected to the All Progressive Congress, APC, political pundits however said that he won as a result of protest votes. That Suswam under performed, that Suswam subjected the Benue people to an excruciating pains and torture, that Suswam tenure placed thuggery on first line charge more than responsible citizens, that Suswam and his cronies looted our scarce resources, that Suswam ate our children’s future, that Suswam and PDP impunity was too much so the People revolted and voted out Suswam. So Barnabas Gemade became the major beneficiary of the ousting of Suswam in 2015.

So Rt. Hon. Gabriel Torwua Suswam lost the zone A senatorial election and was thrown out, he saw the shame, he knew the stand of the people and refused to challenge the election at the election tribunal set up for aggrieved candidates.

Whatever pretext or guise that gave sen.Gemade the victory is of less importance as that election saw Gemade made history by defeating an incumbent governor.

As we run up to the 2019 round of elections people are curious to know what will happen as regards to zone A senatorial district, the zone which is said to be the most toughest zone in the state since the creation of Benue state, in 1976

Will Engr. Barnabas Gemade defeat Governor Gabriel Suswam in 2019 election again? Or will suswam “come back” in a grand style? Between Gemade and suswam who will the electorates vote under a transparent election? Between Gemade of Konshisha, Suswam of Logo and Candidates from Kwande who will the zone A senatorial cap fit? These and lots more are questions begging for answers.

Kwande. Local Government is said to be the rightful people to produce the 2019 zone A seat, according to the Tiv political philosophy of “Ya Na Angbian”. The zone A which comprises of 7 local Government areas of; Kwande, Ushongu that made up of Kwande, Vandeikya, Konshisha that made up of Jechira and Kastina-Ala, Ukum and Logo that constitute Sankera.

Since the reintroduction of democracy in 1999, the Jechira had represented the people of zone A three times, the three terms that spanned into 12 years, the Sankera had a share of 12 years which the Kwande(s) are left out.

Under normal circumstance the 2019 zone A slot is suppose to be an exclusive business of the people of Kwande, but in politics anything is possible.

Will Gemade defeat Suswam in 2019 again?

Analysts have said that if by chance or deliberate political calculations the ruling party gives/cede her zone A ticket to Gemade he will eventually defeat Suswam in landslide victory again. They are of the opinion that the ailment that killed suswam in 2015 is yet to be treated. They argued that suswam might not even be allowed to contest the election because of the too many cases ranging for fraud, embezzlement to criminal hanging on his neck. Some were even quick to say Suswam might be in prison during the election period.

While others are of the opinion that Suswam will possibly recreate himself and relaunch himself politically in the Benue state political landscape. Pundits in this line of thought said that the people of Sankera realized their mistakes immediately Suswam suffered defeat in the 2015 election and they have since vowed to stand by their brother and leader forth with.

Even if the Sankera(s) have decided to stand by Suswam with a reasonable margin, what about the people of Jechira, will the people of Kwande loan the slot to him again?

It is based on the foregoing that I wish to summarize my findings as follows:

Suswam, chances of going to the senate in 2019 election is slim as all odds are pointing at him, he might have received reasonable sympathy from few individuals but that alone can’t propel him to the red chamber.

The Justice Elizabeth Kpojime panel of inquiry that indicted him and others is a dangerous blow on him as many have testified that Elizabeth kpojime’s report will survive up to supreme court. And that the former Governor will be incarcerated before the election year.

That Suswam’s ticket won’t sell in kwande, as the Kwande people are bent on producing the next senator come 2019.

On Gemade’s Chances I elect to say that he will still enjoy benefits from his party, the APC. The party will be afraid to risk giving out the zone A ticket to a novice. Because Sen. Gemade is already on ground with a solid structure, powerful contacts, influence and bags of money as ecstasy to add to his already workable and smooth relationship he is enjoying with the North central APC leader, sen. George Akume and the Benue state executive Governor, Samuel Ortom and the good people of Zone A. On Gemade’s case it is the party’s business to prevail on the kwande people so as to give him a soft landing, that won’t be too big a request from the APC leadership to the Kwande people.

As the run up to 2019 zone A senatorial permutations thickens, is the ruling party willing to prevail over the Kwande people to allow Gemade a third time?

Despite the zoning arrangement, will the Kwande electorate consider the political structure of the Nonyange U Tiv to give out the second tranche of loan just to maintain the stability of the party in the zone?

Finally does the ruling party have an arrangement on ground to maintain Gemade’s political balance and the Kwande electorate? Or does the Kwande people have a competent candidate to balance both Gemade’s structure and Kwande’s support in the absence of Barnabas Gemade?

Chir Msugh Iorwase Armstrong writes from Makurdi.