BARNABAS GEMADE: An Unwary   Defender of Democracy & the People -By Akosu Emmanuel

Tuesday,  10th, May, 2023, would no doubt be featured in the space of history as a day macabred in the feast of ignorance, conscripted in an attempt to twist the destiny of a people who had  collectively fought for a common cause under a progressive party, only for a certain  jaundiced cleavage , possibly on a henchman’s job attempt to truncate this anticipated worth thereof. It will be a day Benue founding fathers would no doubt lament over, as they watched these retrogressive elements chant a slogan of disunity and underdevelopment . The  APC Benue State Chapter led by its Chairman , Comrade Austin Agada had ostensibly risen to suddenly  place a purported suspension on some of its top Party leaders.  Distinguished Senator Barnabas Gemade , a former governorship aspirant of the APC, alongside Dr Terhemba Shija ,  also a frontline contender under the party’s platform in the last general elections are their  first ‘degree offenders’ and indeed become  the hunted in their desperate quest to achieve an odious orgy to sentence their  innocent victim . Amongst their latest victims are  other Ward excos. Their crime is hinged on an imagined ‘ antiparty culpability’ during the last general elections, despite the aftermath of over 90% success recorded by the party across the State, with clear cut victories for the Presidential, Governorship, two Senators and over 90% National Assembly Seats and a  majority in the State House of Assembly.  

Why one may not entirely delve into the party’s Constitution regards matters of suspension of this nature, even though  appearing in the sanest of thoughts as ill-motivated and fathomly charged ,  with a mere hench  mission to giving a dog a bad name to justify it’s hanging, one finds the timing of these pronouncements quite curious, suspect  and and entirely counterproductive coming at a time Benue State ought  to be in the good strength to attracting dividends of democracy from the center for the common good of the people. This pronouncements further provokes ignorance on the part of this certain insensitive , self-seeking cleavage who rather than encourage unity of purpose in the current circumstances to achieve overall  common good for the Benue people under an APC government that holds potentially  several doors of opportunities and dividends, including federal appointments ,  would best  choose to unnecessary politick and tear off the deserved gains anticipatedtherefrom.  Isn’t it worthy of note that Benue stood out as one of the top States to have delivered an electoral fortune for the state in  related comparison to   other neighboring  states like Nasarawa, where the APC Chair, Senator Abdullahi Adamu comes from? What about Plateau State and several others?

Why not justifying failure in any way, it also amounts to fair thinking that APC won round and clear in Benue State and this feat could not just have been attained by a single political weight in the State,  but a feat largely achieved by the likes of top political big wigs like the Distinguished Senator Gemade who over the years have made several sacrifices to champion the lot of the party,  both at local and national realms . Isn’t it exemplary that Senator Gemade had in no mean measure built the very fabrics of the APC both at local and national realms of it since sojourn over the years? It will no doubt be full hardy for anyone to destroy the very house he had sacrificed so much to built successfully.

Indeed when Martin Luther King Jr   averred that, “every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness”, he certainly would have had the likes of Barnabas Gemade at play. That Distinguished Senator Barnabas Gemade had consistently risen to defend and focus his political philosophy on productive  acts of selflessness and altruism is not in doubt,  practically viewing democracy as a consensus charter to achieve good for the overall good  of the people.  A few years ago he  was at the forefront to champion the cause of his fellow brother from Benue State, Senator George Akume, who had squared up for the National Chairmanship position of the Party. Gemade sacrificed materially and morally to see this aspiration of his fellow kinsman   come to fruition, even though Senator Abdullahi Adamu later took the day. He needn’t stand on the fence. He publicly stood for this cause to support Akume wholeheartedly to the admiration of many at the Benue home front.  How could he now seek to destroy a party he committedly sacrificed selflessly to have  favorable stand in his home State ahead of the 2023 general elections?

In the recent time equally,  Gemade had taken a  stoic defence of a democratic process which produced the current President -elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) . While the likes of former President Olusegun Obasanjo began to brew some rebellion and  discontentment with the 2003 electoral process that produced Tinubu’s victory over and above fellow contenders like Peter Obi of the LP and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, citing reasons of manipulations, Gemade would rise to the occasion  as a credible stateman to courageously and frontally speak the obvious  in defence of democracy. While Obasanjo had called for outright cancellation of Tinubu’s victory and instead called for the  coronation of an interim national government in the middle of the democratic process. But a fouthright Gemade would remind the former President of his unfavorable deeds against democracy while he reigned as President . He reminded him of his infamous agenda   to truncate the democratic wheels post 2007, where he unpopularly conceived an unacceptable third term agenda to elongate his tenure beyond 2007,  therefore lacked the moral standi to speak for or against a credible Democratic process that had produced Ahmed Tinubu as President- elect. As a consummate democrat, his voice was heard loud and meaningful amongst Nigerians and the international community who always held him as Patriot and Nation builder.. He has always being an epicentre of democratic conscience, never hesitant in building the walls of democracy courageously. His policies, speeches and practical development ideals while serving as Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria leaves no one in doubt as a capacity filled leader and representative of the people.

Like Nelson Mandela once said , ‘as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do same’  Senator Gemade is no doubt a conscious product of this school of thought, naturally adopting the belief that whatever measure of privileges attained in life same must equally be availed for the benefit of others. In 1998, Senator Gemade had practically become the undisputed of Tiv politics and largely Benue State. He possessed so much political clout and influence that he could practically determine who became a Governor, Senator and other elected National Seats in  Benue State. Even though he had the wherewithal to become the Governor of the State by 1999, he had rather sacrificed same self ambitions in favor of a fellow brother , Senator George Akume from the JEMGBAGH extraction,  who eventfully became the third democratically Governor of Benue State from 1999-2007. Some of his kinsmen saw this decision unpopular , because they viewed it an opportunity for the JECHIRA Geopolitical extraction to complete their short-lived tenure under the Late Revd Fr Moses Orshio Adasu administration, but he saw it an inclusive policy to champion the collective aspirations of all sections of people across the State.

He championed an Akume governorship aspiration over and above his likely protege, Mr Mike Mku, knowing that the former had been a tested administrator who had worked in the various local governments across the state and was therefore cognate with the needed experience and  challenges of the people who yearned for democracy after prolonged military rule. Tiv Nation and indeed the Jemgbagh extraction would indeed hold dear this far reaching decision at leadership recruitment  strategy  to arrive at having one amongst their own inspired to become a prolific  political leader in Benue State and beyond today . This is selflessness! This Practical altruism which Gemade has always exhibited his leadership philosophy  and has come to be known and identified with over time.

Again when former governor George Akume , himself largely a product of Senator Gemade’s left the PDP to the defunct ACN in 2010,  Gemade was remained the only formidable force that still gave the PDP the needed flesh to flourish in the state and beyond. His exit to team up forces with the APC in 2015, no doubt brought the PDP  to its kneels and largely consummated its final defeat in the build up to the 2015 general elections. The APC won majority of the seats including two Senators and the governorship in the state. This was achieved with unity of purpose as the duo of Akume and Gemade would team up forces to work for the greater good of the State.

At the 8th National Assembly, Senator Gemade would again reinforce his synergy to stand in full support of his kinsman and fellow , Senator George Akume who first desired and opted for the position of the Senate President at the first instance. Even though Gemade himself was roundly qualified to vie for same position , being a ranking Senator as required, he would first let the aspirations of his fellow Benue brother flourish over and above him. Senators elect had  returned cheerfully with several of them either defecting to the ruling APC or  losing out at the elections owing to the usher of the new change mantra with President as a frontline symbol of the new political paradigm . Thus the race towards enthronement of leadership of the 8th National Assembly began.

Senator George Akume  had earlier declared interest in the position of the Senate Presidency along the likes of Bukar Ibrahim would later drop his ambition and team up with  Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan from Yobe state who had become  the APC preferred candidate for Senate Presidency. Senator Akume, who had been the  Minority leader of the Senate in the 7th Senate and was initially preferred by frontline party leader, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu who had earlier ensured that Akume became Minority leader in the last Senate. Akume had in obedience to party’s nod  made concessions  to run on the same ticket with Lawan as his Deputy Senate President.

Senator Gemade had spearheaded and  led a  12-member delegation, including Adamu Aliero, Abdullahi Adamu, Abu Ibrahim, Sola Adeyeye, Gbenga Ashafa, Kabir Gaya, Bukar Abba-Ibrahim, Abdullahi Gumel, Jibrin Barau, Paullen Tallen and Nafiz Suleiman began negotiations by first meeting with the Party’s leadership led by the National Chairman John Odigie Oyegun to make their demands for ranking as key in choosing the next President of the Senate. They argued that this was the convention all over the world. The Senate Unity forum in making their case for the Lawan-Akume ticket had described their preferred choices as  ranking Senators, with the most experience among the Senators-elect. Both Lawan and Akume had been returned to the Senate for atleast the third consecutive time while Saraki was a second term  Senator at the time.

 The Senate Unity Forum(SUF) as led by Senator Gemade had maintained  that Lawan and Akume would give Nigerians of the Northeast zone a sense of full integration into the heterogenous Nigerian polity. “That the duo of Senators Lawan and Akume maintained clean records throughout their stint in the public service. This attribute will put them on high moral pedestal to lead the 8th Senate to bring about a corrupt-free Nigeria as a key component of the federal new government.

These efforts were driven very prolifically and frontlined by a selfless Gemade despite strong contending interest from the Senate Like Minds group as led by Senator Dino Malaye, a group that worked assiduously for Senator Bukola Saraki’s ambition as Senate President and  in quick deviance to the Senate Unity Forum’s position.  The group began to point accusations to  the party leadership of unduly meddling into the Senate leadership which the President Muhammadu Buhari had promised ab initio to allow it due independence. In the midst of these all these , Gemade remained consistent as a Party faithful given wholly the Creed been championed at the time.

Now in a State like Benue State , where the APC has recorded enormous success for the Party in the last general elections , it would be totally misplaced to dilly – dalled into what can best be seen as a distraction. Benue people are in high expectations of the best coming from the new government at the Center as a form of reward system through very sensitive federal appointments in the cabinet and the Ministries, Departments and other parastatals of government.  They anticipate infrastructure development and interventions from the center to help ameliorate the daunting challenges of salaries and pensions .  They had long suffered from the protracted  consequences of a long drawn acrimony from an opposition government against the center in the last eight years. Dragging back to this same ugly fate would be most uncharitable. What the people need now is a close in rank with the gladiators and leaders in the State to avoid the ugly scenario of an unnecessary elephants fighting at such a critical moment of history where they supposedly should  reap the bounties of their hard  earned labor. With thorough synergy having produced a sitting Governor, two Senators , majority of the House of reps and state Assembly members and working tirelessly for a Tinubu Presidential victory, it is now time to get the best for the State. It is indeed commendable that the National Working Committee  of the APC would swiftly respond in it’s wisdom to rescind the unhealthy and regressive decision earlier taken by the State Working Committee led by the Agada Austin by mischievously suspending credible rated and influencial political  leaders like Senator Gemade and others. This has put the matter to rest. Indeed there is practically no reason whatsoever to seek to descend into the abyss acrimony, disunity, by an incautious way of politicking , instead of focusing on the bigger picture of democracy dividends. Benue deserves better.  Let’s give peace a chance in Benue APC and allow progress and development for our dear State which is still agonized by insensitive government of the last 8 years.

– Aor- Akosu Emmanuel

Public Affairs Analyst

Writes from Abuja

Nigeria