JUST IN: Suspension of Gemade, Shija, others from APC stands – Benue Chairman

The Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue state, Mr. Austin Agada says the recent suspension of Senator Barnabas Gemade, Prof. Terhemba Shija, and others by the state chapter of the party stands despite the reported nullification of the order by the national secretariat of the party.

He insisted that he has not received any communication from the national secretariat and would not act on rumours.

The Chairman made the clarification weekend in Makurdi shortly after inaugurating the Chief Terlumun Akputu-led fact-finding and disciplinary committee to investigate the anti-party activities of the suspended members and another on the commissioning of the remodeled state secretariat of the party led by Terver Aginde.

It would be recalled that after the state chapter of the party last week suspended the stalwarts of the party for alleged anti-party anti-party activities, the national secretariat immediately came out with a counter-order nullifying the said suspension.

Reacting to the development, the State Chairman said: “As you know, the meeting (that suspended the members) that was held here at the party secretariat was a meeting of Congress made up of 276 Ward Chairmen, Local Government Executives, members of our party across the 23 Local Government Areas, LGAs, and of course, the State Executive Committee made of the working and nonworking committee members.

“So it was a Congress, and of course in a Congress, not even me the State Chairman has the power to stop the flow of things. It was their humble opinion that the decision be taken. That is why the decision said they were being suspended from the party to face the fact-finding and disciplinary committee whose Chairman has said that they will be fair and just to all in their assignment.

“It is not just only about them, there were other persons who were not mentioned in the suspension order. It is all about strengthening the party, there is no vendetta being chased.

“So for me, we are still on course and there is no cause for alarm; we are not doing anything outside the constitution of the party. By inaugurating the committee today we are working in line with the provisions of our party constitution.

“If you claim the statement nullifying the suspension order is in the media, well I have not seen it, I am not aware, our party does not communicate like that. We communicate directly through the office of the Chairman to every other member of the party. Moreover who signed the statement?

“How would you sign a statement when we have just inaugurated a committee and we have not even forwarded to the secretariat the decision of the state chapter? So on what premise were they acting?

“So maybe it is one of these market creations. For me, I feel that on Monday or Tuesday I will be

communicating officially to the national secretariat the decision reached by our party in Benue State.”