The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Benue State has slammed a one month suspension on a former governor of the state, Gabriel Suswam, a former member of the House of Representatives, Terngu Tsegba, as well as three other party chieftains, Richard Gbande, Terseer Tsumba and Prof Nicholas Adam.
Also suspended were the chairmen of the party for Gboko, Apa, Gwer-East, Monshisha, Katsina-Ala, Logo, Otukpo and Ukum local government areas.
According to a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the party in Benue, Chief Bemgba Iortyom, the PDP members were suspended for alleged gross insubordination.
According to report the party, in a statement on Wednesday, summoned the affected persons to appear before the State Working Committee, SWC, to respond to some allegations made against them bothering on “acts inimical to the good health and interests of the party”.
They were also accused of diverting the party’s campaign funds during the 2023 elections.
The party particularly accused Suswam of being a “spokesperson and errand runner” of Governor Hyacinth Alia of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
PDP alleged that even when the party’s governorship candidate, Engr. Titus Uba, was still in court challenging the outcome of the election, “Suswam was going about drumming support for the governor at public functions”.
The affected members, who were expected to appear before the SWC on Thursday at the party’s State Secretariat in Makurdi, failed to honour the summons.
According to the publicity secretary, their inability to appear before the SWC prompted the suspension.
“Their unfortunate conduct contravene Section 58 of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (as Amended in 2017) and accordingly, they have been suspended from the party for a period of one (1) month, and are hereby directed to appear before the Disciplinary Committee of the party at a date, venue and time to be communicated to them by the committee,” the statement added.
