- Over the past few months, Benue PDP has been battling internal wrangling as the party is divided into different factions.
- Amid the conflict in the party, John Ngbede, Benue PDP chairman, was suspended.
The Benue chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken a decisive step against some of its members accused of engaging in anti-party activities.
Gabriel Suswam, a former governor of Benue State, is among those summoned by the party.
He is joined by four other prominent individuals, including former speakers of the Benue House of Assembly, Terngu Tsegba and Terseer Tsumba, as well as Richard Gbande, a former federal lawmaker, and Professor Nicholas Ada.
According to Bemgba Iortyom, the spokesperson for the Benue PDP, Suswam is facing allegations of misusing campaign funds for personal gain.
Furthermore, Suswam is accused of creating divisions within the party and sponsoring violent acts against the PDP.
Iortyom alleged that Suswan was the spokesperson to Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, during the 2023 elections at the expense of the party’s governorship candidate.
“The action has become necessary following the invasion of the party’s state secretariat in Makurdi yesterday by thugs and hoodlums led by the suspended state chairman, John Ngbede, which credible intelligence reveals was under the sponsorship and support of the Suswam-led group,” the statement reads.
“PDP observes that in the particular case of Senator Suswam, weighty allegations have been mounting against him of acts inimical to the good health and interests of the party, including diversion of campaign funds during the 2023 elections, sponsoring of factions and thuggery within the party, sponsoring of publication of internal party disputes, sponsoring of court litigations against the party without recourse to the internal dispute resolution mechanisms of the party, among several other things.
“Such acts and many others which Senator Suswam and his cohorts are accused of constitute a violation of Section 58 of the Constitution of the Peoples Democratic Party (as amended in 2017), and consequently, in line with provisions of the same Section of the PDP Constitution.”
The Benue PDP spokesperson said Suswam and the other chieftains are expected to appear before the party’s state working committee on Thursday.