Cephas Iorhemen 
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has finally suspended Senator Gabriel Suswam, Terngu Tsegba, Richard Gbande, Terseer Tsumba and Professor Nicholas Ada from the party for gross insubordination.
Senator Suswam, former Governor of the State, is contesting for the National Chairmanship seat of the party.
Also suspended are Chairmen of the party for, Apa, Gboko, Gwer-East, Katsina-Ala, Konshisha, Logo, Otukpo and Ukum local government areas.
The party summoned the affected persons to appear before the State Working Committee (SWC) to answer to allegations made against them bothering on 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, among several other things.
In the particular case of Senator Suswam, he was also accused of being a spokesperson and errand runner to APC’s Governor Hyacinth Alia to the extent that even when the PDP 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, with specific reference made to his speech at the burial of late Akua Aper Aku.
The affected persons were required to appear before the SWC at the party’s State Secretariat on No. 1, Ochagwu Lawani Street, New GRA in Makurdi by 10am, the aim of their summons being to interact with them at a preliminary level and possibly avoid the need to take disciplinary action against them.
In a statement by its publicity secretary, Chief Bemgba Iortyom, the party said “rather than reciprocate the conciliatory gesture extended to them, they chose the path of intransigence and insubordination by refusing to appear before the SWC as required, with some of them taking to the public space to pour scorn on the party’s constituted authority”.
“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.
“PDP charged its teeming members across the state to remain law abiding and keep faith with the party’s leadership as it steers a peaceable way out of the unfortunate events of the recent past, in the assurance that the party will emerge stronger from the ongoing reformation efforts.
New Telegraph gathered that the party now has 10 members of the State Working Committee (SWC) in office out of 13.
