‘PDP not aware of Gemade’s defection to SDP’ – Iortyom

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State on Monday said it was not aware that Senator Barnabas Gemade, representing Benue North East senatorial district at the National Assembly has defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Gemade had rejoined the PDP about a month ago after his three years sojourn in the APC where he got his present second term mandate.

But, at the weekend, the former national chairman of the PDP was said to have again moved to yet another party, the SDP and even obtained its forms to seek a third term return to the senate.

While reacting to the defection of Gemade, the state’s PDP Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, told newsmen in Makurdi, that the party was not aware of the senator’s defection from its stable, talk more of joining another party.

“I’m not aware if Senator Gemade has left the party. I don’t know if he picked the PDP senatorial nomination forms because we are not in charge of that at the state level. Apart from the state assembly forms which was bought here (Benue), others picked their forms from Abuja but they were asked to submit their forms to the state party secretariat. And Gemade did not submit any forms here,” Iortyom said.

Meanwhile, a former publicity secretary of SDP, Philip Wuhe, told journalists that the third term seeking senator would be submitting his senatorial forms in Abuja today (Tuesday).

Wuhe however could not confirmed when Gemade picked the forms of the new party but assured that he was submitting same to the SDP secretariat in Abuja, today, being the last date for returns of senatorial forms earlier purchased by aspirants.

Our correspondent also gathered that though the senator had picked the expression of intent and nomination forms of the PDP some three weeks ago, he however did not return them following some development which he felt was not in his favour in the party.

Gemade would by his current moves contend for the SDP ticket for the Benue North East senatorial district with two other aspirants; Senator Joseph Akargerger and Dr. Louis Tongee Malu to emerge as the party’s flag bearer for the 2019 elections.