BY G9IJA
The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka in a statement on Thursday said the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party gave the order for the suspension to be quashed.
The suspension of the duo for alleged anti-party activities was announced by the Benue APC chairman, Comrade Austin Agada, during the party’s expanded stakeholders meeting in Makurdi, the state capital.
According to him, both Gemade and Shija worked against the party’s governorship candidate and eventual winner of the governorship election, Fr. Hyacinth Alia, after they were defeated during the party primaries.
Agada accused them of working with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue against the interest of the APC after their defeat at the primaries.
Agada alleged they were conniving with PDP to frustrate Alia.
But the national APC in a swift reaction has described Gemade as a “bonafide member” of the party.
“The attention of the national headquarters of All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to media reports of the purported suspension of Senator Barnabas Gemade, Professor Terhemba Shija, and five others by the Benue state executive committee of our party,” Morka said.
“The party has directed that the said suspension and all related actions in the matter be, and are hereby, set aside pending further review and decision of the party’s national working committee (NWC) on the matter.
“Therefore, senator Gemade, Professor Shija, and five others that are affected by the said suspension are, and remain, bonafide members of the Benue state chapter of our party.”