Senator Barnabas Gemade representing Benue East Senatorial District is celebrating his 70th birthday.
ASKNGRADO.com | News | Makurdi | Sep 9
As part of activities marKiNG Senator Barnabas Gemade’s 70th birthday, ASKiNG RADiO Tiv will broadcast live the thanksgiving service at NKST Low Level Makurdi from 11 o’clock this morning
Join us!
ASKiNG RADiO App is available for download on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
tiv.ASKiNGRADiO.com
Who is Barnabas Andyar Iyorhyer Gemade?
Barnabas Andyar Iyorhyer Gemade born 4 September 1948 is a Nigerian Politician, formerly National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who was elected Senator for the Benue North East constituency of Benue State of in the 9 April 2011 national elections.
Senator Gemade
Early Career
Dr. Barnabas Gemade is a chief from the Tiv group.
He holds the title of the Nom-I-Yange-I-Tiv.
Gemade was the chief executive officer of the Benue Cement Company (BCC) from 1985 to 1992, and was said to have been highly effective in this position.
Gemade was a member of the 1994–1995 Constitutional Conference during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. He has held the positions of Secretary (Minister) of Works and National Chairman of the Congress Of National Consensus Party, which was one of the parties sponsored by Abacha.
PDP Chief
In the first national convention of the PDP after the April 1999 general elections, Gemade was elected National chairman after a tough competition with the party founder Chief Sunday Awoniyi.
He succeeded Solomon Lar, the first chairman of the party, and was elected in part due to zoning rules which favoured giving the post to a northerner.
Gemade initially had the solid backing of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
However, before the 2001 National Convention held on 9–10 November, he was facing strong opposition from powerful interests in the party. When he tried to be elected chairman for a second term with Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo as secretary, the two lost out to chief Audu Ogbeh who became chairman and Vincent Ogbulafor who became secretary.
In the 2003 PDP presidential primaries, Gemade lost to former president Olusegun Obasanjo, who went on to be re-elected. In April 2003 he was expelled from the PDP on account of alleged anti-party activities. The main reason was that in the 2003 elections for Governor of Benue State he had supported the candidate of the United Nigeria People’s Party (UNPP) rather than the PDP candidate, Chief George Akume.
Additional Information: Wikipedia
Stay with us for more
