The Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State, on Monday, announced the suspension of its chairman, John Ngbede; secretary, Joseph Nyam, and the Organising Secretary, Moses Audu, for alleged forgery.
But the chairman, in a swift reaction, dismissed both the allegation and his suspension as illegal and questioned why ex-governor, Samuel Ortom, would host the meeting where the purported suspension was decided.
The party, in a statement on Monday by its Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, said Ngbede, Nyam and Audu would remain suspended for one month.
The party accused Ngbede and others of “forging and impersonating the State Working Committee to achieve their individual aims, instigating violence and crisis during the just concluded ward congresses of the party, and mismanagement of the finances of the party, among other things.”
According to the statement, the decision to suspend them was taken at the SWC meeting of last Saturday, attended by nine out of the 13 members.
“They have been directed to appear before the disciplinary committee of the party to answer to the charges brought against them within the period of their suspension.
“The state Deputy Chairman, Isaac Mffo, is now the state Chairman of the PDP in Benue State in an acting capacity,” the statement said.
But when contacted by The PUNCH, the suspended chairman wondered who authorised the meeting where the suspension was decided.
Ngbede said, “Am I not the one that was supposed to call for a meeting? But the meeting was held at the house of the former governor (Samuel Ortom).”
While dismissing the allegations of forgery and others, Ngbede said, “The congress last Saturday was marred by irregularities in some places because some of those who were in their so-called meeting masterminded it.
“Some result sheets were snatched and those who went out to conduct the congress told us that those result sheets were snatched at gunpoint.”