ABUJA—FORMER National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Senator, representing Benue North East, Senator Barnabas Gemade, has given his backing to Senator George Akume becoming the Senate President in the 8th Senate.

Senator Gemade, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning, in a statement, in Abuja, yesterday, said the Senate Minority Leader is highly suited and qualified to be the next Senate President.

Describing the former Benue State governor as the highest ranking Senator from the North Central geo-political zone, he said the rumour in parts of Benue State that he (Gemade) was against the candidature of Akume to succeed his kinsman, Senator David Mark, was mischievous and unfounded.

Gemade, who dumped PDP for the All Progressives Congress, APC, described the insinuation as “baseless and absolute falsehood and should be disregarded in its entirety.”
He accused those who lost elections of labouring to sow a seed of discord in the APC by peddling unfounded rumour.

According to him: “My attention has been drawn to the mischievous and unfounded rumour on cyberspace and some newspapers,  that I am not in support of Senator George Akume’s candidature for the office of Senate President.

“This is no doubt the handiwork of our political opponents, who suffered defeat at the just concluded elections and can’t seem to get over it, that are now bent on sowing a seed of discord in our party.”