Senator Barnabas Gemade, immediate past Senator representing Benue North East, has said going to the Elections Petitions Tribunal to challenge the elections that brought in the immediate past governor of the state, Gabriel Suswam is one frivolity he does not wish to engage in.
Gemade, a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also said, considering his age, he cannot see himself going to court against persons much younger than him over an election at his level of service.
Speaking with newsmen in Makurdi on Monday, during a homecoming organised for him, said, “I don’t think it’s my homecoming that should put a seal on my decision not to go to the tribunal. I think you have a least 14 days to file your own petition at the tribunal if you are going there.
“Since that time expired everyone should have known that I’m not one of those contestants going to the tribunal.
“And the reason why I didn’t go to the tribunal is that I do not need the law courts to compel my people to accept me as their representative; if there are other means by which people become representative of their people and it is acceptable to them let them have it.
“Even if the election was rigged or even if it were by robbery that the election was taken, that is what God has allowed to happen at that material time and there is no reason why I should waste my time to challenge such an action; not because challenging it would lead to nothing; challenging it would lead to a lot, but, at this level of service and at my age, I don’t think I should engage in these kinds of frivolities, especially with people who are much younger than me.”
Citing an example in normal day life he said, “Even those who do not do politics, in simple life, they say that a polygamist knows better who is the best wife; if you marry just one, you’re stuck with her but if you marry more, then you know the difference.
“Let them (electorate) have more senators so they can know the difference. Maybe even the ones they had before me did not teach them enough on how a senator should be and they keep searching, so let them keep searching and maybe they will find a senator that is acceptable to them, to represent them at an appropriate time.”
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