Biography

Biography of Barnabas Gemade, Senator

Barnabas Gemade

Barnabas Andyar Iyorhyer Gemade, senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, was born on September 4, 1948. He is an indigene of Benue State. He was formerly the

National Chairman of the People?s Demoncratic Party (PDP).

Gemade had his secondary Education at Bristow Secondary School Gboko in 1963, he then proceeded to HSC Government College Keffi and rounded up in 1970. For his Univeristy Education, he attended the prestigious Ahmadu Bello Univeristy Zaria, where he graduated with a B.Sc. in 1974 he proceeded for his M.Sc at Engineering City University, London and rounded up in 1978.

Barnabas Gemade was elected Senator for the Benue North East constituency of Benue State, Nigeria in the April 2011 national elections under the PDP Platform.

Dr. Barnabas Gemade is a chief from the Tiv ethnic minority. He holds the title of theNom-I-Yange-I-Tiv. Barnabas Gemade was once the chief executive officer of the Benue Cement Company (BCC) from 1985 to 1992, and was said to have been highly effective while in office. Gemade was a member of the 1994 to 1995 Constitutional Conference during the military regime of General Sani Abacha. He has also held the positions of Secretary (Minister) of Works and National Chairman of the Congress of National Consensus party.

After the April 1999 general elections, during the first National Convention of the PDP, Barnabas Gemade was elected National chairman after a tough competition with the party founder Chief Sunday Awoniyi. He thereby 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. Barnabas Gemade initially had the 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 contested for 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 Peoples Party (UNPP) rather than the PDP candidate, Chief George Akume. He was however readmitted to the party and became a member of the Board of Trustees. In a January 2011 interview, he described the turbulence in the leadership of the PDP in the early years as healthy, showing competition between individuals rather than a power-sharing arrangement between the different group.

In a November 2010 interview, Gemade supported the decision to allow incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan to run for election, despite the fact that some felt zoning rules meant the candidature should go to a northerner. He disputed that Jonathan's candidature could lead to the breakup of the country, and noted as a member of a minority ethnic group in the north that the minority groups had always been strong supporters of national unity.

In 2007 elections, Barnabas Gemade was a strong supporter of Joseph Akaagerger, when he was elected Senator for Benue North East. However, In the April 2011 elections, Gemade decided to challenge Akaagerger for the Senatorial seat.

In 9 April 2011 elections for Senator of Benue North East, Barnabas Gemade ran for the senatorial seat for Benue North East under the platform of the PDP and won.

He however defected from the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), to All Progressive Congress(APC) where he immediately won the APC primaries for the senate and thereafter won the senatorial seat in the 2015 elections.

- Biography Of Joshua Dariye
Joshua DariyeJoshua Chibi Dariye, Ex-Governor and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was born on July 27, 1957 at Horop, Mushere, in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. He is an indigene of Plateau State. He is married and blessed with...

- Biography Of Abdullahi Adamu, Ex-governor, Senator
Abdullahi AdamuAbdullahi Adamu, former Governor and senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was born at Keffi, Nasarawa State, on July 23, 1946. He is an indigene of Nasarawa State. He attended Senior Primary Shool Keffi, then proceeded to Government...

- Biography Of Danjuma Goje, Former Governor , Senator.
Danjuma GojeMohammed Danjuma Goje, former Governor and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was born on October 10, 1952, in Kashere, in Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, Nigeria. Danjuma Goje attended the Ahmadu Bello University(ABU),...

- Audu Ogbeh, Biography And Profile
Audu Innocent OgbehAudu Innocent Ogbeh was born on July 28, 1947, in Otukpo, Benue State, of Idoma Origin. He was the Chairman of the People?s Democratic Party(PDP) from 2001 to 2005.He attended King's College, Lagos...

- Biography Of Abu Ibrahim; Senator; Politician;katsina State Celebrity.
Abu IbrahimAbu Ibrahim is a Senator of Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is an indigene of Katsina State. He was briefly the chairman of the Katsina branch of the People?s Democratic Party(PDP). In 2002, after unsubstantiated allegations were made against...

Biography