Former Benue Governor Suswam Resigns from PDP

Former Benue State governor and senator, Gabriel Suswam, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing what he described as deepening and unresolved internal crises within the party.

Suswam announced his decision in a letter addressed to the Mbagber Council Ward of the Logo Local Government Area, Benue State, and released to journalists in Makurdi on Wednesday, February 4.

The former governor said his exit from the party followed careful reflection, noting that the PDP had played a significant role in his political career over the years.

He said the party had provided him with the platform to serve Nigeria in different capacities, including as a member of the House of Representatives, governor of Benue State, and senator, for which he expressed gratitude.

However, Suswam said the PDP has now been swallowed up in persistent internal disputes, making it difficult for well-meaning members to restore unity. He noted that repeated attempts to resolve the party’s leadership and structural challenges had failed.

According to him, the party, once known for internal democracy and cohesion, is now plagued by conflicts spanning leadership, discipline, structure, and ideology, with no clear path to resolution. 

He described the situation as one in which the PDP appears permanently locked in crisis, lacking both a shared understanding of its problems and a viable solution.

“The party that once stood as a symbol of cohesion, internal democracy, and progressive opposition has regrettably become plagued by persistent and unresolved internal conflicts.

“These disputes, spanning leadership, structure, discipline, and ideology, have been allowed to fester without any clear or credible pathway to resolution.”

Suswam said the prolonged instability within the party no longer aligned with his personal convictions or political philosophy, hinting that he found it increasingly difficult to remain in a political organisation he believed had lost its functional capacity.

“I believe that political parties must serve as platforms for ideas, discipline, and constructive engagement, not arenas of endless internal warfare. Regrettably, the current state of affairs within the PDP no longer aligns with these ideals.”

He stated that stepping aside had become both an honourable and necessary decision.

Suswam wished the PDP well, expressing hope that it would eventually find the resolve to address its longstanding internal disputes, while thanking party members at all levels for the years of shared political engagement. 

“Please accept my resignation and convey my appreciation to members at all levels for the shared journey over the years,” he said.