Former Benue Governor, Gabriel Suswam, dumps PDP over internal crisis

A former Governor of Benue State and ex-Senator, Gabriel Suswam, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing persistent internal crises and a lack of cohesion within the opposition party.

Suswam’s resignation was conveyed in a letter dated Wednesday, February 4, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of the PDP in Mbagber Council Ward, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.

The letter was made public on Facebook by his Chief of Staff, Moses Ukeyima.

In the letter, the former governor said his decision followed years of unresolved internal conflicts within the party, affecting its leadership, structure, discipline and ideological direction.

“I write to formally resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with effect from the date of this letter,” Suswam stated.

He noted that the decision was not taken lightly, recalling that the PDP had provided him with opportunities to serve Nigeria at different levels, including as a Member of the House of Representatives, Governor of Benue State and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“For these opportunities and the trust reposed in me at different times, I remain sincerely grateful,” he said.

However, Suswam lamented that the party, which he said once symbolised cohesion, internal democracy and progressive opposition, had 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,” he added.

According to him, despite several reconciliation efforts and interventions over the years, the PDP has remained trapped in a cycle of crisis, making stability increasingly elusive.

He said he could no longer reconcile his continued membership of the party with his personal convictions and his desire to contribute meaningfully to nation-building within a stable political platform.

“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 said.

Suswam said he had chosen to step aside, while expressing hope that the PDP would someday find the resolve to address its internal contradictions.

As of the time of filing this report, the PDP leadership had yet to react to his resignation.