Senator Gabriel Suswam, a former Governor of Benue State, has officially resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after more than a decade of membership.
He made this known in a statement released on Wednesday.
His resignation is the latest defection witnessed in the opposition party, following the exits of Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, and his Delta State counterpart, Sheriff Oborevwori, last December.
According to the resignation letter, Senator Suswam cited the lingering internal leadership crisis as the reason for his exit.
He appreciated the party for giving him the platform to serve in various leadership capacities.
“I write to formally resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with effect from the date of this letter.
“For decades, the PDP provided me with a platform to serve the Nigerian people in various capacities,” he said. “For these opportunities and the trust reposed in me at different times, I remain sincerely grateful.”
Commenting on the unresolved crisis in the party, the former governor said: “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.”
While there have been numerous efforts to reconcile aggrieved members of the party, the senator noted that the situation had deteriorated. “The PDP today appears to be perpetually trapped in crisis mode; an institution in political intensive care, with no consensus diagnosis and no agreed treatment plan in sight,” he stated.
To this end, the 61-year-old Benue politician said his political ideology no longer aligned with the current state of the party. “I believe that political parties must serve as platforms for ideas, discipline, and constructive engagement, not arenas of endless internal warfare,” he said. “Regrettably, the current state of affairs within the PDP no longer aligns with these ideas.”
Giving his reasons for the defection, Suswam noted that he found it “increasingly difficult to reconcile my continued membership with my personal convictions, political philosophy, and desire to contribute meaningfully to nation-building within a stable and functional political framework.”
“I therefore consider it honourable and necessary to step aside, while wishing the party well, should it one day find the courage and consensus to resolve its longstanding internal contradictions.”
