Former Benue State Governor and ex-Senator, Gabriel Suswam, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing deep-seated internal crises and the party’s inability to restore cohesion and discipline.
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 by his Chief of Staff, Moses Ukeyima, who shared it on Facebook.
In the letter, the former governor said his decision followed years of frustration over what he described as the PDP’s failure to resolve longstanding internal conflicts affecting its leadership, structure, discipline, and ideological direction.
He said, “I write to formally resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with effect from the date of this letter.
“This decision has not been taken lightly. For decades, the PDP provided me with a platform to serve the Nigerian people in various capacities; as a Member of the House of Representatives, as Governor of Benue State, and as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. For these opportunities and the trust reposed in me at different times, I remain sincerely grateful.
“However, 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 noted that despite repeated interventions and reconciliation efforts over the years, the party had remained trapped in what he described as a cycle of crisis, with no visible roadmap to stability.
He said he could no longer reconcile his continued membership of the PDP with his personal convictions and desire to contribute meaningfully to nation-building through a stable and principled 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 added.
The former governor said he had decided to step aside, while expressing hope that the PDP would someday find the courage and consensus needed to resolve its internal contradictions.
As of the time of filing this report, the leadership of the PDP had not reacted to Suswam’s resignation.
