Former Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State has announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing persistent internal crises and a lack of cohesion within the opposition political party.
Suswam in his resignation letter dated February 4, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of the PDP in Mbagber Council Ward, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State, said his decision was premised on years of unresolved internal conflicts within the opposition party which has seriously affected its leadership, structure, discipline and ideological direction.
He said he had chosen to step aside with the hope that the PDP would someday find the resolve to address its internal contradictions.
The letter which was posted on the Facebook page of by Moses Ukeyima, Chief of Staff to Senator Suswam, stated that in spite of several reconciliation efforts and interventions over the years, the PDP has remained trapped in a cycle of crisis, making stability increasingly elusive.
Suswam said; “I write to formally resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with effect from the date of this letter”.
The former governor explained that the decision was not taken lightly, stating that the PDP 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. In his words; “For these opportunities and the trust reposed in me at different times, I remain sincerely grateful”.
He however, lamented that the PDP which once symbolised cohesion, internal democracy and progressive opposition, had become “plagued by persistent and unresolved internal conflicts.
According to Suswam; “These disputes, spanning leadership, structure, discipline and ideology, have been allowed to fester without any clear or credible pathway to resolution”.
Accordingly, he stressed that he could no longer reconcile his continued membership of the party with his personal convictions and desire to contribute meaningfully to nation-building within a stable political platform.
He further said; “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,” Suswam emphasised.
