Former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing prolonged internal crises within his former party.
Suswam’s defection was confirmed on Wednesday via a Facebook post by his Chief of Staff, Moses Ukeyima, who disclosed that the former governor had completed his registration as a card-carrying member of the APC in his Mbagber Council Ward, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to the post, Suswam was captured on the APC’s ongoing electronic registration platform during the exercise, which was conducted by the state organising secretary, James Ornguga, and Angura Bishop, on behalf of the state chairman. He was subsequently presented with his APC membership card.
The former governor had earlier announced his resignation from the PDP, attributing his decision to what he described as persistent and unresolved internal conflicts within the party.
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“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,” Suswam said. He noted that the disputes, which cut across leadership, structure, discipline and ideology, had been allowed to linger without any credible effort at resolution.
Despite his exit, Suswam expressed appreciation to the PDP for the roles it enabled him to play in public service over the years.
“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,” he said, adding that he remained grateful for the trust reposed in him by the party at different times.