A former governor and senior political figure has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing ongoing and unresolved internal disputes that he says have weakened the party’s cohesion and effectiveness.
The politician, Gabriel Suswam, former Governor of Benue State, made his decision public in a letter of resignation addressed to Mbagber Council Ward, Logo Local Government Area of the state. He reflected on decades of service under the PDP, noting that the party had provided him a platform to serve the Nigerian people in various capacities, including as a legislator, governor, and senator.
He expressed gratitude for the opportunities afforded to him, while lamenting that the party, once a symbol of unity, internal democracy, and progressive opposition, has “regrettably 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 toward resolution.
Despite repeated interventions, reconciliatory committees, and public assurances, he said the party continues to operate in a state of deep dysfunction.
“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,” Suswam said.
He stressed that political parties should serve as platforms for ideas, discipline, and constructive engagement, rather than arenas of endless internal warfare.
“Regrettably, the current state of affairs within the PDP no longer aligns with these ideals. 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,” he added.
Suswam concluded by requesting that his resignation be accepted and that his appreciation be conveyed to party members at all levels for the shared journey over the years.
