Former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has reaffirmed his candidacy for the position of national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking during an emergency stakeholders meeting in Makurdi on Thursday, Suswam emphasised that he remains in the race, asserting that the North Central region should naturally fill the vacancy left by former chairman Iyorchia Ayu, in accordance with the party’s constitution.
Suswam stated he has the backing of PDP members in the state and explained that the party’s national leaders will choose the next chairman without an election process. He dismissed rumors of internal crises within the PDP in Benue State, attributing them to mischief-makers aiming to control the party’s structure.
He further claimed that these same elements contributed to the PDP’s defeat in the 2023 governorship election.
“Some people are trying to deceive us to take over control of the party. Their actions caused our loss in the last election, but we must stay united to prevent this from happening again,” Suswam said, adding that only the ward congresses conducted in 15 local government areas of the state are legitimate.