Suswam announced his resignation in a letter dated Wednesday, February 4, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of the PDP, Mbagber Council Ward, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Former Benue State Governor and ex-Senator representing Benue North-East, Gabriel Torwua Suswam, has officially resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), citing deepening internal crises and dysfunction within the party.
Suswam announced his resignation in a letter dated Wednesday, February 4, 2026, addressed to the Chairman of the PDP, Mbagber Council Ward, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
In the letter, the former governor stated: “I write to formerly resign my membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), with effect from the date of this letter.”
Suswam, who served as a Member of the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2007, Governor of Benue State from 2007 to 2015, and Senator from 2019 to 2023, acknowledged the role the party played in his political career.
He said, “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, Suswam said the PDP had lost its foundational values and become consumed by internal battles.
According to him, “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.”
He added that the disputes, which cut across leadership, discipline and ideology, “have been allowed to fester without any clear or credible pathway to resolution.”
Despite several efforts at reconciliation, Suswam said the crisis within the party had only worsened.
He stated: “Despite repeated interventions, reconciliatory committees, and public assurances, the party continues to operate in a state of deep internal dysfunction.”
Describing the present condition of the PDP, Suswam said, “The PDP today appears to be perpetually trapped in crises mode; an institution in political intensive care, with no consensus diagnosis and no agreed treatment plan in sight.”
The former governor explained that staying in the party had become incompatible with his beliefs and political philosophy.
He said, “I find it increasingly difficult to reconcile my continued membership with my personal convictions, political philosophy, and desire to contribute meaningfully to nation-building within a stable and functional political framework.”
Suswam further noted that political parties should be platforms for constructive engagement, not conflict.
He said, “I believe that political parties must serve as platforms for ideas, discipline, and constructive engagement, not arenas of endless internal warfare.”
Concluding, Suswam said he considered it “honourable and necessary to step aside,” while wishing the PDP well “should it one day find the courage and consensus to resolve its longstanding internal contradictions.”
He urged the party leadership to accept his resignation and “convey my appreciation to members at all levels for the shared journey over the years.”