Former governor of Benue state, Senator Gabriel Suswam has said he is in the race for the National Chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to revive and reunite the party and return it to its pride of place in the country’s politics.
Suswam who emphasised the need for the party to have a substantive chairman who will reconcile aggrieved members, noted that has the capacity to turn the fortunes of the party around, which was why he was in the race and seeking the support of all party members.
Speaking at a parley with select journalists in Abuja at the weekend, he expressed regrets that the party has been operating below expectation since the oust of former chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, and it was only fitting, and in keeping with the party tradition and precedence, to give the chance to a party member from Ayu’s zone to replace him.
“Ayu, as you know, was unceremoniously removed from office through a court case that was initiated from his home state, Benue. And by the constitution of our party, once the chairman or any other national officer is removed, his deputy will act pending when the zone that produced incumbent officer produces his replacement,” he stated.
Suswam decried that one year after Ayu’s removal, that had not happened as the party had been unable to put itself together and address outstanding issues so members were operating as they deemed fit.
“For me, I am not insisting that it must be me, but if it is me, it will be better for the party. But I am not saying that it must be me, however, the North Central should not be shortchanged. “When Bamanga Tukur was removed, Muazu was brought in from the North-East. After Muazu, Modu Sherif came in. So, there’s a precedent for that. I don’t see any reason why this should be an exception.
“When Solomon Lar’s first tenure expired, it was moved to Gemade to complete the second tenure. Of course, when Gemade was removed, Audu Ogbe completed the tenure. So, there is a precedent for this, and there is nothing unusual about what we are demanding from the North Central,” he stated.
The former governor reiterated that it was only by allowing him to continue from where Ayu stopped that the state and the zone would be compensated for their numerous contributions to the stability of the PDP.
He further dismissed insinuations that there were camps in the party, pointing out that all well-meaning PDP members recognise its former presidential candidate and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, as the leader of the party.
“I don’t think there are camps in PDP and we have one PDP. I don’t think Wike has a camp. Atiku was our presidential candidate and automatically the leader of the party. I don’t think that G5 exists since they are no longer governors but ex-governors. It can now be referred to Ex G5,” the former governor said.
Suswam pledged to use his vast political experience to resolve the challenges of PDP and reposition it as a viable opposition party in Nigeria to save the country from the current economic and financial crises induced by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government.
