A former governor of Benue state, Gabriel Suswam, is set to dump the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC),
according to report.
This is coming on the heels of recent
defections into the APC fold by former chieftains of PDP like former
Abia state governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, and Patrick Ifeanyi Uba, chairman,
Capital Oil and Gas.
The sources disclosed that the former
governor aims to actualize his Senatorial ambition come 2019 on the
platform of the APC and is said to be negotiating with the powers that
be in the party in the state for his possible defection.
“We are
not sure how the stalemate in the PDP will end up so we do not want to
take chances that is why we have begun preparations to have a smooth
sail in the forthcoming election,” said a close ally to the ex governor.
Suswam,
who currently on holiday abroad sought to represent the State’s North
East senatorial district at the National Assembly as he ended his
eight-year tenure as governor. But was deprived by a former national
chairman of the PDP, Barnabas Gemade, who defected to the APC at the to
get a second term.
A former speaker of the State House of Assembly, David Iorhemba who
is the national acting legal adviser of the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of
the PDP admitted Suswam’s plans to leave the PDP.
He emphasized
that the former governor is bound to leave the PDP, because of its
unending crises that has put the party in a disadvantaged position in
the forthcoming elections hence, the need to make amends.
Besides, the former speaker dispelled insinuations of the former
governor defecting to the ruling APC, hinting that he may be heading to
the Action Democratic Party (ADP).
“We are not sure of what will
become of the PDP at the end of the day so we will have to leave but
certainly not to APC, we are going to Action Democratic Party, ADP,” he
stated in an interview in Abuja.
The fact that the relationship
between the State governor, Samuel Ortom who is of the APC and his
predecessor is not cordial, gives credence to the information that
Suswam may not head to APC.
The affinity was strained in the
months of intrigues preceding 2015 governorship election; the moment
Suswam did not endorse Ortom’s aspiration to succeed him.
Ortom
has, out of frustration decamped from PDP and pitched tent with APC,
where he eventually emerged the party’s governorship candidate for the
election and subsequently became the governor.
The media has been
awash with reports of accusation and counter-accusation of fraud leveled
against Suswam by the Ortom administration since its inception.
Keen
observers of events in the state claimed that Ortom had at most forum
accused Suswam of running the state aground financially with mind
bugging figures being bandied around by the state governor and his
party, as having been misappropriated.
Thus, it has been a cat and mouse relationship between them ever since
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