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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has declared his intention to run for the office of the national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A statement issued by his media aide, Bede Bartholomew, said the former governor expressed his desire to vie for the position during an expanded caucus meeting of the PDP held at his residence in Katsina-Ala, Benue State, over the weekend.
He said Suswam is seeking to complete the tenure of Iyorchia Ayu, the suspended national chairman of the party.
“The meeting which was convened by the Zonal Vice Chairman, Hon. Azua Ashongo, had about all stakeholders in attendance including the former governor of Benue State, HE. Sen. Gabriel Suswam, who announced his interest in the position of the national championship which by the law of the party is still domiciled in North Central and Benue in particular,” the statement said.
Bartholomew said those who attended the meeting include Titus Uba, the PDP governorship candidate in the 2023 election; Margaret Icheen, member of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) and former Speaker of Benue House of Assembly and Maurice Tsav, North Central Zonal Secretary of the party.
Suswam served as a member of the House of Representatives from 1999 to 2007.
He was elected governor of Benue in 2007 and reelected for a second term in 2011.
Between 2019 and 2023, he represented Benue North East Senatorial District in the Senate.
