Politics
Revelation: Suswam unveils north central’s bid for PDP chairmanship
In a revelation that could reshape the leadership landscape of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Benue State Governor and Senator, Gabriel Suswam, has unveiled the North Central region’s bid to produce the party’s next chairman.
In an exclusive address to select journalists in Abuja, Suswam laid bare the critical reasons why he believes someone from the North Central must ascend to the position.
Drawing upon the PDP’s own constitution, he highlighted a provision that mandates the region to complete the tenure of ousted chairman, Iyorchia Ayu.
Suswam’s revelation sheds light on the internal dynamics of the PDP and the intricate power play within the party. By invoking constitutional clauses and historical precedents, he reveals a deep-seated desire for continuity and stability within the party’s leadership ranks.
The former governor, who has subsequently expressed his intention to seek for the position of PDP national chairman, stated:
“As you know I’m a PDP member and a member of the 9th senate. I lost the last election and we as PDP we lost the election. And since we lost that election there has been a lot of crisis in the party which has led the party to a state of comatose. Iyorchia Ayu as you know was unceremoniously removed from the office. By the constitution of our party, once the chairman or any national officer of the party is removed, his deputy will act pending when the zone that produced the removed chairman will produce a replacement.
“Iyorchia Ayu was removed almost a year now, and that has not happened because the party has not been able to put itself together. Issues that were outstanding have not been addressed. And so every person seems to be doing what he or she likes. But after almost a year, there is this feeling that the party is too despondent, and so there should be some resuscitation of us party., and so let’s have a substantive chairman, hence I declared my interest to replace Ayu since I’m from the North Central.
“Since I indicated interests, there have been a series of activities. NEC has been called, causus has been called and BOT has been called and we believe that some major decisions will be taken including that of having a substantive chairman to replace the acting chairman who is from the North East.
“We at the party level believe the North Central should produce that replacement. There are antecedents and that is what is stated in the constitution. Article 47 sub 6 of PDP constitution clearly in very unambiguous terms said that once an officer as the national chairman is unable to act for whatever reason, the zone that he comes from should produce his replacement to complete his tenure and we don’t see any reason why we will not do that. It is not as if we are devoid of people with the capacity. We have a lot of prominent people.”
Moreover, Suswam’s declaration of interest in running for the PDP national chairmanship adds a personal dimension to the revelation. His candid admission of ambition underscores the gravity of the situation and the significance of the forthcoming decision.
“I’m a big beneficiary of the PDP and so since 1998 when I joined PDP I have not left. I have been a member of House of Reps for 8 years and Governor for 8 years and a member of Senate and at least, I can confidently say that I know all that is involved in PDP, the length and breadth, both horizontal and vertical, I know PDP so I will be better places to address those agitations within the party. There are lots of agitations, a lot of loose ends, and at least, I know the major characters and these are people that I can walk up to and talk with them and appreciate what the issues are. So you need somebody who can reach out to the major characters and I think I’m that person that can reach out to them.
“My intention is to reconcile the party, especially given the situation that we found ourselves today. We will reconcile the party and place it as the best alternative to the current government.”
In unveiling the North Central’s bid for PDP chairmanship, Suswam has brought to the fore a pivotal moment in the party’s history.
The revelation sets the stage for a potential shift in power dynamics and opens the door to a new era of leadership within the PDP.
