The Former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has stated that he is the most competent candidate for the position of Chairman in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), due to his consistency, and superior credentials.
In an interview on Wednesday, June 19, 2024, Suswam, who is vying for the position of national chairman of the PDP due to the current internal crisis, also said that the party needs proper leadership.
He explained that the current internal crisis within the PDP stems from the fact that “after the suspension of the previous chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, Umar Ililya Damagum was only supposed to serve as acting chairman for a short interim period before the role reverted to the North Central region.”
However, over a year has passed, and he is still in the position. But North Central has insisted on producing a chairman from their zone that will complete the truncated tenure of Iyorchia Ayu, which has led to the seeming vacancy in that seat.
The lawyer establishing that he is the most suitable candidate for that position said, “Among the people contesting I am the most competent, I’ve been in this party since 1999, I’ve held high positions from the executive to the legislature. Among the people who are contesting or aspiring, none of them have the credentials that I have, the knowledge of the party from my region that I have.
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“Those who have expressed interest so far are people. I believe I’m better placed to lead this party. I’ve stayed in this party without stepping aside. Most of them are people who go out and come back. There’s no consistency. I’m a beneficiary of this party, and it needs proper leadership.”
Suswam outlined some of the plans he has for the party as the chairman, which includes activating the discipline committee, scrutinising and monitoring members of the party, and their actions.
He elaborated, “The constitution provides that people who breach the provisions of the party are to be addressed by discipline committee. If I become the chairman, I will activate that committee.
“As the chairman, we will address those who are staying within the party and destroying it or performing the function of Trojan horse. Even if the minister of FCT is one of those people, we will address him.”
In his plans for the party, Suswam mentioned that merging PDP with other parties won’t be taken off the table, but it won’t be his first priority. He stated that his priority will be “to strengthen PDP, then after that, we will sit down and look at our chances.”
Highlighting the major issue causing the Rivers state crisis, he said, “The problem of most of the state and rivers is not and exemption is the undue influence of previous occupants of that office who want to exert influence on the current occupants and that’s what has happened in rivers state.”
Arise News
