Former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has raised alarm over the deteriorating state of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, citing a deep loss of public trust and internal leadership failures.
Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, Suswam stated that the party’s inability to resolve its long-standing internal crisis has pushed many stakeholders away.
“There are many fundamental problems in PDP, and those problems have not been sorted out. So, a lot of people, in their minds, are no longer in PDP, and that’s because of the failure of leadership in PDP,” he said.
Suswam emphasized that for the PDP to remain relevant and have a chance in the 2027 general elections, it must overhaul its leadership structure and field a credible candidate.
“People have lost confidence in PDP completely,” he noted. “This is a party that has structures all over the country, but because of a lack of good leadership, that has diminished substantially.”
He also criticized the practice of awarding the party’s presidential ticket to the highest bidder, stressing the need for candidates with genuine interest and capacity.
The comments come in the wake of a recent resolution by PDP governors not to join any coalition or merger ahead of the 2027 election, contrary to the position of Atiku Abubakar, the party’s 2023 presidential flagbearer.
Meanwhile, PDP BoT member, Chief Bode George, has rejected the idea of Atiku contesting again, warning that his candidacy could mark “the end of the PDP in Nigerian politics.”
