Benue PDP crisis deepens as G-14 calls for Suswam’s resignation

The internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State escalated over the weekend, with party stakeholders urging former governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam, to resign from the G-14 if he so desires.

Suswam, who co-chaired the G-14 since its formation in 2015, has been locked in a leadership tussle with his successor, Governor Samuel Ortom, over control of the party.

The G-14, a group comprising PDP elders from 14 local government areas within the Tiv ethnic bloc, was established to stabilise the party after its 2015 electoral defeat.

At a recent PDP stakeholders’ meeting held in Makurdi on Friday, Suswam announced the dissolution of the G-14, suggesting its replacement with a new caucus to represent the party across the state.

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This move triggered widespread discontent, as Ortom, who joined the PDP in 2018, had assumed the co-chairmanship of the G-14 since then.

In response, Laha Dzever, the current chairman of the G-14, issued a statement on Saturday reaffirming the group’s continuity.

Dzever insisted that the G-14, a voluntary, non-statutory body, could not be disbanded by any individual, including Suswam. He stressed that while Suswam has the right to resign, he does not possess the authority to dissolve the group.