The political landscape of Benue has consistently been dramatic; but, the defection of former Governor Sen. Gabriel Suswam to the All Progressives Congress (APC) has introduced a new dynamic to the already unstable power structure.
Standing before his relatives, followers, and party loyalists in his ancestral home of Anyiin, following his recent e-registration with the All Progressives Congress (APC), Suswam expressed his intentions unequivocally.
He stated unequivocally that his choice has been motivated by the paramount necessity to support Governor Hyacinth Alia and to ensure the consolidation and sustainability of the governor’s reform strategy.
Suswam’s proclamation has arrived with unequivocal clarity.
The intrigue surrounding his defection is heightened by the significant influence of the incumbent Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, on Benue’s political changes.
Conscious of his role as the dominant character in Benue’s recent political history, as a kingmaker and ally, he remains a perpetual antagonist to practically every governor who succeeded him.
He relinquished control to Suswam, but their relationship deteriorated within 18 months. Subsequently, in the most significant political coup ever observed, he facilitated the rise of Samuel Ortom, a collaboration that ultimately disintegrated even more spectacularly.
Governor Alia undoubtedly leveraged Akume’s political apparatus to obtain the APC nomination; nevertheless, the cohesion quickly deteriorated within the initial months of administration.
In Benue today, as long as Sen. Akume remains the pivotal figure, political ties appear to dissolve more swiftly than electoral mandates.
Suswam’s switch to the APC constitutes not merely a personal political adjustment, but a strategic manoeuvre.
By publicly aligning with Governor Alia amidst the mobilisation of internal and external factions within the APC opposing the governor’s re-election, Suswam has taken a definitive stance in a struggle that is already influencing the trajectory toward 2027.
In the lead-up to the 2019 general elections, Suswam withstood all pressures to act as a collaborator as Akume aggressively sought to prevent Samuel Ortom from securing a second term.