‘People Have Lost Confidence in PDP Completely’ – Gabriel Suswam

Former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, has expressed deep concern over the current state of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stating that Nigerians have lost confidence in the party due to its lingering crisis and leadership failure.

Suswam made this known on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, emphasizing that the party’s problems stem from fundamental issues that have not been addressed.

“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, a lot of stakeholders and that’s because of the failure of leadership in PDP,” Suswam stated.

He stressed that for the PDP to stand a chance in the 2027 presidential election, it must fix its leadership problem and present a credible candidate.

Suswam condemned the practice of giving the party’s presidential ticket to the highest bidder, noting that the PDP’s widespread structure should make winning elections less challenging.

“Two factors that can enhance PDP’s chances in the next election. The first is transparent leadership. People have lost confidence in PDP completely. This is a party that has structures all over the country, but because of a lack of good leadership, that has diminished substantially.

“The second issue is the candidate. When we talk about candidates, let us have people who have interests. It is not just about somebody sitting and saying I want to be presidential candidate of PDP, that will not suffice.”

This statement comes on the heels of the PDP Governors’ resolution not to join any coalition or merger ahead of the 2027 presidential election, despite Atiku Abubakar’s stance on the matter. The PDP Governors, in a communique released after their meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Monday, April 14, 2025, stated, “The party will not join any coalition or merger.”

Moreover, Chief Bode George, a member of the PDP Board of Trustees, has cast doubt on Atiku’s potential to secure the party’s presidential ticket again, suggesting that his emergence would signal the end of the PDP in Nigerian politics.