Suswam set to dump PDP for APC

• It’s ADP not APC, says Iorhemba
A former governor of Benue state, Gabriel Suswam is set to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC), sources confirmed to The Guardian.

This is coming on the heels of recent defections into the APC fold by former chieftains of PDP like former Abia state governor, Orji Uzor Kalu and Patrick Ifeanyi Uba, chairman, Capital Oil and Gas.

The sources disclosed that the former governor aims to actualize his Senatorial ambition come 2019 on the platform of the APC and is said to be negotiating with the powers that be in the party in the state for his possible defection.

“We are not sure how the stalemate in the PDP will end up so we do not want to take chances that is why we have begun preparations to have a smooth sail in the forthcoming election,” said a close ally to the ex governor.

Suswam, who currently on holiday abroad sought to represent the State’s North East senatorial district at the National Assembly as he ended his eight-year tenure as governor. But was deprived by a former national chairman of the PDP, Barnabas Gemade who defected to the APC at the to get a second term.

A former speaker of the State House of Assembly, David Iorhemba who is the national acting legal adviser of the Ahmed Makarfi-led faction of the PDP admitted Suswam’s plans to leave the PDP.

He emphasized that the former governor is bound to leave the PDP, because of its unending crises that has put the party in a disadvantaged position in the forthcoming elections hence, the need to make amends.

Besides, the former speaker dispelled insinuations of the former governor defecting to the ruling APC, hinting that he may be heading to the Action Democratic Party (ADP).

“We are not sure of what will become of the PDP at the end of the day so we will have to leave but certainly not to APC, we are going to Action Democratic Party ADP,” he stated in an interview with The Guardian in Abuja.

The fact that the relationship between the State governor, Samuel Ortom who is of the APC and his predecessor is not cordial, gives credence to the information that Suswam may not head to APC.

The affinity was strained in the months of intrigues preceding 2015 governorship election; the moment Suswam did not endorse Ortom’s aspiration to succeed him.

Ortom has, out of frustration decamped from PDP and pitched tent with APC, where he eventually emerged the party’s governorship candidate for the election and subsequently became the governor.

The media has been awash with reports of accusation and counter-accusation of fraud leveled against Suswam by the Ortom administration since its inception.

Keen observers of events in the state claimed that Ortom had at most forum accused Suswam of running the state aground financially with mind bugging figures being bandied around by the state governor and his party, as having been misappropriated.

Thus, it has been a cat and mouse relationship between them ever since.