Suswam Blames Obasanjo and Jonathan for PDP’s Leadership Crisis

Senator Gabriel Suswam, former Governor of Benue State, has pointed to ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan as key figures responsible for the ongoing leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). During an interview with Arise News, Suswam claimed the party’s problems began when Obasanjo openly denounced his PDP membership and Jonathan gradually distanced himself from party affairs after leaving office.

“When Goodluck Ebele Jonathan assumed office as a president, Obasanjo then, as former president and leading member of the PDP, devalued the party,” Suswam explained. “He tore the PDP card in the presence of the media.”

He added that Jonathan’s lack of involvement after his tenure also weakened the party. “When Goodluck left as president, he has never attended any meeting of the PDP anywhere,” Suswam said.

He emphasized that both men were major pillars of the PDP, and their withdrawal left a void in leadership that the party has struggled to recover from. “These are major characters in the PDP who have never shown any interest, and so the leadership question in the PDP began to show signs that there is no leader after all,” he stated.

Suswam expressed disappointment over Obasanjo’s actions, noting, “Former President Obasanjo tore the card, clearly indicating that he was no longer interested in the party or any party for that matter, but he was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the PDP, so no matter what, you can’t just jettison the party like that—but he did for reasons that I won’t question.”