Evelyn Soorkwagh: Suswam’s defection and the shifting sands of Benue power politics

Benue politics has never lacked drama, but the defection of the former Governor of Benue State, Sen. Gabriel Suswam into the All Progressives Congress (APC) has injected a fresh twist into an already fluid power equation.

‎Standing before his kinsmen, supporters and party faithful in his ancestral home of Anyiin, after he had completed his e-registration into the All Progressives Congress (APC) fold recently,  Suswam did not cloak his intention in ambiguity. His decision, he said plainly, has been driven by the utmost need to support Governor Hyacinth Alia and ensure that the governor’s reform agenda is consolidated and sustained.

‎Suswam’s declaration has landed with unmistakable clarity. What makes his defection especially more intriguing is the long shadow cast by the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, over Benue’s political transitions.

‎Perhaps, conscious of the fact that he has become the central figure in Benue’s recent political history, as kingmaker, ally, he is perpetually adversary to nearly every governor who emerged after him.

‎He handed over power to Suswam, only for their relationship to unravel within 18 months. He later, in the highest political heist ever witnessed, midwifed the emergence of Samuel Ortom, a partnership that collapsed even more dramatically.

‎There is no doubt that Governor Alia himself rode on Akume’s political machinery to secure the APC ticket, but the harmony barely survived the first months of governance.

‎In Benue today, as far as Sen. Akume remains the central figure, it seems, political alliances often expire faster than electoral mandates.

‎However,  Suswam’s defection into the APC is not just a personal political recalibration; it is a strategic intervention. By openly aligning with Governor Alia at a time when forces within and outside the APC are mobilising against the governor’s second-term prospects, Suswam has chosen a side in a contest that is already shaping the road to 2027.

‎During the build up to 2019 general elections, Suswam resisted every pressure to play a collaborator when Akume came after Samuel Ortom with a steaming vigor to deny him a second term.

‎As the most celebrated former Governor with his bees of supporters across the state, Suswam stood with Ortom through thick and thin, traversing the entire state contributing immensely in all aspects and maneuvers to get him back to Government House. His efforts greatly contributed to Ortom’s eventual re-election for a second term in office.

‎His entrance into the APC and public endorsement of Governor Alia, subtly reorders loyalties, complicates existing calculations, and signals that Alia’s reformist posture has found resonance beyond party lines and past rivalries.

‎Ultimately, Suswam’s decamping demonstrates a familiar truth in Benue politics: there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. Yet this moment feels different. It is less about settling old scores and more about redefining the centre of gravity in the state. Whether this alliance reshapes the APC from within or merely intensifies the ongoing struggle for control remains to be seen.

What is clear, however, is that with Suswam back in the fold, and firmly in Alia’s corner, the contest for Benue’s political future has entered a new and compelling phase.

Evelyn Soorkwagh is a political analyst based in Abuja.

Evelyn Soorkwagh: Suswam’s defection and the shifting sands of Benue power politics