In the ever-shifting landscape of Benue politics, often marked by rivalries, hostilities, and deep-seated divisions, one figure has consistently stood out for his uncommon commitment to unity: Senator Gabriel Torwua Suswam.
A former Governor of Benue State and a frontline political actor for over two decades, Suswam has built a reputation not just as a leader, but as a bridge-builder in moments when the political climate grew intensely charged.
Suswam, who succeeded Senator George Akume as Governor in 2007, led the state for eight years before handing over to Samuel Ortom in 2015.
What is remarkable in his political journey is not just the offices he has held, but the unusual grace with which he has navigated Benue’s turbulent political currents. His own successor, Ortom, came into power on a different party platform, the APC after leaving Suswam’s PDP.
Soon after, Ortom himself faced hostile political pressures from familiar quarters, prompting his return to the PDP.
Politics in Benue took a dramatic turn at that point.
Suswam, who had been subjected to intense political persecution, often from individuals aligned with Ortom found himself in a position where vengeance or retaliation might have appeared justified.
Yet, instead of joining forces with Ortom’s detractors, he chose the opposite path. Suswam stood with the incumbent governor at a time when Ortom needed support the most, delivering significant electoral backing from his strongholds and refusing to be drawn into the politics of bitterness.
This pattern of choosing peace over confrontation has resurfaced in Benue’s current political climate.
Today, Governor Hyacinth Alia is facing visible hostilities from some entrenched interests in the state.
The strategies being deployed against him, political undermining, coordinated attacks, and attempts to destabilize his administration mirror the experiences of both Suswam and Ortom during their own tenures.
Yet again, Senator Suswam has refused to be part of any agenda aimed at weakening the sitting governor. Instead, he has aligned himself with calls for harmony, continuity, and collective progress.
Suswam’s consistency in moments like these stems from personal experience. During his second term as governor, he survived one of the fiercest battles in Benue’s democratic history.
A prolonged court case dragged on for nearly three out of his four years in office, consuming his administration’s energy and crippling governance. He knows firsthand the destabilizing effects of political warfare, how it shifts focus away from development and traps leaders in cycles of survival rather than service.
This historical memory appears to drive Suswam’s current posture. He has made it a personal mission to preach peace across the political spectrum, urging stakeholders to allow elected leaders to govern without undue encumbrances.
By refusing to join plots against the incumbent governor, he positions himself as one of the few senior statesmen working to depoliticize leadership transitions and discourage destructive power struggles.
In today’s Benue, where political tempers flare quickly and alliances shift unpredictably, Suswam’s stance is refreshing. He demonstrates that political influence can be exercised with maturity, that leadership is not only about winning elections but also about fostering stability.
For consistently choosing unity over division, and peace over vendetta, Senator Gabriel Torwua Suswam stands out as a statesman worthy of recognition.
Barns Chonkula is a political analyst and contribute this piece from Abuja.
