Suswam snubs Benue South, says Kwande will produce Alia’s successor in 2031

Former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam, has stirred fresh debate over the 2031 governorship race after declaring that the Kwande Intermediate Area of Benue North-East Senatorial District should produce the state’s governor after the completion of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s tenure.

Suswam’s declaration effectively leaves out Benue South, also known as Zone C, despite longstanding agitation by political leaders and stakeholders from the senatorial district for power to shift to the area.

Since Benue State was created in 1976, no elected governor has emerged from Benue South, a development that has continued to fuel complaints of political marginalisation and calls for power rotation to the zone.

Speaking during a town hall meeting as part of Governor Alia’s statewide thank-you tour of federal constituencies in Adikpo, headquarters of Kwande Local Government Area, Suswam said Alia should be re-elected in 2027 to complete eight years in office.

According to the former governor, four years would not be enough for Alia to consolidate and complete what he described as the ongoing transformation of the state.

Suswam, who governed Benue between 2007 and 2015, argued that previous elected governors of the state were given opportunities to seek second terms and maintained that Alia should enjoy the same privilege.

“The first executive governor of Benue State, Aper Aku, was re-elected for a second term, but a military coup truncated the administration, and from George Akume in 1999 to Gabriel Suswam to Samuel Ortom, Benue people re-elected us for second terms,” he said.

He subsequently laid out what he believes should be the succession arrangement after Alia, declaring that Kwande should wait until 2031 rather than challenge the incumbent governor in 2027.

“We should allow Jechira Intermediate Area in Zone A, through Governor Hyacinth Alia, to complete its two terms. Kwande Intermediate Area should not contest against Alia in 2027, and in 2031, it will be the turn of Kwande to produce governor.

“Governor Alia has performed beyond doubt, and there is a need to re-elect him,” Suswam said.

The declaration is expected to generate reactions, particularly in Benue South, where there have been persistent calls for the governorship to move to the senatorial district.

Governorship power in Benue has historically remained outside Benue South, despite the zone being one of the state’s three senatorial districts.

Suswam’s proposed arrangement would see the governorship remain in Benue North-East beyond Alia’s tenure, with Kwande succeeding Jechira in 2031.

Alia hails from Vandeikya Local Government Area in the Jechira axis of Benue North-East, while the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate, Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, is from Ushongo Local Government Area in the Kwande axis of the same senatorial district.

Suswam urged the people of Kwande not to back a governorship challenge against Alia in 2027, but to support the governor for a second term and wait until 2031 for their own opportunity.

He also called on voters across the state to rally behind Alia in the 2027 governorship election, saying his re-election would enable the administration to consolidate its development programmes.

Suswam’s pronouncement, however, brings the question of power rotation back to the centre of Benue politics as Benue South continues its push to produce an elected governor of the state.