Assistant Editor, Onyedi Ojiabor, who monitored April 11 polls in Benue State, reports on how Governor Gabriel Suswam lost out in both the national and Benue State elections
The outgoing governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, must be wondering where he went wrong. In a space of two weeks he saw his hitherto enviable political career built over the years crumble like a pack of cards.
First, he failed to ensure victory for President Goodluck Jonathan at the March 28 Presidential Election in the state.
Against all predictions, his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, came a distant second in the presidential poll in state.
Second, Suswam again failed to actualise his senatorial ambition which he said was “non-negotiable.” He lost to Barnabas Gemade of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Gemade defected to APC few weeks to the general elections.
A former National Chairman of the PDP, Gemade was one of those Suswam frustrated out of the party.
Determined to prove a point, Gemade dazed and gave the governor a bloody nose in the hotly contested election.
The unsavory outcome of the presidential and senatorial elections in the state was said to have forced the over confident governor to re-strategise to salvage what remained of his political image in state.
The rescue attempt however became a mission impossible.
On April 11, Suswam’s enviable political empire was comprehensively demolished by the sweeping broom revolution.
Suswam’s gubernatorial candidate, Terhemen Terzoor, was roundly defeated by the APC’s Ortom.
Like Gemade, Ortom was also frustrated out of the PDP by Suswam.
The wild celebration that heralded Ortom’s declaration as the governor-elect in the state may have been one indication that Suswam have lost considerable political relevance in the state.
Benue people were angry with their governor. The anger expressly manifested in suffocating rejection of Suswam and those he backed for the presidential, National Assembly, gubernatorial and House of Assembly polls.
One voter at Tse Ajio Ward 1 in Makurdi Local Government area, after casting his vote, joking described Suswam as “bad market.” As if the costly joke was not bad enough, another voter, this time a female, openly recalled how Suswam refused to pay teachers in the state for months. It was a red card for the governor, if you like, she said.
At the INEC headquarters, as Local Government Electoral Officers, under the watchful eyes of the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Istifanus Dafwang, reeled out election results, local government by local government, it became obvious that Ortom was coasting home to victory.
With 22 local government election results announced by the electoral umpire officials, the APC candidate was leading PDP candidate with over 91,564 votes.
Out of the 22 local government area results announced, APC received 387, 753 votes while the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) got 296,189 votes.
APC was ahead in 14 local governments while the PDP won in eight. Only one local government area, Buruku, was still outstanding out of 23 local governments in the state.
It was also obvious that the only outstanding local government would not make any difference in the entire result.
APC supporters in the state took to the streets in a wild jubilation and celebration of their deserved victory. Victory songs were heard in beer parlours around the state capital while all manner of liquor were freely offered to passers-by.
For many residents of Makurdi capital city, especially teachers, their “tormentor in chief” had been chased out. For them it was a done deal.
Apart from the defeat of Suswam, another major upset in the election was the defeat of PDP in Otukpo Local Government hitherto under the firm grip of the Senate President, David Mark.
Perhaps, the defeat of PDP in Otukpo Local Government was a signal that even Mark should watch it.
It may also be an indication that future elections in the Benue South Senatorial District, which Mark represents, could go to anybody.
Some of the areas that gave the APC candidate victory included Gwer East Local Government Area, where APC had 23, 831 votes to PDP’s 12,657 votes; Oju Local Government Area, APC16,948, PDP 10,491, Vandekya APC 33,075 votes PDP 15,228; Tarka Local Government Area, APC 14,888 votes, PDP 3,571 votes.
In Makurdi Local Government Area, APC had upper hand with 33,245 votes while PDP got 23,550, Obgadibo Local Government also had upper hand with 7,892 votes to PDP’s 7,358 votes.
In Obi Local Government Area, APC 7,786 votes while PDP got 8, 440 votes also in Okpoku Local Government Area, APC 7,209 votes while PDP received 10,849 votes.
In Otukpo Local Government Area, the APC candidate received 15,715 votes to PDP candidate’s 14,519 votes.
According to community leader in the state, “if Suswam is searching for what went wrong, why the great people of Benue State gave him a cold shoulder, he needs not go far.
A leader must know when the people have left him. How well did the governor execute the social contract he had with the Benue people about eight years ago? Did the governor put smiles on the faces of greater number of the people of the state? How was the question of who gets what in the state handled by the governor?
A top politician in the state and an associate of the governor, who do not want to be named, said, “Suswam may need to go back to the drawing board for soul searching. It is well and good that the governor has said he has put his defeat in the senatorial race behind him. That is no doubt, one of the hallmarks of a good sportsman.
“As he settles down to the realities of the time, Susman may do well to use the remaining time left for him as the governor of the state to heal political wound he may have unwittingly created.
“If he succeeds in the task of healing the wound, Suswam may not have much to regret after leaving office on May 29.”
