Former Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam, has announced his intention to contest the Benue North-East Senatorial District seat in the 2027 general elections under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Suswam made the disclosure on Monday during an interview on Arise Television, confirming his return to the senatorial race after previously serving in the National Assembly.
The former governor's political career dates back to 1999, when he was elected to the House of Representatives for the Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo constituency, a position he held until 2007. He subsequently served two terms as governor of Benue State from 2007 to 2015. After leaving office, he represented Benue North-East in the Senate between 2019 and 2023 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Having defected from the PDP to the APC in February, Suswam described his move as part of a broader "political realignment," rather than personal ambition.
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He noted that Benue State's political history has largely been shaped by dominant party structures, recalling its long-standing alignment with the PDP before shifting to the APC.
"Benue State, since I started politics in 1998, is a place where the people believe in one party," Suswam said.
"Benue State for its first 16 years was completely a PDP state. And then subsequently after that, they moved to the APC."
He added that his decision reflects the current political leaning of the people of the state.
"As a Benue son, I won't be an exception to what my people want and what my people believe. They now believe in the principles and philosophy of the APC," he stated.
On his 2027 ambition, Suswam said constitutional limitations leave him with the Senate as his only viable option.
"I'm a politician. And as a politician, if you are still strong enough to contest an election, you always want to contest elections," he said.
"The only election that I can contest now is the Senate. Of course, I can't go back to run for governor; even if I want to run for that, the Constitution forbids me from running for governor again. So of course, I'll be running for Senate."
His declaration signals an early move ahead of the 2027 elections, amid ongoing political realignments across party lines.
