In a rare display of unity that cut across party lines and old rivalries, Senator Gabriel Suswam yesterday joined Governor Hyacinth Alia, Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, chiefs, elders, and thousands of mourners at the funeral of Madam Elizabeth Mku, mother of former Deputy Governor Chief Steven Lawani, in Gboko.
The burial, which held at her family compound, drew what many described as one of the largest political gatherings seen in Gboko in recent years. Senator Suswam, dressed in a simple white caftan, arrived early and took a front-row seat alongside Governor Alia and other top APC and PDP stalwarts, a powerful visual reminder that death still commands respect where politics often divides.
Sources at the venue said the two most powerful Benue sons of this era, Suswam and Alia, exchanged pleasantries and even shared a brief conversation before the service began, an occurrence that sent cameras clicking and WhatsApp groups buzzing across the state.
Madam Elizabeth Mku, who passed away at the age of 92, was laid to rest after a well-attended funeral service that featured tributes from family members, the church, and the traditional institution. Speaker of the House, Aondona Dajoh, represented the legislative arm, while several serving and former lawmakers from Zone A and Zone B were also spotted under the canopies.
For a few hours in Gboko, the bitter political temperature that has defined Benue in recent months cooled considerably. No speeches turned into campaign rallies, no banners carried party logos, and no one tried to score cheap points over a casket. It was simply Benue people honoring one of their own.
In a state that has buried too many of its sons and daughters to violence this year alone, yesterday’s gathering was a quiet but poignant reminder that some things, at least for a day, remain bigger than politics.
Rest in peace, Mama Elizabeth Mku. You brought the big men together one last time.
