The turn of developments in Taraba State has shown that the state is one to pay serious attention to in the countdown to the 2019 elections, writes Wole Ayodele
Times are really changing. Unlike the 2015 APC presidential primary election, when all the delegates from Taraba State endorsed and voted overwhelmingly for former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, there are ominous signs that the state chapter of the party is currently polarised.
Recent developments as well as the utterances of party stakeholders in the state clearly indicate that the party is already divided between elements loyal to Abubakar and those sympathetic to the cause of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The party had gone into the 2015 election as a united and cohesive force, which to a very large extent was responsible for its strong showing in the general election even though it lost to the PDP.
But as the preparations for the next elections draw nearer and political actors and gladiators begin their intrigues and scheming ahead of the elections, it is apparent that the two factions are working at cross purposes and are prepared to undermine each other.
Though the leadership of the party in the state has continued to deny that the party is factionalised, it is no longer secret that there is a growing resentment to the continued stranglehold of Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan on the party leading to the formation of the Integrity Group.
It has therefore become evident that the ongoing squabble between the two camps is not unconnected to their quest to control the party machinery ahead of the 2019 elections at the state and national levels.
The formation of the integrity group, which is being led by Alhaji Uba Mairiga, a former deputy governor of the state, was not unconnected with the clarion call on Alhassan by APC youths across the sixteen local government councils to be the party’s standard bearer in the 2019 gubernatorial election, which she is most likely to heed to.
Knowing that Alhassan’s emergence as the party’s candidate may be a fait accompli, those opposed to her quickly regrouped to form the integrity group through which they are rallying opposition to her candidature, which they’ve been expressing at several fora.
But while the crux of the conflict between the two camps at onset was the gubernatorial ticket of the party come 2019, the recent endorsement of Atiku for the 2019 election by Alhassan has broaden the scope of the conflict with the integrity group acting as a counterforce by throwing its support for Buhari as the APC presidential candidate.
Members of the integrity group routing for Buhari include former acting governor of the state, Alhaji Garba Umar; former minister of labour, Senator Joel Ikenya; Senator Yusuf Abubakar, Chief David Sabo Kente and former chairman of the party, Ambassador Hassan Ardo Jika, as well as Senator Abubakar Tutare.
In company with Senator Alhassan is the longest serving PDP state chairman in the country, Chief Abdulmumini Vaki, who is now a chieftain of APC, Hon Garba Garba-Chedde representing Bali/Gassol federal constituency as well as the state party executives.
Though INEC is yet to lift the lid on political campaigns, the two groups, having publicly expressed where their loyalty and support lie, have been throwing tantrums at each other and trying to strengthen their positions with the integrity group being more vicious.
Knowing full well that Alhassan has the party executive on her side, the integrity group recently leveled several allegations against the leadership of the party, some of which are the accusations that it was serving self-interests and shutting its doors against new members.
Addressing journalists at a press conference in Jalingo, Mairiga accused the party leadership of lacking transparency and undermining the core values of the party in order to serve selfish interests. He further accused the Alhaji Sani Chul-led leadership of bias against a majority of party members in the state.
Mairiga equally noted that the party had witnessed massive influx of high profile politicians into it in recent times but expressed disappointment that the Chul leadership has been reluctant to encourage the growth of the party due to fear of losing certain interests.
But debunking Mairiga’s claims, Chul described the allegations as baseless and unfounded saying the leadership of the party had never denied anyone member of the party and that whoever that was interested in joining the party must follow the party’s rule and procedures by joining the party at the ward level.
Chul further disclosed that the party had not received any complaint of wrongdoing from any member, adding that the party’s door remained wide open for whoever has complaints to make just as he enjoined all members to work for collective progress and ensure the party’s success in 2019 since the party has no faction in the state.
t the division within the party would soon be a thing of the past, because according to him, “It is very normal for people to have varying interests in a political party but I want to assure you that the issues would be amicably resolved very soonâ€
He maintained that Senator Alhassan remained the leader of the party in the state, because she has been the one funding the party since inception and her interest cannot be compromised.
In the same vein, another chieftain of the party, Hon Ishaya Gani said it is imperative for the members of the party to come together and forge a common front in the best interest of the party.
Gani, who is a former member of Taraba State House of Assembly between 2007 and 2015 expressed solidarity with Alhassan, saying the story of the party in the state cannot be written without her featuring prominently.
But as it is, the state may be up for the former vice president in 2019 in the event of a contest between him and Buhari.
