LG polls: Crisis rocks Taraba PDP as stakeholders exchange blows over selection of candidates
By Chuwang Dungs
Crisis seems to be looming in Taraba state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the November 18th local government elections as stakeholders fight over the selection of aspirants.
Recall governor Agbu Kefas on Monday inaugurated PDP Special Projects Committee, led by Haruna Manu, Senator representing Taraba central, saddled with the responsibility of producing consensus candidates for the forthcoming local government elections.
Kefas listed honesty, integrity and reliability as the qualities to be considered in the selection.
However the arrangements are brewing a serious crisis within the ruling party in the state.
On Wednesday evening stakeholders from Donga local government area of the state exchanged blows during a meeting at the state government house to select candidates for the chairmanship and councilors.
DAYLIGHTREPORTER gathered that trouble started when a former state Assembly member Douglas Ndatse insisted that the meeting would not go on over the suspicion that Istifanus Gbana, a former speaker of the state Assembly and some stakeholders were planning to take charge of the selection process.
Ndatse who is the immediate past majority leader of the state Assembly insisted that the exercise must be suspended.
The disagreement degenerated as Ndatse exchanged blows with some of the stakeholders that were against his position.
DAYLIGHTREPORTER learnt that the meeting became rowdy as stakeholders freely exchanged blows.
One of the victims who was hit by Ndatse, Garalie Suntai told DAYLIGHTREPORTER that trouble started when all PDP critical stakeholders in the local government including Gbana resolved to abide by the PDP zoning arrangement that has been in existence since 1999, and agreed on consensus candidates.
However Ndatse opposed the decision and started shouting, insisting on a candidate that the zoning arrangement did not favour.
Suntai explained that it was at that point that Ndatse saw that he had no support and started slapping everyone in his sight.
Ndatse who earlier declined to speak on the issue on Thursday denied that he did not engage any stakeholders in a fight during the meeting.
Also arising from a meeting on Wednesday, a coalition of candidates vying for the Ibi LGA Chairmanship accused Idris Waziri of presenting his blood brother, Iliya Ajibu, as the consensus candidate.
They said Waziri informed the PDP Chairman of the Southern Zone, Jonathan Adasho, that governor Kefas gave him an automatic slot to nominate the candidate of his choice for the Ibi LGA Chairmanship.
Members of the coalition also accused the Zonal Chairman of excluding major critical stakeholders of the LGA from a meeting he earlier hosted.
They, therefore, called on Gov Kefas and the Special Projects Committee Chairman, Manu, to urgently intervene in the matter, saying the way and manner some of the stakeholders were going about the process would jeopardize the good intention of the Governor.
All efforts to get the reaction of Waziri proved abortive as he did not reply to text messages sent to his phone.
The Chairman of the committee also refused to speak to the press, saying he wanted to complete the assignment given to him by the governor before talking to the Journalists.
DAYLIGHTREPORTER reliably gathered that major stakeholders, including those interested in the contest across the 16 local government areas in the state are rejecting the consensus arrangement initiated by Mr Kefas, they are suggesting that primary election should be conducted to ensure the emergence of popular candidates.
A party loyalist in the state, Hassan Adamu, who expressed displeasure over the development, said they will not fold their hands and see their party taken over by a few minority at the detriment of the majority who are mostly the foundation members of the party.
He said the inauguration of the Manu led committee is a threat to the party in Taraba State as the enthronement of a minority group on a majority cannot stand adding, “It will only lead the party to electoral disaster in Taraba State”.
He said the stakeholders who are not happy with the move promised to frustrate the plans by bringing out popular and acceptable candidates in other political parties.
Adamu said governor Kefas is afraid of conducting primaries because he is aware that his preferred candidates “will not see the light of the day.”
