ANDREW OJIH in Jalingo writes that ahead of the primary elections, the hazy political atmosphere is gradually clearing to pave way for the emergence of certain aspirants as sure bet for their parties to excel in the 2023 governorship election.
With the recent intervention by Rtd General TY Danjuma that the PDP ticket should be given to Kefas Agbu who is also currently the state chairman of the party, the APC stakeholders in Taraba state are equally devising a way to choose a popular candidate without necessarily conferring undue advantage to the ruling PDP in the state.
Clearly, the two major parties in the state, are not living any stone unturned to win the fray, thus the permutations across all political parties divides are tilting towards the unanimity of purpose.
With this mindset, stakeholders in APC are focusing attention on the aspirants that will stand the best chance of matching the candidate of the PDP, bumper to bumper.
Consequently, its pendulum is pointing to the direction of Chief David Sabo Kente as their own choice to enable the party win the number one seat of the state come 2023.
Blueprint learnt that the reality is that delegates of the PDP are poised to settle for Colonel Kefas Agbu (rtd) who is from Wukari, the Southern senatorial district of the state, following Gen Danjuma advice, the rallying point of the APC is David Kente, also from the South, to be the flag bearer of party in 2023.
Although many Tarabans do not foresee a contest in the two parties’ primaries, those who spoke said PDP is definitely out for another imposition of a candidate against
a credible and transparent primary being canvassed by those favourably disposed to the APC to produce their candidate.
However, several stakeholders in Jalingo were of the opinion that the best option for the APC is to pick Kente who had contested the same position in the previous two elections under the platform of the APC.
From their account, Kente is obviously the most popular, most accommodating and at home with the people of Taraba than Kefas.
They argue that it’s important for the national body of APC to note at this point that with the PDP giving their ticket to Col Kefas Agbu (rtd) who is from the South, the need for APC to give their ticket to Kente who is also from the South to break the jinx cannot be overemphasised.
They further argue that there is no doubt that if the party is desirous of a suitable candidate who really could give the PDP a run for their money and Kente is the one to do the magic.
“The reason for this cannot be far-fetched. Kente has solid political structures across the state after running for governorship twice in the past.
“Therefore with a formidable structure across Taraba state, and having existing coordinators with relevant experience, winning the election could just be a walk over for Kente and the APC in February next year.
“It is obvious that there are many other aspirants for the gubernatorial seat in APC such as Sen. Yusuf A. Yusuf, Sen. Emmanuel Bwacha and Prof. Muhammad Sani Yahaya, among others. But Kente has been in the field earlier than all of them. Infact Bwacha is only a few months old in the APC”, the stakeholders noted.
Many apolitical people, however, who put more premium on development of the state, neither bother about PDP or APC in the saddle but worry about a development-oriented leader who would harness the resources of the state to her advantage.
Interestingly, Taraba state is one state that has diverse ethno religious composition, which has every potentials to grow and develop faster where the diversities can be utilized to place the community on high socio economic cum political threshold.
Religiously, both the Muslims and Christians parade a very large population segment of the state, with each having a peculiar advantage in certain areas to its advantage, but since it is a democracy, the pendulum could swing either way to produce best that could entrench the desired development of the state.
However, with the task ahead which is to win the governorship of the state for the APC, it is time to focus more development oriented aspirant than look at sentiments.
Before now, there were some misconception in some segments of the state that APC was a muslim party. What has given credence to this assertion was the fact that the two previous candidates, late Sen. Aisha Jummai Alhassan (2015) and Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danladi (2019) that emerged as flag bearers of the party were muslims.
A popular adage says “once beaten, twice shy.” This accounted for why many onlookers in Taraba politics are of the view that APC should change the narrative in 2023 by not fielding a muslim candidate in the coming governorship polls.
They rather suggested that a Christian candidate should be tried this time around.
Those who view this postulation as germane said the aggregation of all the indices points to Kente as the aspirant to beat in terms of carrying along his muslim community in his political activities.
Prof. Dalhatu Sangari, Chieftain of the party and a former governorship aspirant from the southern senatorial zone is of the opinion that Chief David Sabo Kente is the most suitable candidate for the party.
He maintained that Chief Kente would be a better candidate for the party because of his disposition towards Muslims and Christians in the state.
“I am 100 percent optimistic that Kente will defeat PDP and as you can see he is the only aspirant so far that has won the hearts of both Muslims and Christians across the state.
The views of Prof. Sangari is not different another elder statesman and a Chieftain of the party, General Adamu Tobasi Ibrahim (rtd.) otherwise known as AT Ibrahim.
General Ibrahim also a former governorship aspirant of the party said that APC should not make the mistake of giving the ticket to any other aspirant other than Chief David Sabo Kente.
“I believe in what Chief Kente has been doing for the party and I know our party will win the governorship seat if he is given the ticket “
Another Chieftain of the party from the Northern senatorial zone of the state, Hon. Abba Akawu Zaga said with Chief Kente, the party would have less work to do in the general elections.
He maintained that with a detribalised personality who has been carrying party members and everybody along over the years the party will certainly win the governorship of the state in 2023.
Dr. Umar Bakari Dorofi, a chieftain of the party from Sardauna local government area opined that Kente’s consistency in the APC has showcased his level of discipline, maturity, stability, humility and patience and as well places him as an ideological based democrat which is not common in our democracy today.
“These attributes no doubt, potray him as a good product to sell for the party especially as one of the outstanding members of the party in the state” he said.
Also Alhaji Muhammed Musa, APC strong supporter from Yorro local government said after the party lost in 2019, Kente remained one of the pillars that ensured the sustainability in funding for the APC.
According to Musa, Kente, whose charity work has traversed all the length and breath of the state is a neutral and detribalized individual hence he is widely accepted by both muslims and Christians.
Although opinions vary as to who they think the cap best fits, many political analysts see some salient points in Chief David Sabo Kente that stand him out as better aspirant that would take the party to victory come 2023.
Dr. Bakari Muhammadu said, “what may give David Sabo Kente an edge over his contemporaries is that he has touched many lives through his DSK Foundation which has provided succor to the less privileged members of the society across the length and breath of Taraba, irrespective of religion, ethnicity and political affiliation.
“Another major reason Kente is considered by many as the most ideal candidate of the party is the fact that he has remained consistent in the party”.
Muhammadu revealed that after the party lost in 2019, he has been one of the pillars that ensured funding of the party to remain afloat in the state.”
Understandably, Kente, out of those eyeing the number one seat through the APC has consistently being in touch with the party structures across the state.
For many people, the PDP has already done all the campaign for the APC by the governor’s alleged remarkable failure to bring the needed transformation in the state.
However, for the party to be able to take advantage of the window of opportunity, it must first of all clear the wrong impressions about it as a Moslem party and field a widely accepted candidate and ensure that all the other interests rally round the person to ensure that the party’s ultimate goal in the state is actualized.
This view supports that Chief David Sabo Kente has remained one distinguished political figure in Taraba state that has directly or indirectly touched the lives of citizens. This is irrespective of their political, religious and ethnic affiliation.
It further noted that with him as flag bearer, the APC may not only stand a better chance of winning the 2023 gubernatorial elections, but in him Taraba state may cover for glaring neglect and lack of focused development that has bedeviled it, especially, in the last eight years.
