The group, Taraba for Good Governance, has
said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
and the state governor, Ishaku Darius, are
responsible for their current predicament. The
group, in a statement signed by its president,
Abdullahi Sule in Jalingo, while hailing the recent
tribunal ruling which sacked Ishaku of the PDP
and returned candidate of the All Progressive
Congress, Aisha Alhassan, as governor, faulted
speculation by the Taraba Mandate Group, that
some non-indigenes of the state were
responsible for the development.
The group particularly faulted an allegation that
former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) influenced the ruling, saying, “instead of
trashing around and looking for who to blame for
their crisis, the PDP and Ishaku should inwards.
How can the former Vice President, who is not
even an indigene of the state be behind a ruling
that sacked its governor?”
Sule called on those making the allegation to
read the ruling and understand the matter before
making any comment. “Everyone knows full well
that Ishaku who contested under the platform of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not
properly nominated by his party for the last April
11, 2015 election, thereby violating the Electoral
Act. And that was the grounds for which he was
sacked.
We were all here in Jalingo, the Taraba State
capital when the All Progressive Congress (APC)
conducted her primaries and Senator Aisha won.
We all saw how the entire process went and that
proved to Tarabans and indeed Nigerians that
she was duly nominated by her party, the (APC)”
he said.
He added: “Why is that group blaming a non-
indigene of the state for the problem when we
all know who brought Ishaku and who the god-
father of Taraba politics is? The former vice
president is occupied with too many things to
start meddling in the affairs of Taraba State.”
Sule expressed hope that the tribunal ruling will
be upheld by the Appeal Court, to “engender
internal democracy and put a stop to the
principle of imposition which has characterised
the nation’s democracy”. “People must be
allowed to choose their leaders. A situation
where a party will select someone because he
has money, is influential or even because he has
an influential god-father will not aid growth of
our democracy”, he said.
The group also flayed a situation whereby people
condemn INEC or other authorities when things
do not go their way, adding that every situation
or matter is peculiar and must be viewed in that
light.
“Aisha Alhasan has become a household name in
Taraba and her supporters cut across tribes and
religions. She actually won that election, but
when INEC declared Ishaku winner, this group
that is talking now did not see anything wrong
with that. Why is it now that the governor has
been sacked that they are condemning INEC”, he
queried. He expressed optimism that Hajia Aisha
will soon be sworn in as governor and called on
people of the state to remain calm.
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