26th November, 2015
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 declared the 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 fully 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.
“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,” he added.
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 added.
He expressed optimism that Hajia Aisha will soon be sworn in as governor and called on people of the state to remain calm.