The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ishaku

  • Ishaku names SSG, media chiefs

    Taraba State Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku yesterday resumed at the State House, Jalingo

    and appointed ex-Commissioner for Agriculture, Anthony Jellason, as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).

    He reappointed Sylvanus Giwa and Hassan Mijinyawa as his Senior Special Assistant (SSA) on Media and Publicity and Chief Press Secretary (CPS).

    The duo served as media chiefs with former Governor Danbaba Suntai in his first and second terms.

    Giwa is a graduate of the University of Maiduguri. He worked as a reporter/presenter with the defunct Gongola Television, Africa Independent Television (AIT), Channels Television and as the general manager of the Taraba Television.

    Mijinyawa attended Times Journalism Institute, Lagos and London School of Public Relations, England. He worked as a reporter with the Weekly Scope and as the public relations manager of Firstbase Integrated Nigeria.

     

     

  • Taraba: INEC declares PDP’s Ishaku winner

    Taraba: INEC declares PDP’s Ishaku winner

    The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Darius Dickson Ishaku has won the governorship election in Taraba state.

    Ishaku won 10 local government areas with accumulated votes of 369,318 at the end of the supplementary election on Saturday.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Returning Officer for Taraba State Prof. Ahmed Kyari declared him as governor-elect at the commission’s office in Jalingo on Sunday.

    Aisha Jummai Alhassan of the All Progressives Congress (APC) got 275,984 votes.

    Ishaku won with a difference of 93,334 votes.

    Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) came a distant third with 29,985 votes.

  • Taraba: One LG result expected, PDP’s Ishaku ahead

    Taraba: One LG result expected, PDP’s Ishaku ahead

    The Taraba State Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) candidate Darius Dickson Ishaku is ahead in the governorship election in Taraba state with result from one Local Government outstanding.

    The result so far released by INEC, puts Ishaku in the lead with a difference of over 63,430 votes in nine of the 14 local government areas of the state’s 16 local government councils.

    Ishaku has so far polled 297,552 votes, winning Zing, Yorro, Lau, Ardokola, Kurmi, Wukari, Takum, Karimlamido and Ussa.

    The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Aisha Alhassan has won 234, 122 votes in five local government areas: Gassol, Jalingo, Ibi, Gashaka and Bali.

    Breakdown of the results include: Jalingo (APC-37714; PDP-19047; SDP-1282); Ardo Kola (APC-13,042; PDP-14,041; SDP-662); Lau (APC-13,096; PDP-20,598; SDP-613); Gassol (APC-42888; PDP-12527; SDP-827) and Zing (APC-5,224; PDP-28,005; SDP-675).

    Takum (APC-13,306, PDP-26,979, SDP-2,133); Yorro (PDP 18, 696, SDP-297, APC-6,936); Gashaka (PDP-7,120, APC-9882, SDP-60); Wukari (APC-16,268 PDP-64,608, SDP-19,312);

    Ussa (APC-12,772, PDP-13,229, SDP-779), Kurmi (APC-3,759, PDP 17,369, SDP-370), Ibi (APC 14,859, PDP-5,564, SDP-911), Bali (APC-23,263, PDP-13,314, SDP-109), Karimlamido (APC-21,023, PDP-36,455, SDP-1,676).

    The result from Donga local government area, although PDP won overwhelmingly, was cancelled by Taraba INEC returning officer Prof. Kyari Muhammed.

    Result for the remaining Sardauna local government area is being awaited at the INEC collation centre, Jalingo.

  • Why Ishaku’s popularity is growing in Taraba

    Why Ishaku’s popularity is growing in Taraba

    Senior Correspondent FANEN IHYONGO examines the chances of the Taraba State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Hon. Darius Ishaku in Saturday’s election.

    When he clinched the Peoples Democratic Party’s ticket in Taraba State, Darius Ishaku’s opponents said he was reclusive. The criticism motivated him to work harder. He consulted widely and met with opinion leaders. Then, he embarked on house-to-house campaign that began to sell his candidacy. His campaigns were issues-based, and he quickly marketed a people-oriented manifesto. He listened to the masses and told them the things he had done and was still doing for the state. Soon, his popularity began to rise. He became the talk of the town.

    At the time he rounded up his campaign tour in Takum-his country home, the names of his opponents in the other political parties had gone extinct. He graciously overturned the ‘unpopularity deficit’ to become the most popular candidate gunning for the state’s most plum job. Ishaku got a “pleasant surprise” when he campaigned in Gassol, a council believed to be a stronghold of the opposition. His first name Darius was changed to Dahiru (Arabic: meaning something pure). And that has been bad news for his opponents who have become fever stoked and their names gone extinct.

     

    Multiple endorsements

    Of all those contesting the governorship, Ishaku has gotten the highest endorsements from individuals, groups and unions. His supporters include traditional rulers, the two religious bodies, many unions and groups such as NULGE, NURTW, NUT, NUJ, students, the physically challenged, market women, artisans, okada riders, butchers etc.  The students union body described him as a “first class material and most qualified candidate,” in terms of credentials and achievements in the public and private sectors.

     

    Party strength

    Taraba has always been a tough state for the opposition. The ruling PDP has shown its supremacy by winning the governorship and three senatorial seats since the return to democratic government in 1999. In 2011, the PDP won 13 of the 16 local government areas to give Suntai a landslide victory.

    In last Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary elections, the PDP won the presidential election, even though President Goodluck Jonathan lost to the All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. PDP also swept the three senatorial seats and four House of Representatives seats, leaving only two for APC and SDP. The winning of the northern zone senatorial seat by the Acting Governor Abubakar Sani Danladi is also an advantage to Ishaku.

     

    Government influence

    Ishaku is no doubt the government candidate. And that has given him an edge over his opponents. It means he enjoys the apparatuses of government including security and resources. Ishaku is also the choice of Governor Danbaba Suntai, coming from Southern zone where the governor planned to relinquish power to, on grounds that it is the fairest thing to do to foster a sense of belonging.

     

    Roots, credentials, experience

    The PDP candidate, born in July 1954 to Mr Istifanus Ishaku and Mrs Naomi Ishaku at Lupwe, now Ussa local government council, schooled at St. Bartholomew’s Primary School Zaria, St. Paul’s College Zaria and the famous Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master’s of Science in Architecture with super distinctions.

    He has worked as a teacher, architect, town planner and minister where he served without blemish. He is such an unassuming and humble gentle man with the spirit of camaraderie and above all the fear of God. He has planned to use his wealth of experience to redesign and reconstruct a beautiful Taraba for the masses. He will “rescue” state from any form of ruin, in healthcare, security, economy, agriculture, education and tourism.

    His achievements include the Mambilla hydroelectric power project in Sardauna which he re-designed to provide 3,050 megawatts. The dam, when completed will employ thousands of youths who are in desperate search of elusive jobs. His works on the Kashimbilla dam has also been plausible as the dam is a multipurpose developmental project for flood control, water supply, power, irrigation, fishery and tourism. His other achievements include: provision of boreholes and electrification of Taraba towns and rural communities. Distribution of hundreds of transformer and the facilitation of employment of over 150 graduates as well as facilitation for the promotion of many deserving senior officers from Taraba to higher positions, which he knows less than 10 of them.

  • ‘Ishaku is most qualified for Taraba’

    Taraba students under the auspices of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) yesterday endorsed the candidature of Darius Ishaku, saying he was the “most qualified” for the governorship.

    The students, coming from universities and other tertiary institutions across the country, spoke when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard-bearer met with them at the pool side of the Jolly Nyame Sports Complex, Jalingo, the Taraba state capital.

    The SUG President, Salahudden Shuabu, said Ishaku, an architect, has the best credentials for the position, having worked as a seasoned lecturer in the university and as a minister in three ministries, which “he served without any blemish.”

    He added that among the candidates, Ishaku was the consensus candidate from southern Taraba “where power is officially supposed to shift to.”

     

  • Group defends CAN on Ishaku’s endorsement

    Group defends CAN on Ishaku’s endorsement

    The Taraba Voters Watch (TVW) yesterday defended the Christian Association of Nigeria’s (CAN’s) endorsement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) standard-bearer, Darius Dickson Ishaku, for the governorship election.

    The Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, David Sabo Kente, at a news conference condemned the endorsement of Ishaku by CAN, berating the religious body for playing partisan politics.

    But the Taraba Voters Watch said: “CAN as an independent association did no wrong in endorsing the candidature of Ishaku, who is their choice.”

  • Ishaku donates books to Taraba pupils

    Ishaku donates books to Taraba pupils

    Taraba State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Darius Dickson Ishaku, has donated exercise books and writing materials estimated at millions of naira to nursery and primary school pupils.

    The PDP candidate said although children do not vote during elections, he was donating the materials to ensure that they enjoy quality education, as the future leaders.

    Ishaku has been paying special attention to pupils during his campaign tours, which has taken to him to some of the remote parts of the state, besides his house-to-house canvassing for votes.

    The governorship candidate has been to Dardauna on Mambilla Plateau, Bali, Kurmi, Karimlamido, Lau, Zing and Yorro.

    The campaigns, he said, had been a huge success.

    “I am really impressed with the turnouts and level of acceptability,” he told our reporter yesterday after one of his rallies.

    During his campaign tour of Lau Local Government Area, the PDP candidate addressed the pupils and their teachers at several primary schools.

    He promised qualitative education, if elected on February 28.

    The children said they would ask their parents and other eligible voters to vote for him.

    At Karimlamido, Lau, Zing, Yorro and Ardo-Kola, Ishaku promised to build “beautiful roads” for the people.

    He said: “Do you want roads?” When the crowd answered in  the affirmative, he added: “Give me your votes and I will build beautiful roads for you.”

    At Karimlamido, the home of Acting Governor Abubakar Sani Danladi and in Lau Local Government Area, the PDP candidate promised to build new roads since the areas were swampy and dissected by rivers and streams, including River Benue.

    The 49.5-kilometre road from Karimlamido en route Lau to Jalingo has been a grazing zone. The people have also reported several cases of snake bites.

    To get to Karimlamido, Ishaku and his were ferried across River Benue by boats.

    He told Lau, Yorro and Karimlamido residents that his administration, if elected, would give priority to building roads, especially the Jalingo-Lau and Lau-Karimlamido roads.

    The PDP candidate also promised to build a bridge across the Benue River.

    He said his planned transformation programme would open up the area to enable the people convey agrarian produce to the markets with ease, generate revenue and improve their standard of living.

    Danladi told the people that Ishaku is an architect while his running mate, Haruna Manu, is an engineer. He said: “These technocrats will design and construct beautiful roads for us.”

  • Ishaku begins campaign on Mambilla Plateau

    Ishaku begins campaign on Mambilla Plateau

    The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Taraba State yesterday began his campaign at the Mambilla Plateau.

    Canvassing support from the crowd, Darius Ishaku said the venue for the rally was deliberate, because of President Goodluck Jonathan’s efforts to complete the Mambilla Dam project.

    He said the Mambilla Hydroelectric Dam project had been on the drawing board since 1960.

    It was when Jonathan came on board that the project came to fruition, he said.

    He said the dam would generate about 3050 megawatts electricity.  “This can employ many youths in Sardauna and other parts of the state,” he said.

    Ishaku told the people that after voting for Jonathan on February 14, they must vote him on February 28, because he was the one the president sent to work on the dam project.

  • Ajibola, Ishaku pick Kwara, Taraba PDP guber tickets

    Ajibola, Ishaku pick Kwara, Taraba PDP guber tickets

    Tthree-term senator representing Kwara South, Simeon S. Ajibola, yesterday emerged the governorship candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State just as the immediate past Minister of State for Niger Delta, Darius Ishaku, won the governorship primaries of the party in Taraba.

    The primary election in Kwara State, held under heavy presence of security personnel, went on till the wee hours of yesterday without any hitch.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Salihu Garba, personally superintended over the security of the venue to prevent breakdown of law and order.

    The governorship primary was shifted from December 8 to yesterday following protest by 11 of the 12 aspirants alleging plan to impose a certain candidate on them.

    A total of 680 delegates were accredited out of the overall total of 709 delegates.

    Senator Ajibola polled 144 votes to emerge as the overall winner, followed by the 2011 governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), who polled 132 votes to beat 2011 governorship candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Senator Gbemisola Saraki who scored 113 votes.

    Other aspirants are former special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly Matters, Senator Suleiman Ajadi (107); former chairman Federal Character Commission (FCC), Prof. Shuaib Abdulraheem (58); ex-minister of transport, Alhaji Bio Ibrahim (45); son of late governor Mohammed Lawal, Hakeem (33); Deacon John Dara (27); Industrialist, Engr. Jani Ibrahim (16) and Engr. Sunday Babalola (three votes).

    Others are former land and housing commissioner under the then Governor Bukola Saraki, Kale Belgore (one vote) and Alhaji Abdullahi Sanusi (nil vote).

    Ishaku clinched the Taraba governorship ticket after the governorship primary that was conducted on Thursday night at the PDP national secretariat, Abuja.

    Ishaku hails from Takum Local Government Area of Taraba.

    The election was conducted under the supervision of the national leadership of the party. It was delayed for almost five days, following the crisis over zoning.

    Earlier in the week, Taraba PDP leaders and stakeholders had met with the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, to inform him of the existence of an agreement signed in 2011 by PDP leaders in the state where it was agreed that the Taraba South Senatorial District will produce the PDP candidate in 2015.

    According to them, Taraba North had served for a total of 10 years while Taraba Central where the incumbent Governor Dambaba Suntai hails from will complete eight years in power in 2015.

    Following the complaint, Muazu directed the PDP leaders, who gave him a copy of the resolution, to also provide a copy of the minutes where the zoning arrangement was reached.

    He assured them that the PDP national leadership will respect their decision saying “zoning is local.”

    As a show of respect for the agreement, the former acting governor of the state, Alhaji Garba Umar, and another aspirant, Musa John, stepped down from the race.

  • Ajibola, Ishaku pick Kwara, Taraba PDP guber tickets

    Ajibola, Ishaku pick Kwara, Taraba PDP guber tickets

    A three-term senator representing Kwara South, Simeon S. Ajibola, yesterday emerged the governorship candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State just as the immediate past Minister of State for Niger Delta, Darius Ishaku, won the governorship primaries of the party in Taraba.

    The primary election in Kwara State, held under heavy presence of security personnel, went on till the wee hours of yesterday without any hitch.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Salihu Garba, personally superintended over the security of the venue to prevent breakdown of law and order.

    The governorship primary was shifted from December 8 to yesterday following protest by 11 of the 12 aspirants alleging plan to impose a certain candidate on them.

    A total of 680 delegates were accredited out of the overall total of 709 delegates.

    Senator Ajibola polled 144 votes to emerge as the overall winner, followed by the 2011 governorship candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mohammed Dele Belgore (SAN), who polled 132 votes to beat 2011 governorship candidate of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Senator Gbemisola Saraki who scored 113 votes.

    Other aspirants are former special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on National Assembly Matters, Senator Suleiman Ajadi (107); former chairman Federal Character Commission (FCC), Prof. Shuaib Abdulraheem (58); ex-minister of transport, Alhaji Bio Ibrahim (45); son of late governor Mohammed Lawal, Hakeem (33); Deacon John Dara (27); Industrialist, Engr. Jani Ibrahim (16) and Engr. Sunday Babalola (three votes).

    Others are former land and housing commissioner under the then Governor Bukola Saraki, Kale Belgore (one vote) and Alhaji Abdullahi Sanusi (nil vote).

    Ishaku clinched the Taraba governorship ticket after the governorship primary that was conducted on Thursday night at the PDP national secretariat, Abuja.

    Ishaku hails from Takum Local Government Area of Taraba.

    The election was conducted under the supervision of the national leadership of the party. It was delayed for almost five days, following the crisis over zoning.

    Earlier in the week, Taraba PDP leaders and stakeholders had met with the national chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, to inform him of the existence of an agreement signed in 2011 by PDP leaders in the state where it was agreed that the Taraba South Senatorial District will produce the PDP candidate in 2015.

    According to them, Taraba North had served for a total of 10 years while Taraba Central where the incumbent Governor Dambaba Suntai hails from will complete eight years in power in 2015.

    Following the complaint, Muazu directed the PDP leaders, who gave him a copy of the resolution, to also provide a copy of the minutes where the zoning arrangement was reached.

    He assured them that the PDP national leadership will respect their decision saying “zoning is local.”

    As a show of respect for the agreement, the former acting governor of the state, Alhaji Garba Umar, and another aspirant, Musa John, stepped down from the race.