The decision by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, to set up a committee to ascertain the true health status of acting Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Suntai, is ruffling feathers, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan.
Trouble is brewing in the northeastern State of Taraba again over the necessity or otherwise of a committee recently set up by the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The committee, which was inaugurated last week by the National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, is to investigate an alleged political tension generated by the long absence of Governor Danbaba Suntai of Taraba State because of the injuries he sustained in an air crash last year.
Sources within the ruling party told The Nation that the coming of the committee to the state may have scuttled the relative peace witnessed in Taraba since the unfortunate air mishap of October last year that incapacitated Governor Suntai and led to the emergence of his deputy, Alhaji Garba Umar as acting governor.
Inaugurating the seven-member panel headed by Senator Hope Uzodinma, Tukur said the party’s National Working Committee set up the team because of happenings in the state.
He listed the committee’s terms of reference to include finding out and reporting the extent of political harmony or otherwise among the stakeholders in the party in the state, interacting and establishing the most effective approach to resolving contending issues among them.
The team, he also said, should fast track the process of constitutional adherence as “it affects the status of the office of the governor of the state”.
“The committee must ensure that in all practical implications, the PDP Taraba emerges stronger and more united in responding to all the partisan challenges arising thereafter in the state.”
“Consider and report any other matter that is in the opinion of the committee, relevant in the resolution of the political condition of the state,” he added.
Other members of the committee are Ahmed Gulak, Shittu Mohammed (former chairman of de-registered Republican Party of Nigeria), Bala Buhari, Prof. Richard King, Mrs. Bolajoko Doherty and Senator Abubakar Garda (secretary). The committee was given two weeks to submit its reports to the national secretary of the PDP.
But the move appears to have polarised the PDP in the state into two groups of those in support of the committee and those opposed to the entire idea. These two groups are now at each other’s throat even before the arrival of the committee in the state.
Chieftains of the party opposed to the committee’s work are accusing Tukur and other supporters of the committee of planning to destabilise the state.
They argued that the inauguration of the panel by Tukur, if not immediately checkmated, is capable of galvanising the entire state into a frenzy of confusion as well as divide the citizens along religious and tribal lines.
But the camp of those supporting the committee says there is no reason for anybody to be agitated over what it described as ‘a move by the leadership of the party to strengthen the PDP in Taraba State ahead of the forthcoming 2015 general elections.’
According to a chieftain of the party, Cephas Kunini, the current opposition to the inauguration of the committee smacks of bad politics and disloyalty to the party on the part of those agitating against the move to reposition the party.
“There is no reason why we should have members of the PDP or even citizens of our dear state opposing such a good move. It is only those who are benefiting from the present leadership crisis in our state that would say the National Chairman has done something bad by inaugurating this committee,” the former lawmaker said.
Sources said the two camps have already intensified efforts to ensure they have their way in what political observers called a battle over the job of ailing Governor Danbaba Suntai’s job.
While those opposed to the committee say Tukur and others are out to permanently remove Suntai from office on account of his absence from the state, promoters of the committee’s work say those complaining are benefiting from an alleged leadership crisis created by the absence of the governor.
“The PDP in Taraba State as it is now is divided. While Suntai’s supporters and allies are opposed to the idea of the committee, his opponents and critics are in support. Even the government is polarised along the line of those supporting Suntai and those supporting Umar.
“The whole issue is about whether Umar should be confirmed as substantive governor or he should simply continue as acting governor. There are those who feel the present arrangement is okay for the state but there are also those agitating for a permanent arrangement on the premise that Suntai is permanently incapacitated and cannot return to his seat as governor.
The national leadership acted on the several petitions they received from the state over the issue. But as it turned out, the action has generated more confusion within and outside the ruling party than expected. The committee is even yet to start sitting,” a party source said.
But a chieftain of the party, Abubakar Bawa Ibi, accused Tukur of acting without any complaint from the state. While urging President Goodluck Jonathan to reverse the National chairman’s action in the interest of peace, Ibi said Tukur is out to kill the PDP in Taraba State.
“This move is capable of savagely puncturing the umbrella of our great party in Taraba State in the manner it was done in Adamawa State. The said committee is to wade into a very simple matter which both the State Assembly and the nation’s constitution have already taken care of. This is curious and suspicious. Nobody in Taraba petitioned him.
“He asked the committee to fast-track the process of constitutional adherence as it affects the current status of the office of the governor of Taraba State. This is a very inflammatory statement. Our legislators have ensured adherence already. These people want to create crisis where there should be none.
“The move to alter the current arrangement that has kept the state at peace since last October is capable of galvanising the entire state into a frenzy of confusion as well as divide the citizens along religious and tribal lines,” Ibi said.
In his own submission, Stephen Terlumun, another chieftain of the PDP, said there is no reason for the inauguration of the committee since the deputy Governor has already been confirmed as acting, Governor by the Assembly.
“The current status of the Governor of our state is very clear and one wonders what our leader meant when he inaugurated this committee. The arrangement we have here is strictly in adherence to the constitution of our country and the people are satisfied with it.
We have an acting governor who has all the powers of the governor of the state. This was done 21days after the governor’s accident, as dictated by the constitution. It is a very clear unambiguous thing.
The constitution did not provide a time lapse for when he would act as governor. This matter is simple and not rocket science. This move by Tukur is, therefore, strange and unconstitutional,” he alleged.
Checks by our correspondent revealed that a recent report alleging that the Suntai had suffered significant brain damage that rendered him incapable of recognizing visitors, including members of his family, is at the root of the new move to permanently replace him.
“There is a new and genuine report on the health of the governor that says he has suffered significant brain damage that rendered him incapable of recognizing visitors, including members of his family. The acting governor and the party leadership discussed this new development and it was agreed that something should be done.
This is why this committee is being set up. As politicians, we cannot continue to deceive the people. We must brace up to tell the people the true state of things sooner or later. This is a step in that direction,” a lawmaker in the state told The Nation on condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, The Nation gathered that politicians from the southern part of the state have vowed to oppose the alleged plot to make Umar a substantive governor since such a move may truncate the zone’s struggle to produce the next governor of the state in 2015.
“The whole idea is to deny southern Taraba our turn to produce the governor. Governor Danbaba Suntai already gave us his support so we are not going to agree with any arrangement that will rob us of the chance.
“The northern part of the state ruled for eight years through Jolly Nyame. The central part is about completing eight years through Suntai. The south should be allowed to produce the next governor. Umar is from the north and should not be positioned to seek another term in 2015.
“For us in southern Taraba, we will not accept anything less. That is why we want to warn those behind the ongoing move to desist from doing anything that can polarise the state along tribal lines,” Ishiaku Adi, leader of the Southern Taraba Mandate Group (SOTAMAG) said.
