Taraba 2019: Can Kente’s declaration alter APC’s fortunes?

David Sabo Kente recently declared interest to contest for All Progressives Congress’ ticket in the 2019 governorship election in Taraba State. Senior Correspondent, Fanen Ihyongo, writes on the chances of the APC in the state, if Kente wins the APC’s primary election

LONG before his declaration to contest for the governorship ticket of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, David Sabo Kente, has become a household name in the state’s politics. A philanthropist, his admirers said he is popular with the masses.

An accountant and economist, Kente, 53, once served as the National Assembly’s Deputy Director of Finance.

Since his declaration, close observers said the political tempo in the state has heightened. Even Governor Darius Ishaku’s campaign team is said to be edgy.

Before declaring his intention, following pressures by individuals and groups, Kente had gone round the state to consult with key stakeholders -political leaders, traditional rulers and women and youth groups. He rounded up the consultation tour in Jalingo -the Taraba State capital where he met with the APC officials at the party’s office along Barde Way. From there, he opened his office -, described as the biggest in the state, to kick-start the drumming of support for his electioneering campaign tagged “Save Taraba 2019.”

Before Kente threw his hat into the ring, it had looked as though the incumbent governor (Ishaku) had no challenger. A few politicians who had nursed interest to run appeared not to be serious.

Political pundits have said the APC has 95 percent chance of winning the Taraba State governorship election in 2019. But to do that, they said, APC must tread with caution and do the right things. It must be ready to shift power to the southern part of the state, and above all, give the ticket to the right candidate. Endorsing Kante, as the envisaged right choice, an analyst said: “The ‘right’ choice here is the well-liked person -someone who knows the socio-political terrain of the state; and who is generally acceptable. I will give it to Chief David Sabo Kente. He is the one to rely on if APC is willing to take over power from the PDP in Taraba,” the analyst said.

It would be recalled that Taraba and Gombe are the only PDP states in the whole of northern Nigeria. Winning the two states in next year’s election will signify a zero opposition for the APC- led government in the whole of the north -if APC still wins the presidency. A source however told The Nation that the soul of

Taraba State would be much easier to conquer than Gombe State.

An APC member, Yahaya Umar, said the PDP has been ruling Taraba since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999 but will lose in 2019 if Kente clinches the ticket.

Apart from Kente, there are other aspirants. One of them is the former Acting Governor, Garba Umar. But his critics dismissed Umar as one who is of the old school and as such may not attract the kind of support the APC deserves.

Another very important aspirant is Senator Aisha Alhassan, the powerful Minister for Women Affairs, who played the dominant role in laying the foundational structures of APC in Taraba State. Commenting on her likely candidacy, Umar said, “She should be persuaded to allow her younger brother, Chief David Sabo Kente, to fly the APC flag. Alhassan should synchronise the northern part of the state while Senator Yusuf Yusuf, arguably the best and only APC senator from Taraba, should coordinate the central zone,” Umar said.

Umar told The Nation that “Senator Alhassan uprightly won the polls in 2015, but the PDP rigging machine stopped her. This time, the APC, being the ruling party, will provide us a neutral playing field and security to police and safeguard our votes. As the president assured Nigerians, every single vote will count! No snatching of ballot boxes; stuffing of ballot papers and doctoring of election results at collation centres as was the case in 2015 when PDP held sway in power.”

He added: “Alhassan is another credible candidate. But being a woman played against her in the 2015 gubernatorial contest. Being a Muslim (to be honest), given the numerical strength of Christians in Taraba, also played against her and the party. Coming from northern Taraba was another demerit. The north and central zones, through Jolly Nyame and the late Danbaba Suntai, respectively, had ruled for 18 years. Nyame alone did 10 years! He and Alhassan are from northern Taraba. Thus, like the presidency is zoned to the north, the fairest and best thing for the APC to do is to give the governorship ticket in Taraba to DSK in the southern zone. This will pave the way for the APC to expediently wrestle power from the Taraba PDP in 2019 polls. It will also demonstrate a sense of belonging, fairness and equity to all in the state.

“This is a significant decision the APC must make. All the stakeholders of the party must be unanimous in this verdict. The warring fractional camps of Alhassan and the Integrity Group must be cohesive to parley on this. Every member must align. A political party succeeds when its interest, rather than individual’s, is prioritised. Kente does not belong to any of the camps. He and Senator Yusuf have intervened to reconcile the groups and their efforts are yielding results.”

Kente’s supporters said he is the right person to contend with the leadership dynamics of the 21st century which have the trapping of a utility-driven approach of all-inclusive governance. “He is a pragmatist who will transform Taraba.

“In this digital era, DSK is the right choice for us. He has the capacity and is much ready to provide the desired proactive headship that will effectively crackdown on armed bandits wreaking havoc in our state.

“When the insecurity puzzle in the state is deciphered, all other developmental efforts in agriculture, health, economy, education, youth empowerment and other sectors will bear fruit.”

 

 

 

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