The presidential election battle in Taraba State is likely to be on a tripod- among the candidates of the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and that of the Labour Party, LP.
Though PDP prospects of emerging victorious in the state is evident, it is not going to be achieved on a platter of gold as the leadership of both the APC and the LP are leaving no stone unturned to win the hearts of the electorates, especially at the grassroots levels.
The PDP, which has been presiding over the affairs of the state since the advent of democracy in 1999, is optimistic that its presidential candidate will have a smooth ride to victory.
Citing the Muslim/Muslim Presidential ticket of the APC, which many described as the greatest mistake made by the party, Christian clerics have been using their pulpits to admonish their worshippers to go for political parties that have joint faith tickets.
The state chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, who also doubles as the Deputy National President of the association, Isaiah Magaji Jirapye, it would be recalled, had on several occasions beckoned on worshipers not to back the APC presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
The inability of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the APC to reach out to the state with its campaign train, will also no doubt negatively affect the performance of the party in the presidential poll slated for next week Saturday.
As a result of the internal wrangling in the state chapter of the party, the campaign rally to the state has been postponed three times.
Apart from the PCC’s inability to storm the state for its rally, the ongoing dispute on the actual guber candidate of the party, as observed by Newspot, will as well jeopardise the chances of the APC presidential candidate in Taraba.
On the other hand, the Labour Party candidate, Mr. Peter Obi has followership in the State.
While some adherents have made up their minds to go for the LP presidential candidate, others have concluded to join forces with that of the PDP, especially with Atiku’s decision to have a Christian running mate.
A political analyst, Sunday Jibril told Newspot that the majority of the eligible voters “would go for personalities and not political parties this time around.”
He added that, “in most cases, the candidate most of our electorate will vote for during the presidential election, will be different from those they will vote for in the governorship, national and state Assembly elections”.
He said the presidential battle in Taraba is going to be between PDP and LP candidates.
Frowning at the position of the analyst, the LP governorship candidate for the state, Joel Danlami Ikenya believed that his party’s presidential candidate had more advantages in Taraba compared to the ruling PDP and APC.
Ikenya claimed that Obi’s vigorous campaign in the State would mar the chances of the other candidates in Taraba.
But the state chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Inuwa Bakari, said the achievements of the state government, “are enough to win the hearts of our electorates for our presidential candidate.”
Stressing that “Atiku doesn’t need to visit Taraba before winning this state”, he said the party’s leadership under the control of governor Darius Dickson Ishaku “has already finished campaigning for Atiku.”
Though there seems to be no end to the wrangling in the APC, the party is equally certain of making headway in the presidential election.
A former ambassador to the republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Alhaji Hassan Jika Ardo, who is the state coordinator of the Independent Grassroot Presidential Campaign Council for Tinubu/Shettima said plans to “win Taraba for our presidential candidate are on top gear.”
He boasted that “despite the internal wranglings within the APC in Taraba, grassroots mobilisation for the victory of the presidential candidate of our party and his running mate is on top gear.”
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