Taraba PDP delegates reject Ishaku as guber candidate, to sue party

The over 400 adhoc and special delegates of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Taraba state have resolved to sue the party for the National Working Committee, NWC, allegedly imposing a candidate on it.

The immediate past Minister of State for Niger Delta, Darius Ishaku, was on Friday nominated by the NWC as the party candidate in Taraba State.

The PDP Taraba members said that contrary to electoral acts, the delegates were asked to go to Abuja, instead of Jalingo for the conduct of the party primaries which was hurriedly agreed upon.

“But no election was held at the Wadata plaza,” said Mohammad Goje, a senator, who was at the party national secretariat in Abuja. “We waited for hours till day break, and only to be told that a consensus was reached and Darius was nominated as consensus candidate, we will not agree to that.”

The former Taraba state deputy governor, Sale Danboyi said, “Over 400 delegates elected from 168 electoral wards were not allowed to participate in the process of electing a governor, Senators, Reps and state Assembly that was organized outside the state capital.”

The primary election was delayed for about five days, following a controversy over the zoning of the governorship position and the list of delegates.

The Taraba PDP leaders led by the state acting governor, Sani Danladi, had on December 8 informed the National Chairman of the party, Adamu Muazu, of an agreement signed in 2011.

According to them, the PDP leaders in the state agreed that Taraba South Senatorial District would produce the governorship candidate for the 2015 elections.

Though Mr. Muazu had, at the meeting, directed Taraba PDP leaders to submit to the party’s national leadership, a copy of the minute, where the agreement and resolution was reached.