By Nahum Sule (Taraba State Correspondent, in Jalingo)
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Taraba state All Progressive Congress (APC) is yet to present the gubernatorial candidate who will represent the party in the next general election.
Following the ruling of the Federal High Court which nullified the emergence of Senator Emmanuel Bwacha some months ago as the party's candidates and orderd a fresh party primary election to be conducted within 14 days, the party's sacked candidate is now thrown in limbo, contemplating either to appeal the case or to conduct a new primary election.
The only way some politicians and party members believed that the crisis should be settled is through consensus, but that hope was smashed on a rock when the party's aspirants spoke to BBC Hausa.
Senator Bwacha in his interview, asserts that "I can win any fresh elections no matter how many times but because we want to test what the court said, we shall go for an appeal. And as a lawyer, I want to respect the Court. Those APC Leaders in the state can't win election. It is not about how long you are in the party but if u can win, you can."
And Chief David Sabo Kente who responded that "He (Bwacha) sounds like a coward. Besides I don't know Bwacha as a lawyer. But even among lawyers there are lawyers. If you say you can win elections let's go for a fresh one now. But it is now up to the national body of our party to know what next. Anyone who wins in a fresh primary we shall support. We have been in this party since 2016. So someone who came recently can't be the same" he said.
While Senator A. Yusuf on his part says "Bwacha is a PDP mole sent to destroy the party because he keeps saying there are moles in the party. My belief is Bwacha never truly left the PDP. He's on an assignment. Now he's a afraid of fresh primaries.There were no primaries. And he knows it"
The former Minister of power Sale Mammah, who is also an aspirant opined that "Bwacha is a stranger to our party and he is just blabbing. He came and wanted to grab the party from us by force so we said we must all resist him. There were no primaries in the last election. We can only do what is right."
With their voices heard on BBC Hausa service, obviously shows that there is no room for consensus and Taraba APC is like swindling pendulum hanging in the balance but either dinning with the devil. The hope of the opposition to win the state is dwindled by the crisis rocking the party.
Arguments stirred up among some opposition party members and the ruling party members on issues concerning the the electoral act section 19 which I quote "Submission of list of candidates and their affidavits by political parties.
29.(1) Every political party shall, not later than 180 days before the date appointed for a general election under this Act, submit to the Commission, in the prescribed Forms, the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections, who must have emerged from valid primaries conducted by the political party".
This actually means the party is running out of time and if Bwacha opts for an appeal, it means he may not participate in the party primary election, by conducting a fresh primariy, it means the state has distance itself from Bwacha, and the ruling of the Appeal Court will be either to uphold the judgement of the Federal High Court if the crisis is not settle in time the party may go home without a candidate for the 2023 general election in the state. NNL.