CONTROVERSY continues to trail the Taraba State chapter of the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a new set of leadership has emerged.
This comes after the recent expulsion of the governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State David Sabo Kente and suspension of southern Taraba senator-elect David Jimkuta for alleged anti-party activities.
The factional leadership has however set aside the sanctions meted out to the party members, asking security operatives to arrest the state party chairman Ibrahim Elsudi for impersonation.
Meanwhile, the embattled Elsudi said he remains the chairman of the APC in Taraba, except when directed by the National Working Committee (NWC) to exit his position.
While one faction of the party leadership is loyal to the APC governorship candidate in the just concluded governorship elections, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, the other is loyal to David Sabo Kente, a governorship aspirant.
Recently, Bwachi’s loyalists led by Elsudi expelled Kente and suspended Senator-elect Jimkuta.
Another group led by the former state Deputy Chairman of the party, James Ahmadu, reversed the decision, insisting that Elsudi was legally removed from office.
According to them, the State Working Committee (SWC) of the party on February 10, 2023 passed a vote of no confidence in him acknowledged by the party’s NWC.
While asking the national leadership of the party to expediently call Elsudi to order, Ahmadu described the sanctions of two of the party’s prominent members as an act of desperation and acting on the script of his paymasters.
He insisted the governorship aspirant and the Taraba South senator-elect remain legitimate members of the party.
The chairmen of kente and fete wards to which the embattled party stalwarts belong denied signing any document that led to the purported expulsion and suspension of their members as claimed by the other faction of the party.
“I have never written any petition against David Jimkuta on any offense committed. He is a committed member of the party and I see no reason why he should be suspended nor any allegation that I ordered for it,” the APC chairman of Fete Ward, Siman Yamusa, said.
On his part, the APC Chairman, Kente Ward, Uten Efu, argued that there were no specific, stated offences of anti party activities against the governorship aspirant and senator-elect.
“It will be safer if the national executives of the party intervenes to save the party from collapsing as it continues in its struggle to capture power in Taraba State,” he added.