…Warns of impending defection of 2 NASS members to PDP

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

A group under the auspices of Progressive Frontliners, has pleaded with President Bola Tinubu and National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to urgently look into the disturbing allegations about clandestine plots to deceive members of Taraba state chapter of the party.

It confirmed their membership of the party with the claim that its members participated in grassroots campaigns for President Tinubu’s 2023 election selflessly without seeking sponsorship from anyone.

The group further revealed that there is strong suspicion that APC is about to lose two Taraba state National Assembly seats to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the next few weeks.

They made the claimed in a statement signed by their president, Emmanuel Kefas Adams and the Secretary, Comrade John Matthias.

“We have been inundated with reports alleging unholy alliances between the PDP-led Taraba state government and these two National Assembly members who rode into power on the back of APC goodwill; the PDP state governor is believed to be undermining APC towards achieving long-term political goals.

“Specifically, we urge both President Tinubu and APC National Chairman, Ganduje to find out why and how the party lost both the presidential and governorship election votes in their constituencies.

“We feel very worried by allegations that both Senator David Jimkuta and Hon Mark Useni of the House Representatives are set to fulfill a rumoured pre-election agreement to defect to the PDP and support Governor Agbu Kefas who garnered support for them during the pre-election court cases,” the group emphasised.

“It is quite unfortunate that APC is now set to lose two NASS members from Taraba state; barring any last minute change in plans, we may soon lose these two seats to the PDP in Taraba state before the end of the year.

“Jimkuta and Mark Useni of the House Representatives are said to be set to fulfill their pre-election agreement to defect to the PDP to support governor Agbu Kefas who garnered support for them during pre-election court cases and the Appeal Court ruled in favor of Useni and David Jim Kuta.

“In a twist of events both David Jim Kuta and Mark Useni who belonged to different factions of the APC in Taraba state during the 2023 elections are said to have held several meetings with Governor Agbu and over his second term ambition,” the group claimed.

“There are widespread reports of discreet support for PDP and Governor Kefas which cost the APC in Taraba State very dearly during the 2033 elections and things must therefore, not be left to chance now.

“During the 2023 elections, both legislators supported the PDP Governor who won the governorship elections in their respective wards of Bete and Fete; it is no longer a secret that Governor Kefas is already indulging in fantasies about a 2027 re-election as well as a 2031 Senate seat at the expense of APC.

“Although both legislators won the National Assembly elections in their wards, the APC governorship and presidential candidates lost to the PDP and Labour Party there in Takum, their local government was one of the only two local governments that the PDP won!

“In Taraba state, NNPP won in Ibi local government while APC won in Ussa and Donga local government areas. Then, in the follow up to the recently concluded local government elections in Taraba state, both federal legislators are said to have played key roles in selecting PDP candidates and presently, many believe that several of those seeking appointive positions in the PDP/Agbu Kefas administration in Taraba state do not hesitate about making consultations with these two legislators whom the APC national leadership in Abuja assume to be completely loyal to APC interests.

“We have reasons to believe that Mark Useni who is holding an APC seat is currently in New York with PDP Governor, Kefas Agbu and the legislator is said to have distanced himself from Emmanuel Bwacha who is smarting from the loss of the governorship election and inability to secure a cosy appointment from President Tinubu.

“We are not going to keep our eyes open and watch a party like PDP swallow APC with its progressive and populist cause in Taraba state. Also said to be on his way back to the PDP is Abel Dia, a former Speaker of Taraba House of Assembly whose political godfather, is the current Secretary to the State Government.

“He is also presently in New York with Mark Useni and Governor Agbu Kefas witorking on an anti-APC agenda which only President Tinubu and Ganduje can halt before it becomes a major embarrassment to the progressive cause,” they noted in the statement.