Discuss: Sen. Bwacha's and his delusion popularity in Southern Taraba

 

Daniel Audu

 

In a bid to keep records straight, I feel it is necessary to correct someone's personal view on Senator Emmanuel Bwacha and Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku (DDI) as opinioned on a column written by Iliyasu Gadu in Taraba Truths and Facts Newspaper.

 

The claim that he holds the ace of Taraba PDP in the southern senatorial zone until his fall out with Governor Ishaku remains misleading. To say Gov Ishaku was least qualified compared to DSK and Bwacha is again also misleading. 

 

Please for records, TY Danjuma didn't prevail on Chief David Sabo Kente DSK and Bwacha to step aside for Gov. Ishaku during the build up of power shift to the southern part of the state. Gov Ishaku was chosen by a team of Informed Elders from the southern part of the state led by Elder Seth Ikaa.

 

Their selection and preference on Gov Ishaku was purely based on both political and social exposure aside his solid academic background which surpass that of Bwacha and DSK.

DDI was a Minister in the cabinet of President Goodluck Jonathan, that's  aside being a successful professional in the field of architecture. He has proven himself as a technocrat of growth and development - that was the indices that gave DDI an edge over the rest of rest who showed interests to contest for governorship at that time. 

 

Gov. DDI was not imposed on Tarabans by TY Danjuma rather he was voted overwhelmingly by Tarabans to serve them. If Gov Ishaku was imposed, why didn't DSK win in the political party he switched over to? Why didn't Bwacha shift ground as DSK did to test his popularity but instead stayed back and begged to be supported to go for tenure in the senate? 

 

It's timely to clear the air that TY Danjuma didn't single-handedly pick DDI but gave the mandate of selecting a qualified candidate amongst the candidates who were largely from the south owing to the zoning arrangement as initiated by the Seth Ikaa led Elders Committee. 

 

Danjuma only received a recommendation note on the person chosen by the committee. He didn't partake on the exercise nor interfered. The retired General only stepped in when DDI's name was submitted to him. And he could've stood for anyone  selected by the process. 

 

We are tired of hearing the empty noise that always boosts Bwacha's political ego which is that, "he worked for the enthronement of Gov Ishaku".

 

Bwacha didn't work for the enthronement of Gov Ishaku but helped himself to win the senatorial seat through a political alignment with TY Danjuma, because it was obvious he was already rendered useless that he couldn't fight the then acting Governor Garba Umar (UTC) who was then in firm hold of the party in the state. So let it be categorically stated and known to all that if it were not because of Ishaku's emergence, Bwacha would've been thrown to political oblivion since during UTC, Bwacha got the privilege to use the retired General's money to bankroll his reelection campaign through the help of Gov Ishaku. 

 

It's ridiculous to say, Ishaku is a Kaduna man and not known by his people in Takum... Fallacy! Where were the likes of Bwacha in 2003 when Gov Ishaku contested for the senate seat alongside late Den Saleh Danboyi? Then, Bwacha was nowhere close to politics of a higher pedestal to talk of going to represent his constituents in the National Assembly owing to his poor academic qualifications and lack of exposure. 

 

Between DDI and Bwacha are two parallel lines of intellectualism and political hooliganism.

 

The mistake Bwacha and his likes, mostly some politicians in the state made, was his antics of divide and rule, aside sponsoring political thugs. They thought they could remote-control Gov Ishaku and believed he's  politically naive. 

 

Gov. Ishaku gave them an open-arm during his first tenure. They planted their stooges in the account sections of the state and milked the state dry. He gave some members of House of Assembly who are loyal to Bwacha opportunities to share a stake in his government. One of the State House of Assembly members, widely known as Bwacha's Boy who lost primaries in a bid to go for reps was reinstated by Gov. Ishaku, to his former seat as a Member of House of Assembly even though he didn't contest for primaries. Unfortunately, they became drunk and mistook the Governor's act of political benevolence as foolishness. 

 

Today, they're kept in limbo with their master Bwacha, scampering for political safety and strategizing to fly from frying pan to fire. They want to go to APC - laughable!

 

Bwacha's ambition of becoming a governor is dead on arrival because he has seen no green light of securing a guber ticket in APC, because already APC has faithful people who have served the party for long and are qualified enough to fly its ticket in 2023.

 

Let wait for Bwacha and his boys to test their popularity with Gov Ishaku in 2023. If Bwacha is popular as being peddled by his praise singers, he wouldn't have lost to Sen Ikenya in 2007. We all witnessed how late Governor Danbaba Suntai fought everyone and manipulated the process for him to secure the senatorial ticket in PDP in 2011. Some of us who are aware of his political antecedents always laughed when some of his ill-informed followers accord him the political muscle he doesn't have. Bwacha has never won election with chest up in an open fierce political contest apart from hide and seek game, manipulations and intimidation of voters by his hired thugs. 2023 will be different for him.

 

Let it be known that the era of winning election through religious sentiments, political hooliganism, divide and rule politics is gone. We are now in an era of refined and issues based politicking. No going back to archaism.

 

Bwacha/DDI Fights: REAL OR PHANTOM?

 

BY SAMBO LEZUYA

I went through a piece that look so interesting to many people to interesting to read about a fight that is ongoing between His Excellency, Governor Darius Ishaku and Distinguished Senator (Dr.) Emmanuel Bwacha, CON on issues concerning Taraba South and Taraba State Politics generally. While I must say Mallam Iliyasu Gadu took precious time to put pen on paper, I will like to dispute some things he went ahead to say or portray in the course of my response.

I will want to start by thanking God for giving Southern Taraba, amongst others, two illustrious sons that hold prominent positions in Taraba and Nigeria politics today. These are in the persons of Governor Ishaku Darius and Senator (Dr.) Emmanuel Bwacha.

While the Governor plies his trade in Jalingo, Taraba State, the Senator does his own job here in Abuja, FCT, from the National Assembly ground, in the Senate to be precise. Hence there is no clash of office space or is there a clash in the constitutional mandate given to each of them to begin with.

It is true indeed that, I quote Mallam Iliyasu Gadu that… "if they were to speak to each other they would not speak in English, Hausa or any other language but Jukun or what is called Nuu swan among the folks of Taraba South". However, it is completely not true what you want to portray that… "But today both are at daggers drawn going for each other's jagular in a vicious no holds barred contest of political will". Really? Mallam Iliyasu Gadu, No holds barred? Do you mean to say no more iota of respect and honour between these great men of ours? There may be political and operational difference in style, agreed, but I will like to tell you sir, there is still cordial respect and honour between these two great politicians. It is guaranteed that there will never come a time when these two giants will exchange anything but pleasantries when they meet in a room or come across one another in any occasion. Many carriers of bad news and rumour mongers will surely go back home empty handed and disappointed when time eventually comes for both personalities to meet.

You said that "Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku popularly called DDI, the incumbent wants to replace Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, the Deputy Senate Minority Leader who represents Southern Taraba Senatorial District at the National Assembly, come 2023"

 

 

 

You also said "Senator Bwacha on the other hand, a ranking Senator wants to go the opposite way to occupy Government House Jalingo in 2023. He wants to fulfill a long term ambition which he has relinquished in 2015 in deference to the instructions of elder statesman General TY Danjuma (Rtd) to allow DDI run when the position was conceded to Southern Taraba". These must be said to still be mere wishes and speculations since we cannot categorically or authoritatively quote that any of them, the active players have come out to indeed confirm these speculations in the realms of romour. Let it be known for the umpteenth time that the Senator for now is much focused only on meeting up to the huge mandate given to him by his Constituents and by God. The Senator is in the best position to state his next move in due time. Let us all be patient and wait for that time and not be making permutations and calculations.

Senator Bwacha, and Governor  Ishaku both have mutual respect for one another as achieving politicians from the same Senatorial District and also from Taraba State, and knowing that one is Governor and the other played a greatly significant part in giving the latter platform to spring from.

 

From your submission, some points can be deduced, one of which is that the Senator is an established politician with structures on ground that is effective and cannot just be wished away nor be easily dismantled. Secondly, it was through these established structures that realities of 2015 came to being. Thirdly, the Senator is an honest game player that sticks to the rules of engagement. He stuck to the deal on ground even when it was made clear that he has more advantage going into the polls in 2015. From the above foregoing, there will be indeed no reason for the Senator to engage in any fight, for it has been shown that he is a grassroots politician with structures capable of delivering positive results. Therefore Senator Bwacha, needs only consultations with God, his family, political friends and confidantes and the grass roots to decide on his next political carrier.

Engaging in fights will never get him there of which he knows and believes in. He needs not engage in "drawing of dagger nor engaging in no holds barred vicious fights". The Senator has always given God due acknowledgement/recognition as his great provider and promoter

 

In this his great strides in Taraba and National politics. Fighting over what God has not destined for him he considers vain and vanity. You will wait and never see him engage in fights with any one.

I could not help but stifle a laugh when I read that  "the Governor's men however told me that the Senator was displaying an attitude unbecoming of the tradition and culture of Southern Taraba…it is expected that when elder comes into a room, the younger one is expected to stand up and respectfully vacate the seat to the elder" Well what room is the man talking about here? If it is Taraba State as a whole, let it be known that what he desires cannot be completely granted. The Senator cannot vacate the State completely because of his constitutional mandate to serve his constituency in the Southern District of Taraba.

 Everyone knows that, the Senator cannot seat in Abuja and not go to Taraba to perform the Constituency functions of which are required of him. Again, if the room referred to here is PDP in Taraba, of course it is clear to all that the Governor is the Father of all and Leader of the Party in the state. Be it abundantly clear to all that, the Senator has not wrestled the powers of State leader from his Excellency the Governor. So, please where is the "standing up" for the elder that comes in here?

Again, let it be known that there is no fight between that is affecting the state positively. Development must go on at all cost because it is what the people and the state needs. It is merely a lame excuse for anyone to say that an imagined fight between the Governor and the Senator  is affecting development in Southern Taraba and the state as a whole. I think what is on display is muscle flexing between the supporters of DDI and Bwacha, that is heating up the polity

Firstly, the Senator does not hope to and is not constitutionally empowered to stop the State allocation going to Taraba state from the Federal Government. Again can the Senator keep a hold on the State's IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) and other sources and not allow it to be used for development of Taraba for godsake? Why now would development be stopped because of a perceived fight? You can see that monies needed for the state development has in no way been hindered by our Senator.

  Secondly, the Constituency projects of the Senator cannot be put to a stop by  the Governor.  Why on earth will anyone come to say a fight is stopping developments? All have bountiful opportunities to develop the state to the best levels, so that it can compete with other states in the North East and in Nigeria as a whole. You have the go ahead to maxaminize her developmental strides. No fight is anywhere going to be found in the picture. In conclusion, once again let me be abundantly clear here that Senator Bwacha is in no way fighting with anyone in Taraba state, or the Senate where he serves his people. The only fight he is engaged in is his long and successful fruitful fight of trying to eradicate poverty and providing empowerment and employment for the people of Taraba South District, whom he represents.