Concerns about Senator David Jimkuta and House of Representatives member Mark Useni defecting from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have grown, prompting a group of progressive frontliners led by Mr. Emmanuel Kefas Adams to call for immediate action to address the looming crisis.
The group, in a statement, has urged APC leaders, including President Bola Tinubu and APC National Chairman Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, to initiate a thorough probe into the circumstances surrounding the party’s defeat in the 2023 elections. Expressing suspicions of clandestine ploys to sway party members towards the opposition in Taraba State, the frontliners stressed the need for a comprehensive investigation.
Mr. Adams, leading the charge, stated, “We feel very worried by allegations that both Senator David Jimkuta and Honourable Mark Useni… are set to fulfill a rumored 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 emphasized the significance of understanding why APC lost in the constituencies represented by Senator Jimkuta and Honourable Useni during the presidential and governorship elections. They called for a transparent investigation into the circumstances leading to these defeats.
The statement highlighted concerns about discreet support for the PDP and Governor Kefas, suggesting that such alliances cost the APC dearly in the 2023 elections. The group urged party leaders not to leave anything to chance and take proactive measures to prevent the impending defection.
Detailing the alleged involvement of the legislators in PDP activities, the group expressed, “During the 2023 elections, both legislators supported the PDP Governor who won the governorship elections in their respective wards… Governor Kefas is already indulging in fantasies about a 2027 re-election as well as a 2031 Senate seat at the expense of APC.”
The frontliners expressed concerns about Honorable Abel Dia, a former Speaker of Taraba State House of Assembly, and his potential return to the PDP. They alleged that Dia, along with Hon. Mark Useni, is presently in New York working on an anti-APC agenda.
The statement concluded with a call for immediate intervention by President Bola Tinubu and APC National Chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to prevent what could become a major embarrassment to the progressive cause in Taraba state.
