Fellow Nigerians,
Our attention has been dragged to a comment credited to the Adamawa state governor, Senator Jibrilla Bindow who, among other things, said the APC would soon reclaim its “stolen mandate” in Taraba. First, we don’t even want to go into the rhetoric of whether a mandate is stolen or not because that would be pre-judicial as the matter is now before the laws of the land. We hasten therefore to say that Bindow is actually GUILTY of engaging in a contempt of the law. How can he make such a comment on a matter before the court? Or is the governor now above the law? In any case, has Bindow now taken over the tribunal currenly sitting on this matter of great importance? If indeed he believes the PDP’s mandate is a stolen one, has he in any way made representations at the tribunal?
These questions just lead us to what worries us as a state concerning Bindow’s sweeping statement. We are miffed by the continuous negative interest of Adamawa state in what is essentially a Taraba issue. What really is the interest of the power brokers in Adamawa state? Is that they see our dear state as an extention of the Adamawa? Is that they believe the Taraba people are too docile and stupid to make up their minds on political matters? Is that Bindow actually believes that the APC MUST be the ruling party in Taraba state? What is the motivation, we wonder? Is that Bindow and his ilks have decided that Taraba doesn’t deserve to direct its affairs and destiny?
Whatever are the answers, our people feel slighted by the relentless intervention by characters from this neighbouring state who keep talking as if Taraba is a colony of Adamawa state. Like our people would ask in Nigerian colloquialism “wetin concern them with us now?” First, there was the ex- National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, who, in the heydays of Garba Umar (UTC), took sides and said the PDP would resist a government by proxy in Taraba state. We can’t forget how Tukur teamed up with one roguish senator to foist a diarchy in Taraba. Tukur’s funny contraption saw us ridiculously becoming a state with two governors, two SSG’s, two Chiefs of staff and several first ladies. That Tukur was highly paid and compromised by the UTC junta in Taraba is no longer a secret. At last he and his cohorts lost out and it became glaring that he had a religious/ethnic agenda in Taraba. Bindow, is thus carrying on with a long tradition of hijacking of Taraba matter by a gestapo mafia in Adamawa.
For us in Taraba, this is totally unacceptable. What is more? We know for a fact that Bindow was always in Jalingo to get all sorts of supports from Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai who, as a benefactor, stood by Bindow throughout his travails when he (Bindow) wanted to become senator. It therefore smacks of biting the fingers that fed him for him to be now opposing the wishes and aspirations of that same Governor Suntai. Or is Bindow not aware that the current government in Taraba enjoys the express support of the Suntai political family?
What is even clear to Bindow is that he (Bindow) knows without a shadow of doubt that Taraba is a dyed in the wool PDP state. Bindow knows that Arc. Darius Ishaku would still win in a PDP dominated state like Taraba. Bindow is too aware of the fat that Darius’s victory is in keeping with the best traditions of Tarab’s political history.
And as a governor of a neighbouring state, Bindow ought to be aware of the joy and happiness currently going on in Taraba over the PDP’s historic win. He must have at his disposals reports of how the majority of our people have welcomed this victory. He also knows too well that the people would vehemently resist any alteration; any abdication; any attack on this very popular mandate.
And if Bindow claims he is speaking on behalf of the ruling party, the question is this: is he now a principal officer of the party? We have not even heard this sort of thing from the National Headquarters of the APC. Besides, Bindow is not the only APC governor around us. We have Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa states- all APC states bordering us. We didn’t hear such irresponsible statements from the governors there. Unless, of course if Bindow is not just articulating a party’s position but a parochial, disdainful religious/ethic one.
We therefore condemn his comments in its entirety. We also appeal to the President and commander in Chief, General Muhammadu Buhari, to call Bindow to orders. Taraba is a sovereign state- not an extension of Adamawa state. Governor Bindow, we believe, should mind his business instead of commenting on what is already before the nation’s judiciary. In any case, we shall now view with suspicion any move to scuttle the popular mandate of our people.
Signed:
The Cabal