Growing speculations within the hierarchy of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the party’s national leadership would soon meet to decide the fate of Taraba State Governor Danbaba and also empower the acting governor, Alhaji Garba Umar, as the substantive governor, have been denied by the party’s national organising secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha.
Since he was involved in a plane crash on October 25, 2012, Governor Suntai has been admitted in a German hospital where he is receiving treatment from injuries he suffered in the air disaster, which occurred in Yola, Adamawa State. He was rushed to the National Hospital, Abuja before he was flown to Germany for further medical attention. Three of his aides, who were also taken abroad for treatment, have since returned, while the governor, who flew the ill-fated plane, is still recuperating.
After three weeks of the governor’s absence, the state House of Assembly empowered Umar to take charge as acting governor, pending Suntai’s return.
But some PDP leaders told LEADERSHIP WEEKEND that the party’s NEC would soon meet on ways to work with the Taraba lawmakers to fill the vacuum created by the governor’s absence from the state.
When contacted, Mustapha said it was not true that the PDP would meet on the issue. He said as far as the National Working Committee (NWC) was concerned, “it is news to us.”
Mustapha said: “This is news to us as there is nothing factual about it. Certainly, the PDP National Executive Council (NEC) will not meet this year again. So, I wonder where you are getting the story from.”
But sources within the party maintained that the move to decide whether to invest Umar with the power to function as governor was prompted by reports reaching the PDP that the governor might not return to office soon.
“The national headquarters is worried that important decisions are not being taken by officials running Taraba State because of the absence of Suntai. The deputy governor cannot function properly because he has not been adequately invested with the powers to do so.”