Anxiety Mounts as Defected Taraba Lawmakers Face Uncertainty Over Losing Seats Ahead of APC Primaries

Members of the Taraba State House of Assembly who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress, or APC, are reportedly becoming more anxious because they believe that joining the ruling party will not ensure them a spot in the upcoming party primaries.

As preparations for the upcoming general elections steadily pick up steam, what was once hailed as a deliberate move into the perceived safety of the ruling party is now giving way to political uncertainty.

Recall that sixteen lawmakers who were elected on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform dramatically and extensively reportedly defected to the APC a few months ago. The parliamentarians adopted Governor Agbu Kefas’ decision to leave the PDP, which at the time was seen as a calculated move to align with the center. It was calculated that it will ensure better election prospects and a more seamless political journey.

Early on, public appearances were characterized by confidence and promises of a better future within the ruling party, portraying the defection as a demonstration of unity and political vision.
But worries have been growing beneath the surface.

As of the time of publication, a number of the MPs who are defecting are reportedly becoming more concerned about their prospects of winning APC tickets in the upcoming party primaries.

According to sources, the parliamentarians are realizing that although the defection may have provided temporary political alignment, it also exposed them to fierce internal rivalry and took them out of comfortable party institutions.

According to reports, some of the MPs have started to publicly voice their dissatisfaction with their current position within the party.

“The majority of APC members are people we contested against in the past, and we are new in the party,” one of the MPs told confidentially.
“In a primary election where they control the party structure, how do we now confront them?”

Sources claim that long-standing APC supporters who founded the party at the local level are now in charge of the systems that decide party primary results.

There are concerns that local party officials and other political figures could turn against the defectors in constituencies where the APC has long held a dominant position.

The interests of those who defected with Governor Kefas should be safeguarded within the party, according to a different lawmaker who begged not to be named.

“We joined the APC after Governor Kefas, and our interests need to be safeguarded. The legislator declared, “We shouldn’t be sacrificed or allowed to suffer in the APC.

Nevertheless, it seems that these expectations are at odds with the national leadership of the APC. Regardless of a person’s political standing or the time of their defection, the party has consistently maintained that its dedication to internal democracy would not be compromised.

Bala Ibrahim, the APC’s director of publicity, recently reaffirmed that no candidate will receive automatic tickets.

“No tickets will be issued automatically to anyone. “The party’s primaries are a requirement for all candidates,” Ibrahim said.

The lawmakers who have defected have publicly defended their choice to join the APC, citing philosophy, national interest, and the necessity of productive collaboration with the federal government.

However, detractors contend that the desire to win reelection under the ruling party’s program was a major factor in the decision.

Political observers claim that the reasoning behind the defection is now more unclear due to the APC leadership’s insistence on free and fair primaries.

Our writer has noticed that the political future of the defecting Taraba parliamentarians is still uncertain as the party’s primaries approach. Joining the ruling party was anticipated to give many of them political shelter. Rather, it might turn out to be their most difficult election campaign.

The APC’s Taraba State chairman, Barrister Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi, declined to comment when asked about the matter.

“I am not qualified to discuss that. The national leadership of our party conducts and oversees all elections for the National Assembly, Governors, and Houses of Assembly, he stated.