THE TRAGICOMMEDY POLITICS IN TARABA STATE By: Suleiman Yusuf Sometimes in early 2010, Nigerians received the sad news of the former president, Alhaji Umar Musa Yaradua that he had died of the chronic disease called “kidney problem” that he battled till last minute. May Almighty Allah in his infinite mercy be with him and it’s my fervent prayers and well meaning Nigerians that his gentle soul will continue to rest in perfect peace (Amin). I equally pray to ALLAH to give the entire family of the late president the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss. When this humbled, visionary, focused, disciplined, incorruptible, dynamic, talented, patriotic and unbiased former president was at the helms of affairs in Katsina State nobody knew that he will later become the doyen of this country. In preparation to 2007 general elections, some PDP members from the north down to the south threw their hats for presidency and little did they know that none of them will be picked as the party flag bearer to slug it out with other political parties. The then president Olusegun Obasanjo, in other to douse the tension among the presidential aspirants coupled with the intension to settle political scores with some of his perceived opponents who blocked his infamous third term agenda which was widely rejected by majority of the national assembly members, he unilaterally handpicked Umaru Musa Yaradua so as to placate the northerners who were advocating for power to be shifted back to their region. Though, Obasanjo knew quiet alright that the man had kidney problem considering his frequent travelling to Germany hospital to attend to his body. It was learnt that in most cases he spent six month in hospital with the hope that the disease would be healed and when he was eventually elected as the president all the doubting Thomas about his health status were laid to rest. During the Yaradua’s tenure, his disease resurfaced and he had no option than to consult his doctors in Germany and that led to his long stay in abroad. Opposition parties, civil society group, save Nigeria group led by renowned professor of literature, professor Wole Soyinka, and other concerned Nigerians clamoured for status quo to be changed since the ailing Yaradua was unable to return in time to continue the implementation of his popular 7points Agenda which he taught will transform the country. The continue absence of Yaradua raised sympathy for his then vice-president, Goodluck Jonathan, to be confirmed as the acting president of the country and this does not augur well with the ardent supporters of the president in the presidency who later constitute themselves to what we call “Cabals” and portrayed Jonathan as an unloyal man who wanted power not minding the faith of his boss. The cabals frustrated the vice president to the extent of not allowing him to communicate with his estranged boss and got to a stage that the cabals usurped the duties of Goodluck Jonathan until the prompt intervention of the senate that saved the nation from universal mockery who later read, interpreted and invoked the section of the constitution which empowers the vice-president to be there on acting capacity pending till the return of the sick president. When this cabals sensed the actions of the acting president and in other to oil their political careers, they quickly shrouded in secrecy the return of the president back to Nigeria. The above political episode is now being played out in Taraba state, north eastern Nigeria. The Taraba political episode started in October 2012, when the executive governor of the state, pharmacist Danbaba Danfulani Suntai, was involved in an unfortunate air crash which was piloted by the governor. Immediately when the news of the crash filtered round, the search and rescue team rushed to the scene of the sad incident to evacuate the governor and others who were with him. They were quickly flown to National hospital Abuja, where they were admitted to intensive care unit of the hospital. Journalists were barred from covering the event because of the varying degree of injuries that the governor got. The governor was later moved to Germany and later US to accelerate his recovery. The deputy governor was administering the resources in the absence of his boss and when it got to a time some political elites in the state advocated for the deputy governor to be elevated to acting governor; this proposal was vehemently rejected by the political associates of the incapacitated governor. The good people of the state and country at large were oblivion about the state of health of the governor as it was clandestinely kept.
Posted on: Sat, 05 Oct 2013 01:03:27 +0000
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