All is now set for supplementary elections into
Kurmi/Gashaka/Sardauna federal constituency as
well as Mbamga and Ardo Kola state constituencies
in Taraba state tomorrow, Saturday February 20.
Independent National Election Commission, INEC had
a fortnight ago announced February 20 as date for
supplementary elections in one federal constituency
and two state constituencies in the state. INEC
Administrative Secretary in the state, Alhaji
Mohammed Umar at a stakeholders meeting in
Jalingo said the commission was ready for the
election and have distributed non-sensitive materials
while sensitive materials would be distributed today,
Friday ahead of Saturday’s elections. He informed
that only registered voters who have already
obtained their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs would
vote in the election, explaining that only those that
voted during the last election would vote come
Saturday. On its part, APC chairman in the state,
Alhaji Ardo Jika expressed confidence that their
candidate Emmanuel Bongo who is now leading by
32 votes against the incumbent, Mr. Peter Abel Diah
of PDP in Mbamga state constituency after the court
ordered rerun will win the election.

The candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP
in the Saturday’s supplementary election into Kurmi/
Gashaka/Sardauna House of Representatives seat,
Dan-Asabe Hosea in a reaction expressed confidence
that he will win the polls. “God gave me the mandate
through the people, the people are still there and
they have assured me they will come out en masse to
tell the world that they voted me,” he said. He
appealed to the people of his constituency to be law
abiding and not to react to any form of provocation
from any quarter during the election. Hosea noted
that within the five months that he stayed in the
National Assembly, he sponsored four motions that
had direct bearing on the lives of the people of his
constituency. According to him, he had moved a
motion for the development of the Mambilla Hydro
Power project which according to him would provide
jobs, contribute power to the national grid which will
help boost industrial growth. “I have also move a
motion for the upgrade of Gashaka Gumti National
Park which is the best in Africa and the motion has
been approved and referred to the House Committee
on tourism for further action.


“I have also moved a motion for the construction of
Mararaban Baissa-Abong- Ngoroje road, which will
open up the area and bring investors to harness our
God giving natural resources like Cocoa, oil palm,
rubber and tea among others. So the people will vote
me back,” he said. Taraba state Police Commissioner
Mr. Shaba Alkali while briefing stakeholders on their
level of preparations for the election warned all
stakeholders connected to the Saturday’s rerun
election in the state to guard against violence. Shaba
said his men were ready to deal decisively with any
criminal act during the rerun elections, assuring that
they will execute their duties without fear or favour.
He maintained that snatching of ballot boxes,
attacking electorates at the election venues and other
electoral misbehaviours must be eliminated.
“I want to warn trouble makers to steer clear of
voting points as only those who have business at
polling units would be allow access,” he warned.


Political pundits have tipped PDP to win the elections
as most of the areas supplementary elections are to
hold on Saturday are PDP strongholds. But the APC
Chairman, Alhaji Ardo Jika disputed the predictions
that PDP will win, querying that, “if the areas in
questions are PDP strongholds why did they rigged
elections in those areas in the first place? PDP have
lost value in Taraba and can’t win any genuine
contest”, he said. A PDP chieftain, Mallam Babangida
Umar told National Mirror that PDP will win clearly
on Saturday especially that the Supreme Court ruling
went in favour of the governor and most areas
elections are to hold are under the control of the
PDP. It could be recalled that the Appeal Court sitting
in Yola Adamawa state had at various dates in
December last year, annulled the election of the
member representing Kurmi/Gashaka and Sardauna
Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives,
Mr. Dan-Asabe Hosea of the PDP and ordered
supplementary election in 19 polling units.

The Appellate court also annulled the election of the
Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abel Peter
Diah of the PDP and ordered rerun election in eight
polling units, even as it ordered same in Ardo Kola
state constituency, where Mr. Emmanuel Dame also
of the PDP was asked to vacate his seat pending the
outcome of the supplementary election in 11 polling
units in the constituency.

-National Mirror