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Anxiety has begun to grow among members of the Taraba State House of Assembly who recently defected to the All Progressives Congress, APC, over fears that their move to the ruling party may not guarantee them tickets in the forthcoming party primaries
What was initially celebrated as a calculated shift into the perceived safety of the ruling party is now giving way to political uncertainty, as preparations for the next general elections gradually gather momentum.
Recall that a few months ago, sixteen lawmakers elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made a dramatic and widely publicised defection to the APC. The lawmakers followed Governor Agbu Kefas who dumped the PDP, a move that was at the time interpreted as a strategic alignment with the centre. It was calculated that it will guarantee a smoother political navigation and improved electoral prospects.
In the early stages, the defection was presented as a show of unity and political foresight, with public appearances marked by confidence and assurances of a brighter future within the ruling party.
However, beneath the surface, concerns have continued to mount.
As at press time, several of the defecting lawmakers are said to be increasingly apprehensive about their chances of securing APC tickets during the forthcoming party primaries.
Sources said the lawmakers are coming to terms with the reality that while the defection may have offered short-term political alignment, it also removed them from familiar party structures and exposed them to intense internal competition.
Some of the lawmakers have reportedly begun to openly express concerns about their current stand within the party.
“We are new in the APC, and the majority of APC members are people we contested against in the past,” one of the lawmakers told DAILY POST exclusively.
“How do we now face them in a primary election where they dominate the party structure?”
The concern, according to sources, is that long standing APC loyalists who built the party at the grassroots level now control the structures that determine outcomes of party primaries.
In constituencies where the APC has enjoyed long-standing dominance, there are fears that local party leaders and influential political actors may work against the defectors.
Another lawmaker who pleaded not to be mentioned appealed that the interests of those who defected alongside Governor Kefas should be protected within the party.
“We followed Governor Kefas to the APC, and our interests must be protected. We should not be sacrificed or allowed to suffer in the APC,” the lawmaker said.
However, such expectations appear to be in conflict with the position of the APC national leadership. The party has repeatedly insisted that its commitment to internal democracy will not be compromised, regardless of an individual’s political status or the timing of defection.
The APC Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, recently reiterated that there would be no automatic tickets for any aspirant.
“There will be no automatic tickets for anyone. All aspirants must go through the party’s primaries,” Ibrahim stated.
Publicly, the defecting lawmakers have defended their decision to join the APC as being motivated by ideology, national interest, and the need for effective cooperation with the federal government.
Critics, however, argue that the move was largely driven by the desire to secure re-election under the platform of the ruling party.
With the APC leadership insisting on open and competitive primaries, political analysts say the calculation behind the defection now appears increasingly uncertain.
As the party’s primaries draw close, the political future of the defecting Taraba lawmakers, as noticed by our reporter, remains unclear. For many of them, joining the ruling party was expected to provide political cover. Instead, it may become their most challenging electoral contest.
When contacted for comment, the Taraba State chairman of the APC, Barrister Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi, declined to speak directly on the issue.
“I have no jurisdiction to talk on that. All elections of Houses of Assembly, Governors, and the National Assembly are conducted and managed by the national leadership of our party,” he said.
