Taraba APC Governorship Primary Dispute: Ex-Minister Sambo Urges Tinubu to Intervene
Former Minister of Transport, Mu'azu Jaji Sambo, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to urgently intervene in what he described as a breakdown of internal democracy in the party's Taraba State governorship primary. In a statement issued through his media aide, Dr. Sam Idiagbonya, Sambo also urged the party leadership to immediately review the outcome of the primary election conducted in the state.
The APC governorship primary committee had earlier declared the incumbent Governor Agbu Kefas as the winner of the ticket after polling 166,357 votes, while Sambo was announced as runner-up with 4,110 votes. Reacting to the outcome, the former minister alleged that the exercise fell short of the democratic standards the APC claims to uphold, insisting that many loyal party members in Taraba State felt betrayed and politically excluded.
He further alleged that the primary was marred by irregularities, lack of transparency, and the exclusion of key stakeholders, warning that such lapses, if left unaddressed, could erode confidence in the party and damage its democratic image. The statement therefore called on the APC national leadership, including the party's national chairman, to conduct a thorough review of the primary election process, with a view to restoring trust and unity within the party.
It stressed that the APC must defend its honour and uphold democratic principles in handling internal disputes. Meanwhile, governorship aspirant Prof. Yiltwada has also been mentioned in the ongoing controversy, as internal tensions continue to rise within the party following the primary election held in Jalingo, Taraba State.
