Taraba PDP ward congress was marred – Senator Bwacha

From Ayodele Samuel, Lagos

The Senator representing Taraba South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Emmanuel Bwacha, has described last Saturday’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ward Congresses in some parts of the state as controversial, saying a lot of irregularities were observed during the exercise.

Senator Bwacha, who made this assertion while fielding questions from newsmen shortly after the submission of his Nomination and Expression of Interest Forms at the PDP State Secretariat, Jalingo, to contest the 2015 Senatorial election under the platform of the party, attributed the aberrations to poor leadership styles of the State Acting Governor, Garba Umar.

Bwacha, who is currently the Chairman, Senate Committee on Agriculture, gave reference to an ugly incidence where the Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Isiaka Bawa, an indigene of the state, representing Ibi/Wukari Federal Constituency, was molested and harassed by thugs when he came to lay complaints at the Collation Centre, Jalingo, the state capital over the lapses he observed during the congress at his constituency.

“A member of the State House of Assembly and former Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Abel Peter Diah, representing Mbamga Constituency was physically abused by thugs at the Collation Centre when he came to complain that the names of Delegates filled at his constituency were not the names collated”, he said.

He further stated, “An Electoral Officer, who was taken to Government House was told to fill the Delegate names and he refused and he had to be assigned seven Mopols, he insisted he had to go to the local government to conduct the congress; they had to assign Police men to follow him up and on arriving the local government Headquarters, he disappeared, the people in the local government never saw him again”.

Bwacha enjoined all PDP faithful to embrace peace with one another, pointing out that nobody should be allowed to destroy the party.