The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has listed 19 candidates for the 6 February 2027 governorship election in Taraba State, with incumbent Governor Agbu Kefas and former senator Emmanuel Bwacha among the many outstanding contenders.
The listing names Mr Kefas because the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Bwacha because the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and former senator Abubakar Tutare because the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The fee’s doc comprises the names of the candidates and their operating mates, in addition to their ages, genders and academic {qualifications}.
The 19 candidates symbolize completely different political events, together with the Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Kefas, Bwacha swap political platforms
Mr Kefas received the 2023 governorship election on the PDP platform earlier than defecting to the APC. Mr Bwacha, who contested that election because the APC candidate, now holds the PDP flag.
Their change of platforms has reshaped the competition, putting the incumbent and his social gathering’s former candidate on opposing sides.
In the 2023 election, Mr Kefas polled 257,926 votes, in opposition to 202,277 for Muhammad Yahaya of the NNPP. Mr Bwacha polled 142,502 votes to complete third.
Mr Yahaya is now the candidate of the NDC, offering one other acquainted identify within the race.
Mr Kefas is in search of one other mandate, whereas his challengers can be in search of to current themselves as higher options to his administration.
Full listing of governorship candidates
INEC’s remaining doc lists the next candidates and their operating mates:
- Accord (A): Jerome Nyameh; operating mate, Ali Tanimu.
- African Action Congress (AAC): Gago Bulus; operating mate, Sokira Salihu Njeke.
- African Democratic Congress (ADC): Abubakar Tutare; operating mate, Kwetishe Haruna Kwenyan.
- Action Democratic Party (ADP): Hamman Mustapha; operating mate, Wesley Ekanah.
- All Progressives Congress (APC): Kefas Agbu; operating mate, Ibrahim Abubakar.
- All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA): Shiddi Usman; operating mate, Kawu Muhammad.
- Allied Peoples Movement (APM): Bawa Mohammed; operating mate, Daren James.
- Action Peoples Party (APP): Henry Banti; operating mate, Jamilu Aliyu.
- Boot Party (BP): Kabiru Bala; operating mate, Nawukari Adams.
- Democratic (*19*) Alliance (DLA): Aboki Stephen; operating mate, Maryam Geda.
- Labour Party (LP): Nathan Sanda; operating mate, Foku Gaddas.
- Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC): Yahaya Sani; operating mate, Susana Kona.
- National Democratic Party (NDP): Nuhu Atta; operating mate, Abubakar Bitako.
- New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP): Uba Abdullahi; operating mate, Emmaunel Luka.
- Peoples Democratic Party (PDP): Bwacha Emmanuel; operating mate, Zakari Aminu.
- Peoples Redemption Party (PRP): Josiah Wasa; operating mate, Hamman Abubakar.
- Social Democratic Party (SDP): Yusuf Ali; operating mate, Nathan Danladi.
- Young Progressives Party (YPP): Sa’advert Abubakar; operating mate, Abdul’alim Umar.
- Zenith Labour Party (ZLP): Bello Adamu; operating mate, Yakubu Nuhu.
Issues for the election
The candidates can be contesting for management of a state the place infrastructure, agriculture, employment, training, healthcare, safety and public finance stay necessary governance considerations.
For Mr Kefas, the election will present a chance to defend his administration’s report since taking workplace in 2023.
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The opposition candidates, in the meantime, might want to current proposals explaining how they’d deal with the state’s growth challenges.
Mr Bwacha has criticised the Kefas administration over infrastructure, financial administration and transparency.
Such claims, alongside the administration’s report and responses, would require scrutiny in opposition to finances paperwork, mission data, audited accounts and proof of public service supply.
The candidates may even want to clarify how their proposed programmes can be funded and applied, moderately than relying solely on marketing campaign guarantees and political endorsements.
The publication of the ultimate listing supplies voters with an official reference for figuring out the candidates and their operating mates forward of the election.
INEC has scheduled the governorship election for 6 February 2027 in 28 states.
