2023: Joel Ikenya, Anthony Jellason ‘Secretly Eye PDP Governorship Ticket’

2023: Joel Ikenya, Anthony Jellason Secretly Eye PDP  Guber Ticket

Joel Ikenya, a former minister of labour and productivity and Anthony Jellason, Secretary to the government of Taraba state has separately commenced discreet discussion on how to emerge governorship candidate of the People's Democratic Party PDP in 2023, Taraba Truth and Facts gathered.

Joel Ikenya, a former senator is from Southern part of the state, while Mr Jellason is of the Mumuye tribe in the Northern Zone.

Taraba Truth and Fact gathered that both politicians discussed their governorship ambition with Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku during a trip to Kenya recently.

Sources in the known said both politicians are 'discreetly scheming to get the governor's support for their candidacy in the next election."

  The SSG on his part his scheming to get the PDP ticket being a  Mumuye man holding the highest office in the incumbent administration.

"The SSG has started political scheming on how to get the PDP ticket in 2023, he is a champion of zoning and has been quietly discrediting any governorship aspirants from the zone to present himself as the only credible alternative from the zone.

"Although the SSG is experienced in government and politics, he is not well accepted by his own people in the Mumuye tribe, its believe he have always benefitted from all political zoning to the tribe for over three decades. The Mumuye people would like to try a new politician," a political pundit from the zone said.   

According to him "the SSG is old and has been part of government since the days of old Gongola, also his health is another major factor, but he is pushing the governorship ambition underground, he is mobilizing resources and supports discreetly. He believes no other person from the zone deserved the ticket than him."

Warning that the Mumuye might lose its chances of  taking over the seat in 2023, Laroba Moses said "the Mumuye must be united to bring younger persons that would be generally accepted in the state, even the SSG is not well accepted among his Mumuye brothers, Taraba needs fresh people in government, we  should stop recycling old politicians."   

 

Joel Ikenya

Ikenya, who served in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan,  to contest for the Taraba state governorship election in 2011 under the Action Congress of Nigeria  ACN , he also contested for the governorship ticket of the APC in 2023.

After losing his bid to get the party's ticket, Ikenya contested for Senator for Taraba South under the All Progressive Grand Alliance APGA and lost the election to PDP's candidate Senator Emmanuel Bwacha.

Although its believe the PDP will zone its governorship ticket to the Northern part of the state since the incumbent governor, Darius Ishaku from Southern zone will be completing its second tenure of eight years, Political pundits said chances of Ikenya getting the PDP ticket is slim.  

Sources said Ikenya while discussing with Governor Ishaku in Kenya  gave reasons why the e governorship seat should be retained  in Southern zone after his tenure, noted that bulk of the PDP votes comes from the zone.

"The Governor wasn't too happy with the Ikenya ambition but he didn't rebuffed him, Ikenya boasted of his capacity to win at the general election and his backing of major stakeholders from the zone," a source who was on the Kenya trip told this newspaper.

"There is no too clear indication on where the PDP candidate would come from; some blocks in Southern Zone are seriously pushing his candidacy to the Governor. They believe he would match up any candidate the opposition would bring in 2023. Infact Senator Ikenya has discussed his ambition with the Governor in Kenya, that was his main reason for attending the wedding ceremony. Meetings and discussion are going discreetly."