Abel Peter Diah May Return As Speaker, As Bonzena, Agbadu, Hamman-Adama Fight Hard

The People's Democratic Party PDP in Taraba State might face a tough time over the leadership of the next State House of  Assembly as three lawmakers in the party are putting up a strong fight to clinch the speakership of the state Assembly.

 

The PDP won 13 seats while the opposition APC won seven seats, NNPP has two seats, SDP and APGA has one seat each.

 

Incumbent Speaker Hon. John Kizito Bonzema  representing Zing constituency; Hon Tafarki Agbadu Eneme  from Kurmi Constituency and  Hon Hamman-Adama  Abdullahi from Bali II Constituency all in the PDP are in a tight race to emerge as Speaker for the next Assembly.

 

Taraba Truth and Fact gathered that the PDP might be looking at zoning the Speaker to the Central Zone which favors Hon Agbadu   from Kurmi Constituency and  Hon Hamman-Adama from Bali II all in the Central Zone. The current speaker Hon. John Kizito Bonzema is however banking on the support of outgoing Governor Darius Ishaku and some  stakeholders in the party to help him emerge against the zoning arrangement of the party.

 

Taraba Truth and Fact gathered that opposition parties are also forming an alliance to take over the leadership of the Taraba State House of Assembly in the next dispensation.

 

Leading this alliance is Former Speaker Hon Abel Peter Diah APC representing  Mbamnga Constituency is one of the  oldest member of the 10th Assembly.

Pundits said if the opposition parties unite and play its card very well, they might take the PDP by surprise because of the intriguing politics going on within the PDP on who will emerge Speaker in the 10^th Assembly of the state.

 

"The Speakership of the next Assembly will be highly contested for but looking at many factors, Abel Peter Daih is of more advantage, he has the legislative experience most of the members are first timers, Abel has been in the Assembly for many years. The APC have the majority among the opposition members that will be in that Assembly, if he's able to reach out and convince some PDP lawmakers to support his Speakership project, Abel is good to emerge, the former Speaker strategically reached out to all  NNPP, SDP and APGA members elect after the collection of Certificate of Return, infact he provided logistics for those coming outside the state capital.

 

They are convinced that he has the legislative experience to carry them along and mentor them in the business of legislation and many of the members' elect are ready to work with him.

 

Sources said some PDP leaders who were not happy with how Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku treated Abel and forced him out of the PDP are sympathetic to his Speakership project.

"Some PDP leaders want Abel back to the PDP and they believe supporting him get speakership through the APC might facilitate his return to the party, Abel Peter Diah is not a light weight politician, look at his performance on the Mambilla during the last election, he is a political asset and he has supporters even among the PDP leadership who are quietly rooting for him to emerge as Speaker to compensate him for the humiliation he suffered under Governor Ishaku."