Taraba PDP Crisis Deepens as Bwacha Accused of Replacing Elected Party Officials

The internal crisis rocking the Taraba State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has deepened, following allegations of unlawful substitution of duly elected ward and local government party officials after the recently concluded congresses.

Aggrieved stakeholders in Kurmi Local Government Area have raised alarm over what they described as the arbitrary replacement of executives who emerged through a valid and INEC-monitored congress conducted across the state.

The congresses, held under the caretaker leadership of Victor Falack, reportedly covered all 168 wards, 16 local government areas, and two special development areas, with outcomes duly acknowledged before the state congress in mid-March 2026.

However, tensions escalated after the emergence of a new State Working Committee led by Ibrahim Abba Sale, with allegations that the new leadership has begun altering the names of elected ward and divisional executives.

In Kurmi, stakeholders alleged that an individual who was until recently a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and served as its publicity secretary in the area was appointed to replace a chairman validly elected through the congress. The individual was said to have resigned from the APC on March 17, 2026, shortly before the alleged substitution.

Party members have questioned the legality of the move, insisting that the State Working Committee lacks the constitutional authority to alter the outcome of a valid congress.

Concerns have also been raised over the roles of some senior party officials from Kurmi, including the deputy state chairman and assistant legal adviser, with critics accusing them of failing to prevent what they termed a breach of internal party democracy.

Stakeholders warned that the development could trigger fresh litigations and deepen divisions within the party if not urgently addressed.

Meanwhile, the crisis has taken a legal dimension as elected local government and ward officials move to challenge the alleged alterations in court.

The aggrieved officials are reportedly preparing to drag Emmanuel Bwacha before the Federal High Court in Jalingo over claims that he influenced the substitution of names in the party's official lists.

They alleged that the disputed changes affected not only ward and local government executives but also national delegate lists, describing the action as a direct violation of due process and party guidelines.

Two of the stakeholders, Mohammed Bala Adamu from Ardo Kola and Nasiru Barade from Jalingo, said the legal action is aimed at protecting the integrity of the party and restoring the mandate of those elected during the congresses.

They warned that failure to reverse the changes could weaken the PDP's cohesion and electoral prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The unfolding dispute has heightened tensions within the party, with observers warning that prolonged internal wrangling could undermine its stability in the state.