A Political Scientist, Kabiru Mato, has described the political logjam between the Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Suntai, and his deputy, Garba Umar, as one of the most unfortunate political scenarios Nigeria has faced since 1999.
Speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily, he likened the issue to the situation experienced during the illness of late President Umar Yar’adua in 2009, when according to him, some people within the President’s cabinet decided to shield the true picture of issues.
While he expressed his sympathy for Governor Suntai, he said that a lot of political intrigues have been going on the state, with some of his loyalists taking advantage of his condition to hold the state to ransom.
On October 12, 2012, Governor Suntai was involved in a helicopter accident that has kept him in and out of the hospital for two years.
Mato explained that the House of Assembly, after three weeks of the accident, decided that the Deputy Governor should take over as acting governor and the business of the state has been well managed since then.
While saying that this should have been more important to the stakeholders, he alleged that the reason for the deadlock is that some persons who have personal interests to protect were using the Governor as a tool to achieve their aims.
“Did you see him when they brought him to Abuja sometime last week? He did not look well,” Mako said, blaming his loyalists for subjecting him to ridicule for their own selfish interests.
Mako also noted that politics and democracy are all about attitude, as the lack of the right attitude to handle it would not produce the right results. He linked the adamant attitude of Governor Suntai’s loyalists to the closeness of the 2015 general elections.
Using an indisposed Governor as a tool to protect personal interests and fight political battles is “the most immoral, apolitical and disgraceful” act that should not be allowed in any democracy.
On the need to verify if the Governor had truly become permanently incapacitated as recommended by the constitution before he could be removed from office, Mato admitted that it might be scientifically hard to determine if someone is permanently incapacitated but looking at the condition of the Governor, it would be realistic to accept that he lacked the capacity to carry out his usual activities.
He, however, admitted that until May 29, 2015, Governor Suntai remains the Governor of Taraba State as long as he is still in the hospital recuperating.
The State House of Assembly during the week set up a medical panel to resolve the impasse by proving if Governor Suntai is capable of leading the state or not; a decision Mato said was constitutionally wrong but morally right.
On the implication of the political confusion on the security situation of Taraba State, Mako noted that the while there had been some attacks by insurgents in the state in the past, the majority of Taraba’s security challenges are based on ethnic differences.
He, however, admitted that the weakened state of leadership in the state exposes the state to weakened level of security.
Injured Not Permanently Incapacitated
Former Commissioner for Information in Taraba State, Emmanuel Bello, who joined the conversation via the telephone, however, said that there has been a gap in Mako’s views of the Taraba deadlock because he had been observing the Taraba matters from a distance.
After putting his weight behind the capacity of the State Governor, Danbaba Suntai, to remain in office, he said that Nigerians need to understand that the issue had become more complicated with a lot of illegality going on the state.
He stated that Taraba State had become an illegal state at the moment with two governors, two SSGs and in addition an illegal panel set up by the House of Assembly.
He also quoted the Nigerian Constitution which states that a governor could only be removed from office when he is permanently incapacitated and not when he is injured, adding that only doctors can determine that.
He added that there are many seemingly healthy people who are not healthy, including the Deputy Governor who has his own health challenges as well. Therefore, it would be unideal to consider Governor Suntai incapacitated.
Mako agreed with Bello that indeed there were more to the Taraba issue than meets the eye but disagreed on the capacity of the Governor, claiming that incapacitation in the case should be seen as the inability to carry out the regular activities one used to engage in.
Mako said further that the whole issue in Taraba State was built around religious sentiments as having the Deputy Governor fully take over would amount to a power shift which some persons are not willing to allow.
Bello commended Dr. Mako for his theoretical view of things but maintained that there were major errors in his analysis.
He noted that religion is indeed a strong factor but in Taraba State, the people are more united as most families have a mix of both religions as reflected in his own name – Emmanuel Bello.
He added that the strongest antagonistic to Danbaba’s return has been the Speaker of the House of Assembly who is a Christian like Governor Suntai, likewise many Muslims are in support of the Governor.
He also added that the case of Danbaba and Yar’adua were very different as Danbaba is still very “alive and kicking”.
Mr Bello submitted that the reality was that Taraba has a Deputy Governor who has been trying to tear the state apart along religious and ethnic lines without any regard for the constitution, court injunctions and loyalty to Governor Danbaba whom he owes his political rise to.
Illegalities
He expressed his displeasure at the medical panel set up by the Assembly claiming that the State Executive that set up the panel was illegal based on a court order that barred the Deputy Governor, Garba Umar, from setting up a new executive.
He also said that the Governor’s loyalists were not happy with the make-up of medical doctors in the medical panel set up by the House of Assembly.
He recommended that the first way to find a solution would be to respect all court orders and for the Deputy Governor to stop being in charge since the constitution has said that this should be the case as soon as the Governor returns.
He also called on all Nigerians and the Presidency to condemn the illegalities in the state.
Dr. Mako, however, noted that it remains the duty of the state to solve its own issues, adding that there could be no illegality in the setting up of an Exco.
He had some words for the Governor’s loyalist saying they should be honest to the themselves, the people of Taraba and Nigerians and stop using the amiable Danbaba Suntai as a political guinea pig.
