From Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The factional leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State has dissociated itself from the purported expulsion of Mr David Jimkuta, the Senator-elect for Taraba’s Southern senatorial zone.
The chairman of the faction Alhaji Mijinyawa Salihu who addressed a briefing in Jalingo on Monday insisted that the group who allegedly expelled the Senator-elect are not even members of the party but persons sponsored by mischief makers to create confusion.
Salihu maintained that Jimkuta remains a bonafide member of the party who has made the party proud by defeating the incumbent Governor Darius Ishaku to clinch the seat and contributing immensely to the success of the party in the state.
“We welcome you to this press conference just to respond to the purported expulsion of our Senator-Elect, for the Southern Senatorial District in the just concluded general elections, Hon. David Jimkuta by a group of criminals led by one Sirajo Sallau and parading themselves as EXCO of the party for Takum local government area.
“I, Alhaji Mijinyawa Salihu as the Chairman, my Secretary Hon. Bulus Sabo Joro and the Youth Leader, Christopher Yakubu as well as all other executives of APC in Takum local government area of Taraba State wish to state that there is no factional executive of the party in our local government and we remain the only executive. The group who signed the purported expulsion of our Senator-elect are not members of APC in Takum local government. They are rather some mercenaries recruited from an opposition party by some aggrieved members of the party who lost out in both primaries and the governorship elections of the 2021 polls.
“It is therefore not only laughable but criminal for a group of mischief makers to accuse him of engaging in anti-party activities during the last elections.
“We urge the general public and party loyalists in the southern senatorial zone to disregard the purported expulsion of our Senator-elect as it is the handiwork of some mischief makers who are bent on destabilising the party on selfish grounds. We wish to use this opportunity to inform you that the Senator-elect is already discussing with one of the APC Chieftains Chief David Sabo Kente, and other stakeholders from the southern zone with the view to reconciling all aggrieved members to ensure unity of the party in the zone for the success of the party in future elections.
“We also wish to appeal to members of the APC across the zone, especially supporters of the Senator-elect to remain calm as things are being sorted out in our interest,” Salihu said.
Daily Sun had previously reported that a group led by the party’s Council Chairman, Hon Sirajo Sallau, who claimed to be the authentic leader of the party in Takum, expelled Senator-elect Jimkuta for anti-party activities.