By Terna Chikpa
Former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Joel Ikenya, has been declared the winner of the governorship primary election conducted by the Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Taraba State.
Hon. Felix Hassan Hyat, Chairman of the Election Committee, announced the result in Jalingo, stating that Senator Ikenya scored 34,173 votes to defeat Mr. David Usman Dinshiya, who polled 4,853 votes.
Hyat described the exercise as free, fair, and transparent, and commended the State Working Committee of the party for the peaceful conduct of the primary election.
Meanwhile, Senator Ikenya pledged to restore Taraba State to its glory days if elected governor in 2027.
“I will transform Taraba. I will change the state from a salary-based economy to an industrialised state.
“My desire is also to revive the state’s infrastructure and attract more investments to boost the economy,” Ikenya pledged.
The governorship candidate, however, dismissed allegations of factionalisation within the PDP in Taraba State.
“There is no factional PDP in Taraba. I don’t know where the other PDP is coming from.
“The PDP in Taraba is one, and we do not have any faction in the state. We are working as one united PDP family to reclaim our mandate from Governor Kefas’ APC,” he said.
PERISCOPE NIGERIA reports that the Nyesom Wike-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) last week declared Senator Emmanuel Bwacha as its governorship candidate in Taraba State.