Senator Emmanuel Bwacha has said that he has the right to contest the governorship of Taraba State, describing himself as the most senior member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Bwacha, a founding member of the PDP, said his long-standing involvement in the party places him ahead of others claiming membership in Taraba.
He noted that in his resignation letter from the All Progressives Congress (APC), he made it clear he was returning to the PDP, the platform that brought him into political prominence.
The former member of the House of Representatives and senator also dismissed the claim by Obidah Bitrus to the position of acting state chairman of the PDP, saying he lacks recognition at the national level.
He further alleged that Bitrus and his associates were being backed by the Taraba State Government to create divisions within the party, insisting that such efforts would not succeed.
According to him, following the recent Court of Appeal judgment, the PDP remains one united party, dismissing references to factions within its ranks as a misunderstanding of the situation.
Bwacha also rejected Bitrus’ claim to the acting chairmanship, stating that the party had already conducted its congress, which produced a state executive through consensus, with Alhaji Ibrahim Sale Abba emerging as chairman.
However, in a swift response, Obidah Bitrus denied allegations that he and others were planted to destabilise the party.
He explained that he assumed the role of acting state chairman in line with the PDP constitution, following the defection of the former chairman, Alhaji Abubakar Bawa, to the APC.