The immediate past Minister of State for Niger Delta, Mr Darius Ishaku, on Friday won the Taraba State governorship primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Ishaku emerged the winner at the end of the election conducted at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election which started on Thursday ended in the early hours of Friday.
The primary election was delayed for about five days, following a controversy over the zoning of the governorship position and the list of delegates.
Taraba PDP leaders and stakeholders had on Dec. 8 informed the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, of an agreement signed in 2011.
According to them, PDP leaders in the state agreed that Taraba South Senatorial District would produce the governorship candidate for the 2015 elections.
Taraba North has served for 10 years while Taraba Central, where the incumbent Gov. Dambaba Suntai hails from, will complete eight years in power in 2015.
Muazu had, at the meeting, directed Taraba PDP leaders to submit to the party’s national leadership, a copy of the minute, where the agreement and resolution was reached.
He had assured that the leadership would respect the decision of Taraba people.
“ Zoning is local; if the people of Taraba want it, so be it.’’ He said.
Following this development, a former Acting Governor of Taraba, Alhaji Garba Umar, and another aspirant, Musa John, withdrew from the race.
NAN reports that Ishaku, who was largely seen as a consensus candidate, hails from Takum Local Government Area.
NAN
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