Wonders shall never end as findings in Taraba state political situation reveals that the embattled governor of the state, Darius Ishaku, whose claimed electoral victory at the April 2015 gubernatorial election is now before the Supreme Court for final verdict, has resorted to the use of marabouts, spiritualists and herbalists ostensibly to influence the decision of the apex court in his favour forgetting his Christian faith.
Speaking to this medium at one of the Government Guest Houses in Jalingo where they were mostly lodged at public expense, one of the marabouts who simply identified himself as Malam Hammadu from neighboring Niger Republic said, “We were engaged for spiritual prayers against Hajia A’ishatu Alhassan of the APC through Alhaji Hassan Bappah Abbare. We arrived, Jalingo a fortnight ago and started our assignment. We are doing our best to turn the table against Hajia Jummai”, he said
When further asked whether they had any personal discussion with the embattled governor since their arrival to Jalingo, Hammadu said, “We are yet to see him but our hosts are arranging a meeting with the governor. We are comfortable with the way things are moving. At home, before our coming to Nigeria, we were engaged and handsomely paid to pray against the verdict of the Taraba State Election Tribunal which was quashed at the Appeal Court. We are on the right way to success
“As for the fee we charged, we were promised N100million if the Supreme Court upholds the decision of the Appeal Court. We have not collected any amount out of the promised N100million but we were given a token amount for our minor needs”, he confirmed
A chieftain of APC in Taraba State, who pleaded for anonymity for fear of his safety, opined that Governor Darius Ishaku has vowed to bribe his way to stay using all available resources and sources including close relations and friends to the Chief Justice of Nigeria to uphold the decision of the Appeal Court.
“Hassan Bappah is a junior brother to the wife of the present Chief Justice of Nigeria who accidentally is from Taraba State. He was appointed the chairman of Jalingo Local Government Council by the ailing former governor, Danbaba Danfulani Suntai after a sojourn at the State House of Assembly as an Honorable member that failed a re-election in 2011. He was re-appointed Jalingo Council chairman after a futile attempt to the 8th House of Representatives for his perfection in dubious activities by Governor Darius Ishaku for a specific purpose against the ultimate progress of the people. His primary assignment in Council is to divert Council funds to support the stay-in-office of the embattled Darius Ishaku against the wish of the majority. Hassan has constituted himself into a nuisance to the polity and a clog in the wheel of progress that necessitated his consignment to the dustbin of history and political irrelevance in 2011 and repeated in 2015. The people of Jalingo 1 constituency are getting bitter and agitated against his dirty actions that need to be checked by security agents at this stage before it snowballs into a serious issue beyond control”, he said
The chieftain further called on the EFCC and other relevant anti-corruption agencies to zoom their searchlights on the administration of Hassan Bappah in Jalingo Local Government Council that is characterized by sharp corrupt practices and stealing, adding that” The stooge has personalized the Council and corruption and stealing of public funds is carried to the highest level. As a stooge to Darius Ishaku, Hassan has virtually nobody to call him to order that is not healthy to the people”.
As of the time of filing this report, the cell phone of Hassan Bappah was switched-off and all efforts to reach him for his comments proved abortive while the alleged marabouts and other spiritualists are there having ‘sleepless’ nights in Jalingo to murder democracy and the choice of the electorates for a fee of N100million.
