Resumption: Suntai in Abuja to confer with Jonathan

Taraba State Governor, Mr. Danbaba Suntai, yesterday flew into Abuja, the nation’s capital with a view to meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan and former Defence Minister, Theophilus Danjuma, to pave the way for him to return to his office.

The recuperating governor, was flown to Abuja in a private jet said to belong to the former minister, who is also believed to be in support of his return to office after recovering from the air crash that kept him out of circulation for over a year.

A source close to the governor, told Saturday Vanguard that he would first be received by Danjuma, who would later take him to have a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan so as to smoothen his resumption of work that has been enmeshed in endless controversy.

But the governor will have to wait in Abuja until Jonathan returns from an overseas trip at the weekend. It was not clear as at press time when the President would actually receive Suntai.

Incidentally, the Acting Governor of the State, Alhaji Garba Umar, was also said to be in Abuja alongside the Speaker of the House of Assembly, apparently to also meet with senior political strategists of the President with a view to stalling Suntai’s move to resume work.

Majority of the members of the Taraba House of Assembly are of the view that Suntai is not strong enough to resume work and that Umar should continue to hold the fort until further notice.

But Suntai’s loyalists are not interested in seeing Umar performing the functions, which the governor should be discharging on a daily basis and have therefore asked their principal to return to his post without further delay.

Apparently buoyed by his supporters, Suntai braved the odds and inspected his office in Jalingo on Thursday, sending the message to Umar that his days as the Acting Governor of the state are numbered.

There are indications that Umar may be impeached by Suntai’s loyalists as soon as the governor resumes work.

But Suntai may also face some tough times in getting the required number of the state lawmakers to edge out Umar, given the fact that the majority of them are in support of the acting governor.

Source: Vanguard