JALINGO — The political landscape in Taraba State may be heading towards an unusual alliance ahead of the 2027 general elections, as leading figures within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) signal readiness to work together to secure victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the presidential election.
The development followed a declaration by the PDP governorship candidate in Taraba State, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, that he and his supporters would work towards delivering the state to President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Bwacha, while speaking on the political situation ahead of the elections, reportedly pledged to mobilise support across Taraba for Tinubu, despite contesting the governorship election on the platform of the PDP.
The declaration has added a new dimension to the 2027 political calculations in Taraba, where party loyalties at the governorship level could differ from choices made by voters in the presidential contest.
Bwacha’s position also comes against the backdrop of his earlier clarification that PDP members and supporters were not necessarily bound to vote along strict party lines in the presidential election. He had maintained that the choice of a presidential candidate was a separate matter from the governorship contest.
With the 2027 elections approaching, the emerging alignment could see political actors across the APC and PDP working around a common presidential objective, while maintaining separate contests for the governorship and other elective positions.
The development is expected to generate fresh political calculations among stakeholders, particularly as the PDP candidate seeks the governorship while simultaneously expressing support for Tinubu’s presidential bid.
Bwacha’s pledge is therefore likely to be closely watched by political observers as campaigning intensifies, especially regarding how effectively his political structure and supporters can translate the declaration into votes for Tinubu across the 16 local government areas of Taraba State.
Meanwhile, the 2027 governorship contest is already shaping up as a competitive race, with Bwacha emerging as the PDP candidate and Gov. Agbu Kefas as the (APC) candidate.
The latest development underscores the increasingly fluid political alliances ahead of 2027, with politicians potentially pursuing different party tickets at the state level while collaborating on the presidential election.
For Taraba, the key question now is whether the emerging cross-party support for Tinubu can translate into a decisive presidential victory in the state in 2027 and which of the governorship candidate wins the election.
