By Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Taraba State, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, has officially flagged off his campaign in Zing Local Government Area of the state, outlining plans to prioritise infrastructure development, economic opportunities, agriculture, education and other critical sectors.
Bwacha said infrastructure development must translate into tangible social and economic benefits for residents, stressing the need for roads, energy, water and digital infrastructure to support economic activities and improve livelihoods.
“Infrastructure must serve people and economic activity. Roads should connect communities to markets; energy should support businesses and industries; water infrastructure should support households, agriculture and productive activity; and digital infrastructure should connect young people to education, commerce and the wider economy.
“The objective is not simply construction, but measurable social and economic value,” he said.
He noted that the ultimate purpose of government was to restore and strengthen the relationship between the government and the governed.
“It is about a Taraba where the farmer can work in safety, the worker can have dignity, the pensioner can have peace, the student can have opportunity, the entrepreneur can have access to capital, the young person can see a future, and the elderly can look back knowing that the society they helped build has not forgotten them,” he said.
Bwacha said his vision was to build a state where every community and citizen would have access to opportunities, regardless of their location or background.
“A Taraba where no community is forgotten. A Taraba where no child is written off. A Taraba where talent is not determined by geography. A Taraba where agriculture creates wealth beyond the farm gate. A Taraba where education creates opportunity. A Taraba where healthcare protects dignity. A Taraba where infrastructure serves the economy. And a Taraba where public resources are managed with transparency and responsibility,” he stated.
The PDP candidate said elections should be about competing ideas, policies and records rather than merely the number of candidates seeking public office.
He described the electoral process as a choice between the challenges facing the state and the progress residents desired, adding that voters should assess the performance of the present administration and demand accountability and effective governance.
“I urge brothers, friends and neighbours; Muslims and Christians; Jukun, Mumuye, Chamba, Fulani, Mambila and all Tarabans alike, that this is a moment to look beyond ethnicity, religion, geography and personal relationships and examine the ideas, experience, plans and capacity of those seeking to lead our state.
“The question before us is simple: Who has the clearest and most credible blueprint for the Taraba we all desire? Our choice must be guided by the quality of the vision presented to us, the competence required to implement it, the record of those seeking our mandate and the ability to build institutions that serve every citizen,” he said.
He urged residents to channel any dissatisfaction with the present administration into peaceful demands for improved governance rather than anger or violence.
“If we are dissatisfied with aspects of the present administration, that dissatisfaction should not become anger or violence. It should become a demand for better governance, better accountability and better results,” he added.
Describing politics as a contest of ideas rather than warfare, Bwacha called on his supporters, party members and other residents to conduct themselves peacefully throughout the campaign.
“To our well-wishers, supporters, party members and all Tarabans: politics is a contest of ideas, not a war. We must at all times demonstrate proper conduct in our campaigns, public engagements and interactions, even when disagreements become intense. We must reject violence, intimidation, disorder and personal attacks,” he said.
He encouraged his supporters to defend the campaign’s policies and vision while responding to intimidation and attempts to disrupt lawful political activities through peaceful and legal means.
“I encourage you to be bold and fearless in defending our campaign, our vision, our policies and our political convictions. Where you encounter intimidation or attempts to disrupt lawful political activity, respond peacefully, lawfully and within the full extent of the law. The law is our shield. Peaceful democratic participation is our responsibility,” he said.
Bwacha also emphasised the need for unity among residents, irrespective of their ethnic or religious affiliations, saying that the future of Taraba State belonged to all its people.
Addressing residents unable to attend the campaign flag-off, including those in rural communities, students and security personnel, he said they remained part of his vision for the state.
“To those of you watching from your homes, from your villages and communities, from your shops and places of work; to those at their various duty posts; to our men and women in uniform who have sworn to defend and protect our people and communities; to our students in their hostels; and to everyone watching on television or listening on the radio as we gather here today: I want you to know that the future of Taraba belongs to all of us,” he said.
He specifically mentioned residents of Gembu, Kurmi, Takum and Gashaka, assuring them that their geographical locations would not exclude them from the development agenda he was proposing.
“And to those of you in the far-reaching border communities of Gembu, Kurmi, Takum and Gashaka, you may not be here physically today, but the spirit of hope that binds us together knows no boundary. You are part of this journey. You are part of this vision. You are part of the Taraba we seek to build.
“Whether you are in the mountains of Sardauna, the forests of Gashaka, the communities of Kurmi and Takum, the valleys of Karim Lamido and Lau, or in our state capital, we are one people, united by a common hope and a shared destiny,” he stated.
The governorship candidate said his proposed administration would seek to maximise the state’s resources, expand economic opportunities for young people, improve farmers’ earnings and strengthen public institutions.
“We are here because we believe that Taraba can do better. We believe our resources can create greater opportunity; our young people can find meaningful opportunities at home; our farmers can earn more from what they produce; our schools, hospitals, roads and institutions can work better; and government can become an instrument through which every citizen sees a future of dignity and opportunity.
“Change is possible. Progress is possible. A more prosperous Taraba is possible. And that is the future we are here to build together,” he said.
Bwacha described his proposed agenda as “a government for all citizens and a vision for Taraba’s prosperity.”