The political terrain in Taraba State was recently heated up following the decision of front-line governorship aspirant, David Sabo Kente to step aside from the 2027 governorship contest, a development that generated mixed reactions among his supporters and political observers across the state.
While many of his followers expressed disappointment and confusion over the move, Kente and his loyalists insist the decision was not an act of weakness or political compromise, but one guided by broader considerations of peace, stability and political maturity.
In a statement signed by his media consultant, Ben Adaji, on Friday in Jalingo, the former governorship aspirant said this is the first time in his political career that he has voluntarily withdrawn from a governorship race despite years of persistence and repeated attempts to lead Taraba State.
The statement said Kente was not easily daunted in his past governorship aspirations, especially in 2015 when he contested to the last minute, despite political pressures and challenges.
The statement also looked back at the political situations around the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship tickets in past election cycles. It said that in 2019, former Acting Governor, Sani Abubakar Danladi, was brought into the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and later emerged as the party’s flag bearer.
Similarly, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha was reported to have obtained the APC governorship ticket in 2023 after defecting from the PDP less than three months to the election.
Observers say these references to history were intended to show Kente’s consistency and loyalty to the APC despite internal political realignments that kept changing the party’s governorship calculations in Taraba State.
Adaji disclosed that Kente’s decision to step down from the race was after series of consultations and appeals from respected religious leaders, traditional elders and influential stakeholders both within and outside Taraba State.
He said the appeals were grounded on the need to maintain peace and political stability in the state and the region at large ahead of the 2027 elections.
Political analysts say the development is a reflection of the growing influence of consensus-building and stakeholder intervention in Nigeria’s internal party politics, especially in states where political tensions often escalate during party primaries.
The statement also aimed to refute claims circulating in certain political quarters that Kente might have received some financial inducement to quit the race.
“Kente has on several occasions announced that he has expended huge resources in this current attempt to get the ticket of the APC to be its flagbearer in Taraba State,” the statement said.
Supporters of the businessman-turned-politician said his long political history has always been driven by a desire to offer leadership and development to the people of Taraba and not for personal economic gains.
The statement also underscored Kente’s business background, stating that the resources dedicated to the governorship project could have produced substantial returns if invested in the booming property sector in Abuja.
This is proof to his friends that his political ambitions were not for money but for public service.
“Kente did not conduct elections for personal economic benefits but to provide leadership and development to Taraba people,” the statement said.
The politician was also quoted as saying: “God knows my heart and everyone is entitled to his opinion.
For some the decision was a strategic sacrifice for the greater good, but for others the withdrawal remains a painful setback after spending personal resources to buy nomination and expression of interest forms.
The statement, however, called for calm and understanding and told supporters that there would be political opportunities in the future.
“Another time there always is. There could be some other opportunities as well,” the statement said.
Kente’s dump is expected to recalibrate political calculations in the APC ahead of the 2027 governorship race in Taraba State.
Analysts say his next move in the state’s next race and the alliances he might forge could go a long way toward determining the outcome of the contest, as he is one of the party’s most recognizable political figures in the state.
But for now, Kente appears determined to frame his decision as one borne not out of defeat, but political conviction, consultation and what he says is the overriding interest of peace and stability in Taraba State.
