Taraba crisis deepens as Suntai sacks cabinet, names new SSG, CoS

The political crisis rocking Taraba State deepened on Wednesday morning with the dissolution of the state Executive Council by the Governor, Danbaba Suntai.

Apart from sacking the cabinet, Suntai also removed the Secretary to the State Government and appointed Mr. Timothy Gibon Kataps in his place. Similarly, Suntai fired his former Chief of Staff and named Alhaji Aminu Jika as his new CoS.

*Suntai back in Nigeria: The ailing Governor of Taraba State, Dambaba Suntai arriving Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport Abuja on Sunday. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan. The governor, who made the sweeping changes through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Sylvanus Giwa, asked all the affected commissioners and officials to hand over to their respective Permanent Secretaries with immediate effect.Although Suntai explained that the move was aimed strengthening the administration, analysts believe the recuperating governor wants to take greater control of his government, which has been in the hands of those he does not trust, for about a year.

The undercurrent has exposed the divided loyalty between those in support of Suntai, who returned to the country on Sunday and his Deputy, Garba Umar, who has been acting in his absence in the last ten months.

While the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Haruna Tsokwa, asked the governor to come and address them at plenary as a condition for resuming, the Majority Leader, Mr. Joseph Albasu Kunini, asked the governor to start work with immediate effect.