Kente Explains Why He Withdrew from Taraba Governorship Contest Ahead of 2027

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.

Many of his followers voiced disappointment and confusion over the move, but Kente and his loyalists maintain 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Jalingo, the former governorship aspirant said this is the first time in his political career that he has voluntarily withdrawn from a governorship race despite years of persistence and repeated attempts to lead Taraba State.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 deterred in his past governorship aspirations, particularly in 2015 where he contended to the last minute, despite political pressures and challenges.

The statement also reflected on the political situations around the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship tickets in previous election cycles. It said that Sani Abubakar Danladi, former Acting Governor, was brought into the APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019 and later emerged the party’s flag bearer.

Similarly, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha was said to have secured the APC governorship ticket in 2023 after he defected from the PDP less than three months to the election.

These references to history, observers say, were meant 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 said Kente’s decision to withdraw 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 based on the need to sustain peace and political stability in the state and the region at large ahead of the 2027 elections.

Analysts say the development is a reflection of the increasing influence of consensus-building and stakeholder intervention in Nigeria’s internal party politics, especially in states where political tensions frequently escalate during party primaries.

The statement was also meant to counter claims circulating in some political quarters that Kente might have been offered some monetary inducement to drop out of the race.

“Kente has on several occasions announced that he has spent huge resources in this current attempt to get the ticket of the APC to be its flagbearer in Taraba State,” the statement 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, his supporters said of the businessman-turned-politician.

The statement also highlighted Kente’s business background, saying the resources dedicated to the governorship project could have produced substantial returns if invested in the booming property sector in Abuja.

This is evidence to his allies that his political ambitions were driven by public service, not financial gain.

“Kente did not hold elections for personal economic gains but to give leadership and development to the people of Taraba,” the statement said.

The politician was also quoted as saying: “God knows my heart and everyone has his opinion.

For some, the decision was a strategic sacrifice for the greater good, but others have continued to see the withdrawal as a painful setback after pouring in personal resources toward the purchase of nomination and expression of interest forms.

The statement, however, asked for calm and understanding and told supporters that there would be political opportunities in the future.

“There’s always another time. “There may be some other opportunities as well,” the statement said.

Kente’s dump is likely to recalibrate political calculations in the APC ahead of the 2027 governorship race in Taraba State.

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, analysts say.

But for now, Kente seems set to frame his decision as one born not out of defeat, but political conviction, consultation and what he says is the overriding interest of peace and stability in Taraba State.