My Aspiration to Lead Taraba Is a Damage Control Strategy” — Hon. Danji SS
Hon. Danji SS has described the administration of Governor Agbu Kefas as a failed government whose performance, according to him, has negatively affected the image of the Southern Taraba political class.
Speaking with journalists in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, Danji alleged that the current administration has left many residents disappointed, adding that people now perceive leaders from Southern Taraba as ineffective and incapable of delivering meaningful development to the state.
According to him, despite huge allocations received by the state from the Federation Account, alongside internally generated revenues over the past three years, Taraba has little to show in terms of infrastructure and economic advancement.
He maintained that Taraba currently ranks among the poorest-performing states in the North-East in terms of infrastructure development, stressing that the government lacks transparency and accountability in the management of public resources.
Danji further alleged that the administration has weakened the civil service and plunged the state into what he described as one of the worst periods of economic stagnation in its history.
“Taraba State is richly blessed with enormous natural resources and economic potential which any focused and visionary government can harness for rapid development. Unfortunately, after three years of the present administration, the state has continued to slide backwards economically,” he stated.
The former political office holder said the situation has created a growing perception that leaders from Southern Taraba have failed the state.
“It is against this background that I have decided to step forward to contest and seek the mandate of the people in order to salvage the state with my experience and understanding of Taraba,” he added.
Danji insisted that the conversation ahead of the 2027 elections should go beyond ethnic and sectional sentiments, urging citizens to place competence, accountability and development above tribal considerations.
“This is beyond tribal politics. Every well-meaning Taraban must look at the realities on ground and make decisions based on facts, not sentiments. Taraba must come first before every other interest,” he said.
He further declared that he has “phobia for failure,” insisting that remaining silent in the face of what he termed poor governance would amount to betraying future generations.
Danji expressed confidence in his political experience and leadership capacity, noting that his aspiration is driven not by personal wealth or ambition, but by a clear vision for the development of the state.
“It is unacceptable that people still travel outside Taraba in search of quality medical services despite the huge federal allocations accruing to the state,” he said.
He also questioned the alleged frequent use of chartered private jets by the governor, asking whether such expenditures were captured in the state budget.
“How can a governor continue travelling on chartered private jets two or three times every week? Where is the budgetary provision for such spending?” he queried.
