Former Senator Emmanuel Bwacha has formally declared his intention to contest the 2027 Taraba State governorship election, warning that the state’s debt burden has surged from approximately ₦237 billion in 2023 to over ₦1 trillion.
Announcing his candidacy in Jalingo, Bwacha said his decision followed extensive consultations and mounting public pressure across the state. He argued that worsening hardship, pervasive poverty, and declining trust in governance had left him with no choice but to stand again, having previously contested in 2023.
He lamented a lack of transparency, disregard for the rule of law, fiscal irresponsibility, and the squandering of public resources—asserting that governance had drifted dangerously away from the people.
Bwacha also highlighted crumbling infrastructure, an underfunded education system, rising insecurity, weakened agricultural productivity, and what he termed excessive borrowing without accountability. According to him, these trends have eroded confidence in leadership and deepened socioeconomic hardship across Taraba.
The former senator pledged to usher in a new era of transparency, unity, and structural development. His proposed agenda includes education reform, agricultural value chain enhancement, responsible resource management, improved healthcare access, digital innovation, youth development, and comprehensive civil service reforms.
“We must restore dignity in governance, rebuild trust, and create inclusive growth,” he said.
Appealing for unity across ethnic and religious lines, Bwacha urged Tarabans to support a collective effort to reposition the state, describing his ambition as a moral responsibility to rescue and rebuild Taraba ahead of 2027.
