Suntai’s travel abroad for treatment stalled as aides hold on to his passport

MOVE by the Taraba State government to fly out the ailing governor of
the state, Governor Danbaba Suntai overseas for further medical
treatment was said to have suffered setback against the backdrop that
the travelling passport of the governor was reportedly in possession
of two of his top associates who have refused to release it.
Meanwhile, strong indications emerged yesterday that plans were
underway to impeach both the ailing governor and the acting governor,
Garba Umar, to pave way for the Speaker of the State Assembly to
preside over the conduct of the 2015 election.
It was gathered that the wife of the governor had agreed for further
medical treatment for her husband, but Suntai's associates were said
to have held on to the passport even after what the source described
as repeated requests from the family.
According to a source, the development was said to have created a
sharp division between the family of the governor and his associates
who were quoted as telling the governor's family that further
treatment abroad for the governor would undermine the larger political
agenda which the governor's group were at the moment pressing for.
The source said that the non-availability of the passport has also
affected the out of court settlement entered into in a case against
the state assembly by the ailing governor, even as the same forces
which are in possession of the passport as gathered were also said to
have ordered that the family should not negotiate the transfer of
power with the acting governor.
It was gathered that the said associates were provoked by the cordial
relationship between the governors's family and acting governor and
were plotting to impeach both Suntai and Umar, the acting governor.
Sources disclosed that the plan was to make the speaker an interim
governor to instal a governor from the Southern zone of the state in
2015.
Meanwhile, the Taraba Transition Assembly has taken a swipe at Senator
Emmanuel Bwacha for declaring his gubernatorial ambition at a time
there were challenges on how to secure further treatment for his close
friend, Governor Suntai.