For decades, the Jolly Nyame Stadium stood like a forgotten monument, its seats faded by the sun, its walls scarred by time. But in recent weeks, the once silent arena has sprung to life. Fresh coats of paint, repairs buzzing with urgency, and workers moving with unusual haste now announce one thing: the political winds in Taraba state are shifting.
All signs point to the long-speculated defection of Governor Agbu Kefas from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). And across Jalingo, the transformation is impossible to miss.
Along major streets, pothole-ridden roads that residents have long considered death traps are finally receiving long-awaited attention.
Bulldozers growl through neighborhoods, patching craters that for years symbolized government neglect. As one resident joked, “Even the roads now know the governor is crossing over.”
Political colors are changing, too. PDP billboards once towering proudly over the skyline have quietly vanished, replaced not by new APC banners but by empty frames waiting for the ruling party’s insignia. Flags that once proclaimed loyalty to the PDP have been pulled down in a slow, symbolic sweep.
Sources told our reporter that the flurry of renovations is part of a strategic push to impress APC power brokers, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Vice President one of whom is expected to preside over the official defection ceremony set for the 19th of this month.
Yet, amid the renewed activity, not everyone is celebrating.
Several political analysts expressed sadness and frustration over what they described as “reactive governance.” They questioned why the Jolly Nyame Stadium, a key public facility, was allowed to decay for decades only to be revived in the heat of a political realignment.
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The same concerns were raised about road repairs that many believe should have been prioritized long before now.
“Our fear,” one analyst said, “is that after the fanfare of defection fades, the government might abandon these projects again. Tarabans deserve consistency, not political window-dressing.”
For the workers on the ground, the pressure is unmistakable. Many of them told our reporter they have been given strict orders: “finish everything before the 19 of November”.And so they work late into the night, determined to meet the deadline that has become as political as it is technical.
Meanwhile, broom sellers, unexpected beneficiaries of the unfolding drama, are counting their gains. With PDP loyalists quietly discarding the party flag that once defined their identity, the APC’s broom symbol has suddenly become the hottest item in town.
“We’ve never sold this many,” one vendor said, smiling as she arranged yet another bundle of brooms for eager customers.
As Taraba races toward the defection date, the state is being reshaped not just physically, but politically and emotionally. Whether the changes will endure or fade after the political spotlight dims remains the question lingering in the minds of many residents.
For now, though, the stadium glows, the roads hum with repairs, and the city waits watching the next chapter of Taraba’s political evolution unfold.
