*Photo: Sen. Shuaibu Isa Lau*
Sen. Shuaibu Isa Lau, on May 19, emerged the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the primary election conducted for the 2027 Taraba North Senatorial District election.
The senator, in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday was said to have defeeated Hon. Bello Badawaire in the primary conducted by the party’s leaders.
Although stateholders in the state had earleir proposed a consensus candidacy in a bid to unite party members, the plan was jettisoned following disagreement.
“From the six LGA that make up
Taraba North Senatorial District (Jalingo, Lau, Ardo Kola, Karim
Lamido, Yoro & Zing), Senator Lau polled a total of 44,533, while Hon.
Bello polled a distant 11,634 votes,” the statement said.
Lau is a three-time senator, seasoned grassroot politician and a man of the people.
He was formerly elected on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but defected to the ruling APC in 2025.
His defection, it is being speculated, was part of political strategy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in assembling seasoned politicians that are rooted with the people in their constituencies.
The statement said another plan to return Senator Lau to the Senate, together with other serving senators, is part of the move of Taraba State’s stakeholders of the party to position the state as a big player in the 11th Senate, for the greater benefit of people of the state.
“Since coming to the Senate in 2015, Senator Lau has consistently been delivering dividends of democracy to his people, which has earned him the nickname ‘Baba Mai Elenteriki,'” it said.
The statement said this was due to his achievement in providing electricity for every part of his constituency, among many other achievements.