Kano — Twelve persons died over the weekend in two separate road accidents while on their way to Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, to attend a rally organised by the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party to receive decampees.

About 11 persons were confirmed dead when the Toyota bus in which they were travelling somersaulted along Garin Abbah - Mutumbiyu road in Gassol Local Government Area of the state.

LEADERSHIP confirmed that the victims were PDP supporters from Bete ward in Takum Local Government Area, who were on their way to Jalingo to attend the rally.

Hon. Mark Usaini, a member of the state House of Assembly from that constituency, confirmed the ugly incident to newsmen.

The bodies of the party members were deposited at the state Specialist Hospital in Jalingo.

The PDP chairman of Ibi LGA, Malam Kasuwa Bawa, also died in a ghastly motor accident along Wukari-Ibi road on Friday afternoon while preparing for the Saturday event.

Meanwhile, Governor Danjuma Goje of Gombe State dramatically stole the show at the PDP rally in Jalingo.

Governor Danbaba Suntai arrived the Jalingo Trade Fair Complex venue of the event in company of his Gombe State counterpart, the National Chairman of PDP, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor; Senator Jubril Aminu; Dr. Idi Hong, Minister of State for Health, and other top members of the National Working Committee of the party.

On arrival, the governor and the dignitaries were welcomed by a rowdy and disorganised crowd, mostly youths "imported" by politicians, especially local government chairmen, in an effort to register their presence and popularity.

The youths in their hundreds, who bore placards with various inscriptions and pictures of their "paymasters," transformed the event into a campaign rally.

The dramatic impact of this rowdiness was not felt until the host governor and the dignitaries were invited to the podium to receive some of the decampees.

The "boys" suddenly threw their placards and moved closer to the podium, chanting, "Goje oyoyo! Goje oyoyo Goje sarkin aiki!"; meaning Goje the workaholic you are welcome.

The crowd made Goje a star outside his domain in the presence of the host governor, Danbaba Suntai.

Some of the youths even went to the extent of shouting, "Ogbulafor ba mu aron Goje na wata shida a Taraba!" meaning the national chairman should allow Goje to come and rule Taraba for six months.

The impact was so much so that even when the state PDP Chairman, Abdulmumuni Vaki, shouted, "Taraba!" the crowd chorused, "Sai Goje!"

Earlier; the national chairman of the PDP had said that he was convinced that PDP in Taraba State had succeeded in consuming other opposition parties, adding that the mass movement of people back to the party was testimony that the governor was doing a good job in the state.

He enjoined the decampees to join hands with the governor to move the state forward, stressing that the PDP government under the leadership of President Yar'Adua was poised to fulfill its seven-point agenda.

Dr. Mohammed Shata, a former minister of internal affairs, who spoke on behalf of the decampees, said their decision to join the PDP was borne out of the fact that the governor is humble and doing his best to move the state forward.

He said they were also motivated by the agenda of President Yar'Adua to transform the country.

Some big names on the list of the decampees were the former deputy governor and a senatorial candidate of the Action Alliance, Uba Maigari Ahmadu, former minister Mohammed Shata, and three members of the state House of Assembly, who moved from AC, PPA and ANPP.

Others included officials and stalwarts of the opposition parties.

Similarly, the PDP has explained that it will not be scared by the merger of three 2007 presidential candidates, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of ANPP, Atiku Abubakar of AC and Alhaji Dalhatu Bafarawa of DPP to challenge the party in the 2011 general election. It described them as a team of losers.

Making the disclosure during an interview with newsmen in Kano, the PDP's National Vice Chairman, North-west Zone, Dr. Danladi Sankara, said his party has the backing of 75 percent of politicians in the country.

He maintained that this is a strong indication that the party could be victorious in the 2011 election, with at least 75 percent of votes to be cast nationwide.

Sankara added that the difference between his party and the others is that PDP is working towards expanding its popularity, which seriously disheartens the others, saying the PDP is intact and that those who are campaigning for wresting leadership from it are only doing so at their own peril.

The party stalwart pointed out that the PDP in 1999 won Kano, Katsina and Kaduna states in the North-west Zone, and Kano State in 2003, while in 2007 it won five states and captured Zamfara after decamping of the state governor, Mahmoud Aliyu Shinkafi, to the party. He hoped that the party will capture the rest of the states in the zone in 2011.

According to him, the Yar'Adua ministration has achieved a lot in terms of the development of the nation, adding that the government has achieved a lot in the improvement of security, resolution of the Niger Delta crisis, economic stability and sanitisation of the banking sector.

On the in-fighting amongst members of the PDP in some states in the zone, Sankara said the party is doing all it could to reconcile the members, saying the effort will greatly assist the party to capture more states in 2011.