Drama Unfolds: Why Nigerian Senate Leader Was Grounded at Taraba

According to reports, 17 senators, including Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, were refused entry to the Kashimbilla airfield in Taraba State on Tuesday.

As part of a public-private partnership (PPP), Kashimbilla, an airstrip in Taraba State, Nigeria, is now being upgraded to become an airport with freight and agricultural ties.

General Theophilus Danjuma constructed the airfield in Takum Local Government Area initially.

Senator David Jimkuta, who represents Southern Taraba, reportedly threw an event for the senators while they were in the state.

Jimkuta clarified the situation by saying that operational safety regulations prevented his colleagues from attending the event. He clarified that before the plane could leave Abuja, landing approval was required.

The spokesperson for the senator, Adi Useni, stated: "Flights could not be operated on the scheduled date because the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) required at least two weeks to conduct necessary tests on the control towers to ensure operational safety as the reason many of the senator's colleagues were not present at the occasion."

"Senator Jimkuta expressed his gratitude to the Honourable Minister of Aviation for his tireless efforts in securing landing approval as soon as possible," he said.

"The Senator did not accuse any individual or entity of purposefully denying him or his colleagues access to the airport," he added.

He gave a categorical response when asked if he thought the conduct was deliberate: "It was a matter of safety, and safety must always be paramount in aviation operations."

Senator Jimkuta was upset on Tuesday when an airplane carrying 18 senators, including Senate Majority Leader Bamidele, was denied landing clearance at Kashimbila Airstrip.

The senators were supposed to be present when his empowerment initiative in his senatorial constituency was unveiled.

In an effort to thwart his multibillion naira empowerment campaign, which he started to help his Taraba South residents during his nearly two years in government, Jimkuta claimed that the state authorities purposefully prevented the plane from landing.

Jimkuta explained that the visiting senators were invited not only to observe the program but also to evaluate some of his proposed legislation at the National Assembly firsthand. He made this statement while in Wukari, where he gave empowerment kits to citizens of Wukari, Takum, Donga, Ibbi, and Ussa Local Government Areas.