Former Taraba State Governor, Danbaba Suntai who succumbed to the cold hands of death on Wednesday was a political warrior. Before October 2012 when he was incapacitated  as result of the air mishap he was involved,  Sunatai was daring politically.

Unassuming Suntai demystified his former godfather and predecessor in office, Rev. Jolly Nyame, a three time governor of the state who was opposed to his candidature. Suntai proved his political mettle when he beat his former boss to his game.

Like many outgoing governors in 2007, had shopped and gotten a candidate he believed would safeguard his legacy before Suntai thwarted the plans.

However, not long after he succeeded Nyame, Suntai and Nyame fell out. Nyame who was at one time the father figure of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the state was  forced to leave the party to the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN. He became a rallying point for those that were estranged from Suntai in the run up to the 2011 general elections.

It was not surprising that the Suntai administration collaborated very well with the anti-graft agencies in the ongoing prosecution of Nyame in the courts.

Besides Nyame, Suntai also fought, to a standstill, the former Minister of Water Resources, Dr. Obadiah Ando. Though he was nominated to the cabinet by Suntai, but for one reason or the other, the two fell out.

Ando was accused by Suntai’s associates of campaigning against the PDP in Taraba ahead of the 2011 elections essentially because a relation of his was a leading member of the ACN in Taraba State.

When against Suntai’s objections, President Goodluck Jonathan forwarded Ando’s name to the senate for confirmation as a minister in June 2011, Suntai was believed to have mobilized the three senators from the state to stop the nomination.

It was not surprising that Ando was stopped from confirmation following the senate rule which requires nominees for executive positions to get the approval of the majority of senators from their states.

In Obadiah’s case, the three senators stood their groundson the alleged instruction of Suntai and despite what was reported to have been a personal plea from President Jonathan to the governor.

Suntai was to later fall out with two of the senators from the state. At the time of the crash yesterday, only Senator Emmanuel Bwacha of the three senators from the state was known to be still close to him.