Tafida Sadiq Abbas (Hon.)

About Tafida Sadiq Abbas (Hon.)

Hon. Tafida Sadiq Abbas is a Nigerian politician, engineer and federal legislator from Taraba State. He represents the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and became a member of the 10th National Assembly following a supplementary election held in February 2024. He was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before later moving to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2026.

Sadiq Abbas Tafida was born on 1 January 1991, according to the OrderPaper profile of members of the 10th National Assembly. He is an engineer by training and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering. His professional education includes studies at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in Hungary, where his public professional profile records his attendance between 2010 and 2015.

Tafida is also a member of the traditional royal family of Muri Emirate in Taraba State. In an interview published before his entry into electoral politics, he identified himself as a prince and explained that he was born in Jalingo to the then Emir of Muri, Alhaji Abbas Njidda Tafida. He described his family as having a long history of participation in the traditional leadership structure of the Muri Emirate.

Before becoming a federal legislator, Tafida was involved in private-sector activities. In his 2021 interview, he described himself as a farmer and transporter and said that he was operating in the private sector at the time. His engineering background and private-sector experience preceded his decision to enter partisan politics and seek elective office.

Tafida became politically prominent through his participation in the 2023 House of Representatives election. The election for Jalingo/Yorro/Zing was initially inconclusive, leading to a rerun and supplementary process. In the final supplementary election held in February 2024, Tafida, then 32, secured 19,681 votes to defeat the other candidates and emerge as the member-elect for the constituency.

Following the election, Tafida was formally sworn into the House of Representatives. The official House Votes and Proceedings for 20 February 2024 records that Sadiq Abbas Tafida took and subscribed to the Oaths of Allegiance and Membership as a member representing Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency. This marked the beginning of his tenure in the 10th National Assembly.

During his time in the House, Tafida has participated in legislative discussions concerning infrastructure and development in his constituency and beyond. In October 2024, he was listed as the sponsor of a motion concerning the Numan–Jalingo Road, a federal road linking communities and regions across northeastern Nigeria. The motion called attention to the condition of the road and sought action from the relevant authorities.

His legislative activities have continued alongside his constituency representation. In March 2026, Tafida was identified by the Office of the Presidential Amnesty Programme as the representative for Jalingo/Yorro/Zing during a courtesy visit to the agency. His continued engagement with federal institutions reflects his activities as the constituency's representative in the National Assembly.

Politically, Tafida's trajectory changed in 2026 when he defected from the PDP to the APC. Punch reported that he was among the House members who formally moved to new political parties on 31 March 2026, with Tafida listed as moving from the PDP to the APC. His subsequent political alignment placed him among the Taraba federal lawmakers contesting the 2027 political cycle under the APC platform.

For the 2027 general election, the final candidate list reported for Taraba State identifies Tafida Sadiq Abbas as the APC candidate for the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency. The constituency's candidate list includes representatives of several political parties, with Tafida listed under the APC. His candidacy therefore follows his transition from the PDP, under which he entered the House, to the APC ahead of the next general election.

Overall, Hon. Tafida Sadiq Abbas combines an engineering background, private-sector experience, traditional ties to the Muri Emirate and federal legislative service. His political career developed relatively recently, beginning with his involvement in partisan politics and culminating in his election to the House of Representatives in the 2024 supplementary election. As of the 2027 election cycle, he remains the representative associated with Jalingo/Yorro/Zing and is listed as the APC candidate for the constituency.