Ahead of the October 11 gubernatorial election in Adamawa State,
Strong indications yesterday emerged yesterday that the presidency may have bowed to criticisms trailing its support for former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, just as it has made a U-turn on him, reports Vanguard.
Ribadu had declared for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after he was said to have had due consultations with the president and had been assured of flying the flag of the PDP in the October 11 bye-election in Adamawa State.
It was however gathered yesterday that for fear of any gang up against Ribadu if he emerges the candidate of the PDP by other aggrieved aspirants and party leaders, the presidency was said to have now soft-pedaled on backing Ribadu’s ambition.
Meanwhile, former military administrator of Lagos and Borno States, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (rtd) yesterday declared that he will contest the governorship race of Adamawa state under the banner of the Peoples Democratic Party adding that he will win the seat for the Party in the bye election slated for October 11 this year.
Although, Marwa is in the same shoe as Ribadu in terms of getting a waiver, the retired soldier expressed confidence on getting the party’s waiver to contest the election.
He boasted that the decampment of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu who is being touted as
‘anointed candidate’ as well as others, posed no threat to his ambition.
In a similar vein, former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political matters, Ahmed Gulak also warned that imposition would have a disastrous effect on the chance of the party in winning the state’s guber election, stressing that the least anybody could wish the people at this trying moment was for them to be allowed to choose their leader.
Despite the allegation of being anointed by Jonathan, Ribadu’s political associate, Hammidu Mahmud, who picked up a governorship form for him at the national secretariat of the PDP in Abuja, told Journalists that he was not aware that President Goodluck Jonathan had anointed the 2011 Presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), as the party’s governorship candidate.
“We are not aware that the president wants Ribadu, it was some PDP chieftains in the state who called on Ribadu to come and contest for the governorship of the state. So the question of the president wanting Ribadu does not arise in the case,” Mahmud
For him to contest the party primaries, Ribadu, who has just joined must get a waiver from the PDP in line with PDP’s constitution, Section 50 (9) which says: “There shall be a minimum of two year membership span for a member to be eligible to stand for election into any public office, unless the appropriate executive committee gives a waiver or rules to the contrary.”
According to a member of Board of Trustees, BoT of PDP from the South-South zone and a member of the president’s inner caucus, “The race in the coming days is likely to be very interesting but we have all resolved to be very careful because in politics, you cannot take chances, especially ones that are likely to jeopardize the chances of your party.”
