•     Metuh: We will follow constitutional provisions

•     Nyako denies rallying support for ex-EFCC chair

By Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Chuks Okocha in Abuja

As the governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Adamawa State by-election rush to beat the deadlines for the submission of their nomination forms, the fate of former Military Administrator of Lagos State, Brig-Gen Buba Marwa (rtd); former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and Makus Gundiri, was still uncertain over the lack of waiver for them to contest for the party ticket.

Speaking on the issue, one of the aspirants for the governorship seat, Dr. Umar Ardo, stated that Ribadu was denied a waiver in his Yola North Local Government Area, while Marwa was also denied a waiver in his Michika Ward 2 in Michika Local Government Area of the state.

He also cautioned the PDP leadership against frivolous granting of waivers to the new members in the party.
But the final say on waivers, the National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Olisa Metuh, said lied with the National Working Committee (NWC), which is expected to meet on their applications tomorrow.

Section 8.9 of the PDP constitution states: “Persons who desire to rejoin the party after leaving it shall, unless exempted by the NWC, be placed on probation for a period of time not less than a year.”

The trio of Marwa, Ribadu and Gundiri fall within the category of those awaiting waivers, which Metuh said would be strictly based on the letters of PDP constitution.

“The NWC will be meeting on Wednesday and granting of waivers would be based in line with the PDP constitution,” he said.

Commenting on the request for waivers, the son of the former national chairman of PDP, Awwal Tukur, also cautioned againstgranting of waivers to aspirants who joined the party less than a month ago.

He said granting of waivers would not improve and nurture party membership as well as party discipline.
Also, Ardo cautioned the party leadership against haphazard granting of waivers to applicants.
Ardo, who was Special Assistant to the former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, noted that issuance of waiver to applicants had often been abused, pointing out that waiver was granted to the former vice-President who later dumped the PDP.

Also submitting his nomination form yesterday, the acting Governor,  of the state, Ahmadu Umar Fintiri  declared: “I will support a consensus candidate to bring stability and cohesion,  to te party. I will abide by the decision of the party.”

He said he was the candidate to beat adding: “Many of the aspirants are with me, other aspirants have come to us to support us.” Fintiri, who acknowledged that for equity and justice it was the turn of the Adamawa Central senatorial zone to produce the state governor however added that “But we are contesting for 2014, section 191 (2) of the constitution says whoever emerge will serve the remaining period of the last administration.”

Speaking after submitting his form, Ribadu said he was not afraid of the waiver issue, saying: “I have done my beat and it is left for the party leadership to do its own beat.”

He said irrespective of the fact that he had joined the PDP, his life was about service, adding, “I can even go and be a sweeper in  any part of the country.”

As at press time, the governorship aspirants who had submitted their nomination forms included former Political Adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak, Marwa, Tukur, Dr. Idi Hong, Fintiri, Senator Abubakar Gerie, Dr. Ahmed Modibo, Ribadu and Ardo.

By the guidelines for the governorship election, the aspirants who meet the nomination deadlines are expected to face a screening panel on August 28.

Meanwhile, the impeached Governor of the state,  Murtala Nyako, has dismissed reports that he is supporting the move by Ribadu, to replace him as governor of the state.

Nyako’s denial of the insinuation came just as the seven gubernatorial aspirants on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are expected to return their nomination forms today to beat the deadline fixed by the party.

While speaking through his Director, Press and Publicity, Ahmad Sajoh, the former governor said he never asked his supporters to support any PDP candidate for the Adamawa governorship election.

“Nyako wishes to state very categorically that he never sent anyone or asked any of his supporters to support any candidate within the PDP. Anyone who supports a PDP candidate in the state has done so in exercise of his or her democratic rights as an indigene but not as a result of a directive from Nyako or in support of his political position,” he said.


Source: ThisDay