By Iheanacho Nwosu, Abuja

• Party faithful oppose overtures to ex-EFCC chairman

The race for the Adamawa State governorship election expected to hold in October this year, got more intriguing at the weekend, as chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have vowed to frustrate moves by the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, tipped as likely flagbearer of the party.

Apart from Ribadu, they resolved that nobody who recently moved from All Progressives Congress (APC) would be allowed to pick the PDP ticket. The position of the Adamawa PDP chieftains was disclosed to Daily Sun by one of the  leaders of the party, who did not want to be named.

Ribadu, a candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the 2011 presidential election, and currently a stalwart of APC, is billed to defect to PDP this week.

His planned movement to PDP is said to enjoy the support of the Presidency which struck an agreement with him to hand him the ticket and support him to emerge the next governor. The move, Daily Sun learnt, is part of the strategy to dismantle APC structures in the state.

Front runners in the governorship poll which its  date is yet to be fixed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are incumbent Acting Governor, Alhaji Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri,  Chairman of National Mathematical Centre, Senator Abubakar Girei, former military administrator of Lagos State, Brig-Gen. Buba Marwa (retd), former Minister of State for Health, Idi Hong, son of immediate past national chairman of PDP, Awaal Tukur, Chief Whip of the House of Assembly, Hon Jerry Kumdisi and Ribadu.

Disclosing the position of PDP chieftains after their last week’s stakeholders’ meeting, a stalwart of the party revealed to Daily Sun that they have agreed to frustrate plans to allegedly impose Ribadu on the party by the Presidency.

He said: “As it stands today, Tukur and other chieftains of the party in the state have agreed that we will not allow somebody from APC to come and pick the ticket of our party. “

He said: “We are aware that Ribadu has been promised the ticket of the party, but we will not allow that to happen. We will do everything to scuttle this plan. Not only that Ribadu will be a hard sell because the electorate will not accept the possibility of being ruled by another retired military or para military officer, PDP in the state cannot, after labouring so hard to keep the party together, accept imposition of an outsider as our candidate”.

Ribadu’s candidature is allegedly being  promoted by an official in the Presidency. He was said to have arranged a meeting between the former EFCC boss and a Presidency top shot some weeks ago. At the meeting, the President allegedly told Ribadu that he could be supported to succeed ousted Gov. Murtala Nyako, but on the condition that he would defect to PDP.  Although Ribadu did not accept the condition when it was presented to him, Daily Sun learnt that Tukur and few PDP members later convinced him to accept the condition.


Source: Sun