Adamawa 2015: ‘PDP agreement’ puts Ngilari, Ribadu on collision course Written by Fidelis Mac-Leva The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently zoned the 2015 Adamawa State governorship ticket away from the zone of Governor Bala Ngilari. But Governor Ngilari, who purchased and submitted his nomination form, said it was not yet over. For political watchers, the battle line for the Adamawa PDP governorship ticket may have been drawn between Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Ngilari. The governorship ambition of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the pioneer chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was suspended on September 5, when he, along with seven other aspirants from the ruling PDP reportedly stepped down for the then acting governor, Ahmadu Fintiri. Other aspirants, who stepped down for Fintiri were: Auwal Tukur; Aliyu Idi Hong, Andrawus Sawa; James Barka; Gen. Aliyu Kama; Markus Gundiri and Abubakar Girei. The decision to pave the way for Fintiri to emerge as the ticket bearer for the aborted October 11 by-election in Adamawa State followed a marathon meeting convened by the NWC of the PDP on September 5 in Abuja, where an agreement was said to have been signed by the stakeholders. Those who reportedly attended the meeting included Senate President David Mark, the PDP National Vice Chairman, Uche Secondus, Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Rufai Alkali,Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe and Isa Yuguda of Bauchi. During the meeting, the party’s hierarchy was said to have prevailed on the eight aspirants to allow Fintiri to complete the former governor’s tenure, having presided over Murtala Nyako’s impeachment as Speaker. With their exit, the field was left open for the Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri, a former presidential adviser Ahmed Gulak, Ahmed Modibbo, Umar Ardo, Brigadier General Buba Marwa and Jerry Kudmisi. They were later defeated at the primaries by Fintiri, whose ambition to succeed Nyako was later halted by an Abuja Federal High Court ruling that voided his emergence as acting governor. The ‘Agreement’: One of the terms of agreement said to have been reached at the Abuja meeting that convinced them to step down was that Fintiri would only complete the remaining period of Nyako’s tenure while only those who stepped down could contest for the party’s governorship election ticket in 2015. It was also reportedly agreed at the meeting that because Adamawa Central had not been able to produce governor of the state before, the Presidency and the party accepted that the aspiration for the PDP nomination for 2015 would be strictly for contestants from Adamawa Central. Although there were speculations that the affected aspirants were coerced into backing down for Fintiri, the PDP Chairman in Adamawa State, Chief Joel Madaki, was quoted as telling reporters at the end of the meeting that none of the aspirants was “forced to step down; those who stepped down did so voluntarily in order to wait to contest for the position in 2015.” The Adamawa by-election was, however, halted following an Abuja Federal High Court ruling that voided the emergence of Fintiri and ordered the immediate swearing in of Barrister Bala James Ngilari as governor. This development opened a new vista in the politics of the Sunshine State which also raised questions over propriety of the Abuja agreement. One person, whose ambition was affected by the agreement, is Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who had earlier defected from the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to the ruling PDP. Much had been said about Ribadu’s dramatic defection. While some described him as a typical Nigerian politician without values, others saw his defection as an indication of his desperation to get power in any form and by any means. With Ngilari’s emergence as governor, the political calculation in Adamawa State appears to have changed. Although he was said to have ‘agreed’ to serve out Nyako’s tenure and opt for a senatorial seat, Ngilari had since obtained and submitted his nomination form to vie for the Adamawa governorship office in 2015. The Progressive Mass Movement, a coalition of stakeholders that purchased nomination form for Ngilari to contest in the 2015 governorship election said they took the action because some interest groups within the party were trying to prevent Ngilari from contesting. Spokesman of the Movement, Prince Medan Fwa, who is also a PDP chieftain, told Sunday Trust that they believed Ngilari was the best qualified person to contest the 2015 Adamawa governorship election. “One particular reason that prompted us into this action is the fact that he was told he would not contest for the governorship but to merely hold brief for the remaining period of his former boss that was impeached. But having found out that everyone has a right to be what he wants to be; and having found out that Bala is an embodiment of good virtues, we decided to purchase the form for him because he has the right to contest”, he said. Some analysts are, however, not impressed with the explanation by the spokesman of the Movement rooting for Ngilari. This is so because Ngilari is said to have earlier purchased nomination form for the Senate before bowing to pressure to opt for the governorship position. Ngilari zoned out?: Although Ngilari had accepted the nomination form purchased for him and said he was considering calls for him to go into the race, indications emerged that he might face another challenge as the national leadership of the PDP, last week, ruled out the possibility of allowing people from Adamawa Central (Ngilari’s zone) from contesting the 2015 governorship election. While receiving the nomination form in Yola, Ngilari, who admitted that he was planning to contest the Senatorial seat, reportedly said: “I have accepted the form. The voice of the people is the voice of God. But I will consult prayerfully so that at the end of the day, it will be the decision of Adamawa people.” But the national publicity secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh told newsmen at the end of a meeting of the NWC of the party in Abuja recently that the party was insisting that Adamawa Central should produce the next governor of the state instead of Ngilari’s Adamawa North Senatorial zone. Metuh said: “The NWC has decided that the decision and agreements of the candidates in Adamawa during our last exercise last month will be upheld. Accordingly, the gubernatorial election in 2015 has been zoned to Adamawa Central. All aspirants who bought forms (eight of them) that signed the agreement and withdrew are advised to come and exchange it without any payment with the new 2015 forms. It means they are entitled to run since they are from the same senatorial zone. The party will fully implement that agreement.” But the question some analysts have asked is: why did the PDP accept the purchase and submission of the nomination form from Ngilari, having known that it had zoned the governorship position to Adamawa central in line with the agreement earlier reached in September? Would Ngilari proceed with his ambition in spite of the decision by the PDP to zone the governorship to the central? Sunday Trust gathered that Ngilari was predicating his ambition on another agreement by the PDP to give its sitting governors the choice of first refusal. Mr. Phineas Elisha, the Director of Public Affairs to Governor Ngilari said he was optimistic that the party would eventually take a decision that would favour his boss. According to him, having assumed as governor, Ngilari has reconciled all stakeholders, the party as well as the State Assembly. Hence, the clarion calls by the people to purchase nomination form for him to contest. For Nuhu Ribadu, who comes from the central zone, where the PDP has zoned the Adamawa governorship position in 2015, the prospect of realizing his ambition is still very high. Having stepped down based on the September agreement, Ribadu is said to be counting on reaping the dividends of that agreement in 2015. For some political pundits, Ribadu may have chosen to leave the APC, it does not put a dent on his credibility as “a man of integrity.” To others, however, he could end up with a shattered dream in the ruling party. Abdulazeez Abdulazeez, the media aide of the former EFCC boss said: “Ribadu still has a strong chance of realizing his governorship ambition in 2015, having cultivated a large followership, especially from the grassroots. As far as, we are concerned, Ribadu has a very good standing with the delegates”. Commenting on the agreement, Abdulazeez said: “It was written and documented. Everybody present at the meeting signed under the supervision of top functionaries, including two governors. Therefore, we don’t want to believe that the party will eat its words over the agreement which was not a verbal one but was documented.” DAILY TRUST Published on Sunday, 16 November 2014
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 05:22:37 +0000
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