As political calculations in the troubled state of Adamawa change rapidly, it seems the written agreement between President Goodluck Jonathan, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), ex-acting governor Ahmad Umaru Fintiri and 13other governorship aspirants on zoning of the 2015 guber ticket to the central senatorial zone may crash, says PDP state chairman, Chief Joel Madaki. Prior to PDP governorship primary election on September 7, aheadof the aborted bye-election in the state, an agreement was reached by the party leadership and 13 aspirants to the effect that whoever contested the election would not runfor governor in 2015. The agreement succinctly declared that the central senatorial zone would produce the party’s candidate. But speaking to reporters in Yola yesterday, Madaki said Bala Ngilari’s assumption of office as governor has invalidated the agreement since he was not part of the deal. “There was an agreement but the first one never materialised. That agreement has gone with what has happened. Now PDP is waiting for another agreement,” he stated. The chairman admitted that the party was in dilemma on how to solve the problem of zoning following the resumption of duty by the former acting governor of the stateas speaker of the state House of Assembly on Thursday. Madaki revealed that the national secretariat of the PDP had directed the state chapter not to appeal the judgment that brought Ngilari to power. He added that Fintiri has the right to appeal but the party would not be a party to sucha move, as the legal battle was between its members. While he admitted that the legislators were unhappy with the recent development, Madaki dismissed rumours of an impeachment plot against the new governorby the assembly, saying the party would not allow Ngilari’s removal. “Yes they have the right to be annoyed but the question of impeachment does not rise. They have a party they obeyand we can’t allow that to happen. The impeachment has come and gone,” he added. Madaki reiterated the commitment of the party towards reconciling aggrieved members, including members of the executive and legislative arms of government, with a view to uniting the party. Both Ngilari and Fintiri are from Madagali in the northern senatorial zone and politicians and activists are alreadycalling on the party to respect the federal character principle and the party constitution that guarantees zoning. “Personally, I feel how could this happen? Governor and speakerfrom the same place? This is a problem, not only for the PDP but for Nigerians because the constitution did not envisage the situation,” the state PDP chairman noted. But former governor Murtala Nyako, who spoke through his spokesman, Ahmad Sajoh, challenged the PDP for opposing a former state chairman of the party, Umar Mijinyawa Kugama, on the ground that he was from the same local government area as Nyako. He said the world would watch how the PDP that capitalised on the principle of zoning of offices to frustrate its members will handle the current debacle, stressing that the situation tends to expose the hypocrisy and double standards of the ruling party. Also speaking on the development, a Yola-based legal practitioner, Mr. Sunday Wugira, said Fintiri’s resumption as speaker contravened the law, whichstipulates that offices be shared among various parts of the state, saying it is wrong for Ngilari and Fintiri to remain as heads of the executive and the legislature respectively having come from the same area. However, the state assembly after a special session presided over by acting speaker Kwamoti Laori, had commended Fintiri for delivering on his assignment as acting governor, while welcoming him back. Speaking to reporters, chairman house committee on information, Adamu Kamale, said it is constitutional for Fintiri to return to his position as speaker, stressing the resolve of the assembly to comply with constitutional provisions.
Posted on: Sat, 11 Oct 2014 12:35:21 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015