LEADERSHIP Adamawa Acting Gov, PDP And The Burden Of One-term Pact BY MOHAMMED ISMAIL — Sep 14, 2014 | Leave a comment The political calculation of Adamawa State has changed is heading for milestone with the recent deal sealed between PDP gubernatorial aspirants where it was agreed that whoever wins the party’s ticket will not contest in 2015. MOHAMMED ISMAIL writes on how politicians twist such ‘gentleman’ understanding for their personal gains The recent agreement entered into by all the gubernatorial aspirants of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and some stakeholders of the party led by Senate President, David Mark has introduced a fresh chapter in the politics of Adamawa State. The agreement, which ushered the acting governor into becoming the standard bearer of the PDP on a platter of gold, is believed to be a cunning attempt by the promoters of the acting governor’s ambition not only to complete the remaining tenure of impeached Governor Murtala Nyako, but to also contest the 2015 general election despite the gentleman’s agreement reached in Abuja. If the acting governor finally realizes his ambition, it will be the first time in the history of Nigerian politics that a governor in acting capacity will succeed in becoming a substantive governor. Feelers from the camp of some of the aspirants indicated that many of them are silently licking their wounds. They regretted ever acceding to the agreement as they fully knew that, going by the comportment of politicians and their propensity to breached agreements with passion, that agreement was as good as been breached. But it was alleged that the camp of Acting Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri has since been in ecstatic mood as it exulted the success of their plan which has fetched them victory without firing a single salvo. According to insider source in Fintiri’s camp, the plan of the acting governor to rule the state for eight years has just begun with his emergence as the party’s flag bearer. He added also that his boss has succeeded in neutralizing the major obstacle towards his succession plan to rule the state for the next eight years. LEADERSHIP Sunday investigation confirmed that part of the game plan was that the acting governor will use the remaining tenure of governor Nyako to kick start serious developmental strides which will invariably warm him into the hearts of the electorates who are the main deciders of any election. Another drive by the acting governor to continue ruling is that his government will neutralize aggression within the PDP rank by extending unassailable patronage to the power brokers within the PDPtop shots whose support is instrumental to his succession plan. The acting governor has, during a stakeholders meeting of PDP at the government house Yola, reiterated the commitment and unflinching support of his government to the stakeholders of the party saying that his doors were always opened to them. Sources close to the politician confided in LEADERSHIP Sundaythat he is living up to his billings in carrying the party’s stakeholders along as part of the game to keep them in perpetual checks in other to keep his ambition afloat. On their parts, some of the aspirants who are not comfortable with the acting governor, have launched a subterranean plan to checkmate him. Some of the agitated aspirants have started re-strategizing by laying ambush and setting a booby trap on the acting governor. In the wake of the agreement, an aspirant who dropped his ambition due to the agreement reached in Abuja Engr Markus Gundiri organized a press conference where he informed the general public that it was agreed that, whoever won the October 11 gubernatorial polls from the party, will not participate in the 2015 general elections while the gubernatorial slot, by the arrangement, has been zoned to the Adamawa Central Senatorial district. Similarly, another PDP aspirant, General Muhammadu Buba Marwa has also confirmed the agreement. The Chairman of the state chapter of the party, Chief Joel Madaki has also confirmed the existence of the agreement saying that the party will respect it to the letter. A political analyst in the state, Mallam Saminu San Turaki, noted that the recent agreement signed by the PDP aspirants and PDP stakeholders marked the grandest political charade that happens in the recent history of Adamawa State. He said knowing the moral deficit of Nigerian politicians, everyone with the slightest knowledge of Nigeria’s contemporary politics will know that Fintiri will never respect the agreement, as he will not be the first to breach such arrangement to perpetrate himself in power. Turaki recalled that the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan has entered into similar pact with the governors in the build up to the 2011 presidential polls but the same president appears set to contest another term of office in 2015. He said the public pronouncement President Goodluck Jonathan made to stand for only one term was still very fresh in his mind, but he said it appears that the president will go against that arrangement going by his body language in recent times. Turaki recollects the many speeches made by Fintiri saying that his regime was a transitional one which will conduct election and usher in the next regime only to buy the party’s ticket adding that if the acting governor did not fulfill a promise he made about a month ago, how could anybody expect him to fulfill an agreement in the next six months. He said Fintiri will surely capitalise on the loopholes in the agreement to discard it as the agreement was in total contravention of both democratic tenets and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Turaki said he suspected a grand conspiracy by the powers that-be to ridicule the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) by subtly giving the acting governor, the green light to continue with his ambition despite the knowledge that the arrangement was subversive to the letter and spirit of Nigerian constitution and democratic tenets. He advised the aspirants to start considering Fintiri as one of them in the 2015 election as that understanding, he said, will make them to start getting ready to face an incumbent governor with the full paraphernalia of office.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 09:35:42 +0000
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