Ten of the 14 aspirants contesting for the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) governorship ticket in the Adamawa State governorship by-election have
come together against Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and three others.
The others are former Lagos State Military Administrator Gen. Buba
Marwa, ex-Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) Executive Secretary Dr.
Ahmed Modibo and former governorship candidate Marcus Gundiri.
In the gang-up are Acting Governor Umar Fintiri, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, Awwal
Tukur, James Barka, Sen Abubakar Girei, Dr. Idi Hong, Aliyu Kama, Umar Ardo,
Jerry Kumdisi and Dr. Andrawus Sawa.
Eight of the aspirants stormed the party secretariat in Yola yesterday.
Finitiri and Dr. Sawa were absent.
Spokesman of the group and former presidential adviser Ahmed Gulak said
the 10 of them had resolved to come together in the interest of the party and
the people.
“We are the only PDP family members; any other person outside is not
PDP. Any other person outside the listed persons is not PDP,” Gulak said.
Gulak said they would remain vigilant for today’s ward congress to check
any attempt to use non party members as delegates by any person or group.
“Tomorrow (today) is ward congress. Anybody who brings three delegates
from the 226 wards outside the party structure will be resisted,” Gulak warned.
He said they would resist any imposition of candidate from the national
leadership of the PDP and the Presidency for the October 11 by- election.
Gulak said they resolved not to allow a stranger to become the standard
bearer of the party they laboured for.
Gulak said they would not recognise Ribadu, Dr. Moddibo, Gen. Marwa and
Mr. Gundiri as bonafide members of the party.
He insisted that the group would not allow an outsider to rob them of
their right in the house they built.
Gulak boasted that one of the 10 aspirants will emerge as the party’s
standard bearer.
The party’s state deputy chairman, Alhaji Jingi Rufai, praised the
aspirants for their decision to unite for a common cause saying their action
would ensure transparency in the primary.
Rufai said party officials had met over the ward congress and resolved
that strict compliance with the party constitution would be observed.
Rufai said the party was aware of some “fake registers” and membership
forms in circulation, warning that those planning to rig the congress would be
disappointed.
But the immediate past state Secretary of PDP and a leading campaigner
for the Ribadu candidacy, Mr Phineas Elisha, said the action of the aspirants
amounted to indiscipline as the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP had
cleared them to contest.
Elisha said the party’s constitution should determine who is a member
and not individuals.
“You cannot just come out because you hate the face of a person to say
he is not a member.
“How can you say that a person that registered, request for and was
granted waiver is not a member of a party? People need to show respect to the
party’s constitution,” Elisha said.
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