Former Chairman of the Economic
and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and one time Presidential candidate,
Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on Monday joined six others to pick the extension of
interest and nomination forms of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the
Adamawa State Governorship bye-election slated for October 11 this year.
Those who picked the forms on
Monday are Honourable Awual Tukur, the eldest son of the immediate National
Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, Honourable Idi Hong, a one time
Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Honourable Marcus Gundiri, a former Action
Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate in the state and two others.
Other aspirants, who obtained the
nominations last Friday are Dr Ahmed Modibo, former Executive Secretary of the
Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Alhaji Umar Fintiri, the State
acting governor, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak, a former Political Adviser to President
Goodluck Jonathan and Brigadier Buba Marwa, former Lagos State military
administrator.
Speaking with newsmen after
obtaining the mandatory forms, Mallam Ribadu disclosed that he had already
applied for the Party’s waiver through its appropriate organ in line with its
Constitution to enable him contest for the governorship election and was
waiting for a response.
Mallam Ribadu, who spoke through
one of associates, who picked the forms on his behalf, Alhaji Hamidu
Mahmoud also, debunked the speculation doing the round that President Goodluck
Jonathan was the one behind his candidature which prompted his dumping the All
Progressive Congress (APC), last Saturday.
According to him, “we are not
aware that the President wants Ribadu. It was the PDP chieftain from Adamawa
State who asked him to come out and contest the race. So, the issue of the
President wanting Ribadu does not arise.
There have been controversies
over alleged plans by the leadership of the Party in Abuja to coerce the State
chapter of the party in granting waiver for Ribadu in an attempt to let him
have an undue advantage over other aspirants, the arrangement which other
stakeholders had rejected.
Also speaking with newsmen, Tukur
debunked claims that he was counting on his father’s goodwill for the
governorship ticket. He said, “There is no doubt, I’m Alhaji Bamanga Tukur’s
son.He’s my father, I’ll ride on his back; I won’t ride on anyone else’s back.
That is nature.
“I’ve said it that people should
also look at my own history as an individual. No law says because I’m Tukur’s
son I cannot play my politics. This is my time. I face the electorates and
people should leave my father out of it and face me on my right.”
Hong, who also picked a
nomination form to contest the Adamawa bye-election, insisted that the party
was yet to declare Ribadu its consensus candidate
He declared that the entrance of
Ribadu was not a threat to his ambition to contest and win the party’s sole
ticket for the October 11 governorship election in the state.
Responding to the insinuation
that stakeholders from the state may have resolved to make Ribadu the consensus
candidate of the PDP, Awwal said though consensus is part of the party’s mode
of leadership selection, the PDP hierarchy has yet to call a meeting of
aspirants where such decision could be taken.
On whether he had stepped down
for Ribadu as being speculated, the former lawmaker said his coming forward to
obtain nomination form to contest the state governorship election on the
platform of the PDP had put a lie to the rumour.
On how he intended to
handle insecurity in the state should he get elected, Awwal said he would
ensure redistribution of wealth and engage the people in worthwhile
ventures.
Meanwhile, Ribadu was on Monday,
in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, endorsed by a group of People’s Democratic
Party (PDP) stakeholders across the 21 Local Governments of the state endorsed
for the governorship race.
Speaking at the event convened by
Concerned Youth for Good Governance in Adamawa at the Conference hall, Muna
Hotel, Yola, the stakeholders extolled Ribadu for his incorruptible stance
which according to them was responsible for the endorsement.
Alhaji Isa Ibrahim Toungo, leader
of the group said their clamour for Ribadu’s candidature was an honest and
patriotic effort to entrench good governance in the state, following the decay
that embedded the state. He added that Ribadu has earned a reputation of being
a fearless, dedicated and patriotic citizen, who did well in all his areas and
that they can vouch for his credibility, anytime.
Alhaji Adamu Modibbo, former
gubernatorial candidate of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP), who represented
Ribadu at the event, thanked the people for their support for the aspiration of
Ribadu adding that when elected, he will reinvent the state and restore its
lost glory.
He added that a vote for Ribadu
is a vote for peace, tranquility and progress.
Dignitaries at the occasion
included former Speaker of Adamawa House of Assembly Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi,
former Commissioner for Local Government under Boni Haruna Saleh Kinjir, former
member of Adamawa State house of Assembly, Rhoda Bugi among others.