Re: Adamawa PDP and the emergence of Ribadu

Going by this development, political pundits agree that unless there is a miracle, the party’s chances of retaining the state after the February 2015 elections have been completely eroded.A development that has kept many concerned citizens of the state wondering in disbelief has seen the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP move various primary […]

Going by this development, political pundits agree that unless there is a miracle, the party’s chances of retaining the state after the February 2015 elections have been completely eroded.
A development that has kept many concerned citizens of the state wondering in disbelief has seen the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP move various primary elections in the state to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. This action has undoubtedly plunged Adamawa PDP into a very pitiable condition. It has been discovered that stakeholders are very angry and are prepared to mortgage the party’s future in 2015, if nothing is done to conduct fresh primaries in the state.
Right from the onset, there were very strong speculations that the powers that be in Abuja, especially some powerful indigenes of the state, were determined to impose Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as the governorship candidate of the party. This development did not go down well with majority of the members of the state chapter, led by the chairman, Chief Joel Madaki. Chief Madaki kicked against this, based on the fact that Ribadu only recently defected to the party. These concerned members insisted that the governorship and other candidates of the party must emerge through free, fair and transparent primaries.
But this stance did not go down well with Ribadu’s apologists, as it appeared to have put a spanner in the works of those who vowed to impose the anti-corruption czar. To clear the way for his emergence, his sponsors recruited the support of some people in the national leadership of the party. With this combined force they were said to have gotten the NWC to sack the entire executive committee in Adamawa State. They went a step further to suspend Chief Madaki and the state secretary, A.T Shehu from the party. And this action has polarised the party.
These aggrieved members of the party are wondering why the primaries were moved to Abuja without due consultation.  They argue that the national chairman of the party, Adamu Muazu, ostensibly had a predetermined plan to impose Ribadu on them.
It is widely agreed that, from all intents and purposes, the purported primary election that produced the former EFCC chairman was in contravention of the party’s guidelines on primaries that provide for all the primaries to be conducted at the senatorial district headquarters.
According to the article containing the guidelines, “The primaries for the party’s candidates for the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be held at the senatorial district headquarters. All the delegates to the special congress shall assemble in the constituency headquarters. The constituency headquarters shall be as prescribed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).” It is the same prescription for other primaries.
To further underscore the seriousness of the issue at hand, aggrieved aspirants boycotted the national convention of the PDP in Abuja, where President Jonathan was ratified as the sole presidential candidate of the party in the 2015 elections.
Judging from the foregoing, analysts are of the opinion that unless the national headquarters of the party hearkens to the voice of reason and reverses the monumental injustice done to the state chapter of the party as epitomised by the imposition Ribadu in a clear breach of the party’s constitution, it will be a herculean task for the party to retain the state in 2015.
This action is widely seen as an attempt to plunge the party into another era of imposition, the type that produced the former governor, Murtala Nyako. And we all know that the party and the entire state suffered for that inglorious action. It appears that the leadership of the party has not learnt from that era of impunity. It is needless to say that this has contributed significantly to the underdevelopment of the state, politically and economically. Unfortunately, those who are deeply involved in this unholy enterprise are not prepared to allow reason prevail at the long run.  But that will be to the detriment of the PDP in 2015.
Again, with the way things are going in the Adamawa chapter of the PDP, religious calculation appears to have taken the centre-stage. Proponents of zoning aver that since Boni Haruna, a Christian, had ruled the state for two terms, and Murtala Nyako, a Muslim, also ruled for almost two terms, equity and fairness demands that the party should halt its current stance and give its ticket to a Christian, preferably, Markus Gundiri, who is from the central zone. They argue that anything short of this could widen the religious gulf in the state, with its attendant consequences at the polls.
It is on this note that majority of the people of the state are of the opinion that the party should, in the interest of justice, ensure the emergence of a Christian flag-bearer, which is in line with the party’s zoning formula.
It is expected that the authorities at the national headquarters of the party would do the needful to salvage the situation before it is too late. The PDP cannot afford to lose Adamawa.
Salaudeen wrote in from Yola