Good riddance’ was the reaction of some All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains to the defection of Nuhu Ribadu to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), TheNiche has learnt.
They said they had long expected the defection of the former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman, even though he was a top member of the APC, having been the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the 2011 election, which later merged to form the APC.
Nuhu Ribadu
A source told TheNiche that during the merger talks preceding the formation of the APC, Ribadu thought he would be the de facto presidential candidate of the APC.
“When we were doing the merger, Ribadu started like some other people trying to project himself as the presidential candidate of the merger. He flew the kite of his presidential ambition too early. He antagonised a lot of people within the APC. That was why he left,” the source said.
But Ribadu countered that “my defection is in pursuit of a good cause, and never out of any selfish interests as portrayed by a section.”
He jumped ship to the PDP on August 16 with an eye on Adamawa State governorship bye-election on October 11 to replace Murtala Nyako, who was impeached last month.
But his chances are slim because the rule in the PDP is that he can only get a waiver after being a member for two years. Opponents within are already kicking against him.
Dicey prospects, says PDP
PDP National Organising Secretary, Mustapha Abubakar, said candidates must follow due process.
“There is provision for waivers in our party but there are rules for everything. The rules are there and I believe that any of them who wants to contest must have studied them before picking the form,” he stressed.
Ribadu has obtained expression of interest and nomination forms of the Adamawa governorship bye-election.
Abubakar said: “We are doing this with all sense of responsibility because we want all the aspirants to see that the exercise to produce a candidate is transparent.
“They would agree that the people had spoken and once the people had spoken, it means God had spoken and they would rally round whoever emerged through credible exercise.”
He promised that the PDP will support whoever emerges as its candidate.
Those seeking waivers – among them Ribadu and Marwa – have cited the party’s constitution to back their claim.
Marwa’s confidence
However, while submitting his nomination form at the PDP secretariat in Abuja on Friday, August 22, Marwa said: “I am confident that I will get the waiver because the previous administration of the PDP gave some contestants within two months when the party constitution was being restructured.
“I think such would be done to us, but if that is not repeated for us then we know there is something wrong.”
A field crowded with heavyweights
Others candidates include acting Governor Umaru Fintiri, Awwal Tukur (son of former PDP National Chairman, Babanga Tukur), Idi Hong (former Minister of State for Health), and Ahmed Modibbo (former Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission).
The party will screen them on August 28, the election of delegates will hold on September 2 and the primaries on September 6.
Uphill task for waiver
Ahmed Gulak, former Political Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, also insisted all candidates, including Ribadu and Marwa, have to pass through the mill to contest for the governorship.
Gulak, himself an aspirant to the office, said Ribadu and Marwa cannot be given waivers because they have not been members of the PDP for two years, as stipulated in the rules.
Gulak bared his mind at the PDP national secretariat in Abuja when he obtained the expression of interest and nomination forms.
He said he informed Jonathan of his ambition before he collected the forms.
“I am not aware that Marwa and some others have followed the waiver provisions as contained in the party’s constitution.
“Procedures for waivers are clearly spelt out in the constitution, beginning from the ward through the zonal levels.You must have been a member of the party for two years,” Gulak reiterated.
He described Ribadu as a friend and brother, and recalled that he was in the vanguard of the APC merger.
He asked Ribadu to remember his statement upon the merger of the APC that he would not join the PDP even if he was offered the presidential ticket for free.
“If Ribadu decides to somersault and eat his words he is welcome to PDP. He is welcome any time any day, whether in the APC or any other party. It is the people that will elect. Nobody can sit somewhere and decide who becomes the governor of a place.”
Gulak also rubbished the claims by former Adamawa Deputy Governor, James Ngilari, in his law suit against his resignation, noting that Ngilari, being a lawyer, ought to know what steps to take to effect resignation.
Ngilari “cannot benefit from his act which has an element of fraud,” Gulak insisted.
Ribadu, Marwa any chances?
Former Petroleum Minister, Tam David-West, also thinks that the chances of Ribadu and Marwa are slim in the governorship vote.
His words: “Okay, he (Ribadu) has defected, hopefully to get the ticket to contest the Adamawa State governorship election. All these people who are defecting, what are their chances?
“Their chances are slim on the calculation that you don’t change; my mother used to say this. A Nigerian, you go to a white man and start to abuse another Nigerian, they will listen to you and give you tea.
“But after you leave, they will say that is a useless man. They won’t have confidence in you.
“Ribadu is a great name. Marwa is a great name. But can they achieve their dream in the PDP, their chances are slim. Why? There are some PDP people that have been there, nursing that ambition. You don’t come from the outside and impose your ambition on them.
“They will tell you that governorship is not for sale. They are going to be faced with credibility problem, integrity problem. Their enemies in the PDP will use it against them. Their enemies outside the PDP will also exploit that against them.
“There is another thing they have to consider. Nyako was removed as Governor of Adamawa State through spurious means. Nyako still has his supporters and sympathisers. Nyako’s supporters are still there. Still licking there wounds.”