Adamawa battle royale: The personalities, the intrigues…

Another in the series of off-season gubernatorial elections will hold in Adamawa State on October 11, 2014. Like in the cases of Ekiti and Osun states’ elections held on June 21 and August 9, respectively, the Adamawa election will be a straight fight between two major political parties in the country – People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The last two elections have raised the profile of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by virtue of the high standard of the polls which has since been adjudged by many as largely free and fair.

It is expected that the Commission will deploy equal amount of commitment in the coming Adamawa election.

Adamawa’s journey to off-season poll
Adamawa, one of the troubled states in the North-East, a stronghold of the Islamists Boko Haram sect which is currently under emergency rule, recently joined the states where off-season elections had been or is about to be held following the impeachment of Governor Murtala Nyako by the state House of Assembly over allegation of financial recklessness and other sundry misdeeds.
Nyako, first elected on the platform of PDP in 2007 and returned in 2011, had defected few months ago to the opposition APC owing to some misunderstanding with the establishment in Abuja.
The impeached governor, a Moslem and of the Fulani stock, had parted ways with his deputy, Bala James Ngalari, who is currently in court challenging his alleged controversial resignation in the days leading up to the impeachment of his principal. Ngilari is contesting that he should be declared governor since he was allegedly tricked to tender his resignation by the then Ahmadu Fintiri-led House of Assembly.
Moreover, the decision of Fintiri, the acting governor, to run has since set tongues wagging. Aliu Musa Maiha, an indigene of the state, said: “I did not expect Honourable Fintiri to stand election as acting governor. His ambition is sending a wrong signal; the interpretation in some quarters is that he maligned Nyako and saw his out of office for some personal reasons, not really in the interest of the state as they had told the people. If I were in his shoes, I would rather go for the Senate. He should humbly hand over to whoever that will emerge, return to the House and then contest for a Senate in 2015.”

Fintiri’s push for endorsement
Despite the misgivings against his ambition, the acting governor insists the seat rightly belongs to him.
When last week he, along with a retinue of his supporters, visited the state PDP secretariat, Fintiri had urged Joel Madaki, chairman, elders of the party as well as local government chairmen, to endorse him for the by-election.
“My performance as acting governor in less than two months has shown to all, especially the people of Adamawa State, that if I continue for another six months, the dividends of democracy will reach all and sundry.
“The people have seen what I have done and that is why I’m directing the party to see my coming as important since I worked hard with others in the State Assembly to restore the stolen mandate of the party, which was given to Admiral Murtala Nyako but he defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC),” he said.
“Mr. Chairman, since I assumed office as the acting governor, the people of Adamawa State have been calling on me daily to contest the by-election and even the election next year; that is why I have come with my team, all members of the State Assembly, to inform you that we are involved in this election and I will finish Nyako’s tenure ending May 2015,” the acting governor further said, adding, “I want to assure the party that stability is maintained in the Adamawa PDP and also in the state as the good people have always been asking me to continue and therefore I’m here for the endorsement for the 6th September 2014 PDP primaries.”

Enters Ribadu
The defection last week of Nuhu Ribadu from APC to PDP may have altered political permutations in the umbrella party in particular, and in the state in general.
Speaking with an insider source within the PDP leadership circle in Adamawa State, our correspondent gathered that Ribadu’s defection to the PDP and the alleged plan to draft him into the gubernatorial race were calculated moves to placate the Fulani bloc in the state who are said not to be happy with the recent impeachment of Nyako, the former governor, who hails from the area.
The source also alleged that Ribadu’s decision to dump the APC was the brainchild of Olusegun Obasanjo, former president, who was said to have started bringing back “his boys” to the PDP now that the opposition party appears not to be “moving in the direction he had hoped.”

“I want to say straightaway that a lot of falsehood is flying about concerning Nuhu Ribadu’s move to PDP. First of all, I want to establish the fact that the former president Olusegun Obasanjo is the mastermind of the move.
“You will recall that El-Rufai, Fani-Kayode, Nuhu Ribadu were some of Obasanjo’s human assets that were used to do certain things for the former president. When he was having issues with PDP, he moved them out to the opposition party; now he is gradually bringing them back to PDP because what he expected from the APC is not what is happening.
“Certain persons close to Mr. President are telling him that it is in his interest to adopt Ribadu because PDP stands to gain from his good will in Adamawa,” the source said.
On why Ribadu is allegedly being drafted into the race, the source, who craved anonymity, said it was to placate the Fulanis.
“Some people with Fulani agenda are pushing the agenda, saying that with the ouster of Nyako, the Fulani people are not happy; so to placate them, it is believed that another Fulani person will suffice. We have some aspirants from the Fulani bloc who have already declared their intentions.
“We have Ahmed Modibbo, Awwal Mohammed Tukur (son of the former chairman of PDP, Bamanga Tukur), Buba Marwa, and a number of others. It is quite a star-studded list; it is complicated, but the Adamawa people know who is who. The acting governor (Honourable Fintiri) wants to contest. He has all the resources, especially with the state’s purse under his control which he is going to deploy to oil his ambition,” the source further said.
Critics had accused Ribadu of desperation and had said he was a rolling stone, but the former EFCC boss dismissed such insinuations, explaining that he is being propelled by his patriotic zeal to serve the country and its people.
A PDP member in the state, and National Assembly hopeful in 2015, said Ribadu’s intention to contest has changed the calculation of many politicians in the state.
According to him, “I am not really bothered about Ribadu’s coming. It could be that the Presidency is thinking about adopting him because of his international and national acclaim, and believes that he is capable of steering the ship of the state successfully. The question to ask is those on ground, are they solid enough to ensure that any other candidate from the opposition will not carry the day? Ribadu is seen as a strong and credible candidate that can win election; that may be the calculation.”
Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, a spokesman of his, said: “It is not true that he (Ribadu) was desperate to realise his political ambition. This is because this decision was taken in the overriding interest of serving the people.
“What matters for him is service. That is why even when he was a member of the opposition party, when government asked him to serve the country, he accepted the offer and he did a wonderful job that everybody hailed except those who don’t want change in the system.
“If you are ready to serve the people, sometimes you will have to do something that is not even palatable to yourself.”

PDP urged to be fair
A PDP leader in Adamawa said the national and state secretariats must be wary of imposing candidate on the people to avoid a return to a sad Nyako era.
“In 2007, there were 11 aspirants before Nyako suddenly emerged from nowhere three or four days to primaries. He met those who had spent money and other things in the party. And the ticket was given to him. At that time, I remember that there was a gentleman agreement by affirmation, and we stood with by him.
“Most of the aspirants were denied their rights. Nyako was expected to carry everybody along, but as soon as he got there, he did not do so; he became another thing. He turned out to be the worst governor of the state. Now, Ribadu has joined PDP; he must not be foisted on the party.

“Right processes. That’s where the problem lies. Adamawa people are prepared to elect the person who can serve them well. At the party level, we know what our people are expecting of us. The contest must be free and fair, not by minority, but by majority. Once a credible candidate emerges, our people will follow,” the PDP member said.
By the same token, Aliu Musa Maiha, an indigene, said: “In a situation like this, they should allow a free and fair contest. If you look at the entire country, Adamawa State is the most backward in terms of education and infrastructural development; the people have not got good leadership since 2007. So, it is important that PDP leaders allow a level playing field for a creditable candidate to emerge.”

A National Assembly hopeful, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “I cannot be sure whether the party leadership in the state will allow any imposition. If they are giving waiver to Ribadu, they should also extend that to Marwa, Gundiri; that’s how to ensure a level-playing field for all.”

Gulak cautions on automatic waiver
Ahmed Gulak last Thursday advised the party not to use consensus to determine its flag bearer for the October 11 poll. Gulak said he was not aware if some aspirants had applied for waiver to the party to contest for the seat.
“There is nothing like automatic waiver”, said, explaining that any application for waiver must follow due process and in line with the party’s constitution”.
Citing Section 50 of the party’s constitution, he said any aspirant that has not stayed in the party for up to two years must apply for waiver at the ward chapter of the party, adding that such request will then proceed to the local government, state chapters as well as the National Working Committee (NWC) for approval.

Specifically, he said waiver is not generated at the NWC but at the ward level.
According to him, any aspirant worth his onion should not be afraid of testing his popularity at the party’s primaries.
“All of us aspiring are going to submit ourselves and test our popularity with our party members and delegates in Adamawa State.
“I am a democrat. Any politician, any democrat fears no election. So, the issue of consensus is not something I will go for because I am a politician. Let me subject myself to the people. The least you can give Adamawa people today is their right to make their own choice within the party and at the general elections.
“Nobody can circumvent the constitution of the party. There is no cutting the corners because the constitution is unambiguous and clear.
“I am not aware whether or not there are people who have applied for waiver. We must be aware and the facts must be clear that some people have applied for waiver. Have they followed the processes? The NWC is not where you generate the waiver application; it is generated at the ward. It is not guess work. The constitution is clear about this,” Gulak said.

Each PDP aspirant pays N11m
Like in the Anambra State gubernatorial election held November 16, 2013, aspirants picked nomination form at N10m while the Expression of Interest form was sold for N1m, those who have shown interest in Adamawa race paid no less.
Those who bought forms, according to the record at the Mobilisation Office in the office of the National Organising Secretary, are, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, acting governor; Umar Ardo, a three-time gubernatorial aspirant; Nuhu Ribadu, former chairman, EFCC, whose form was said to have been paid for by a group of friends; Abubakar Girei; Ahmed Gulak, former special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters; Mohammed Buba Marwa, erstwhile military administrator of Lagos and Borno states; Aliyu Idi-Hong and former minister of state for Foreign Affairs.
Others are Ahmed Modibbo Mohammed, the immediate executive secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC); Awwal Bamanga Tukur, son of former PDP national chairman; Marcus Natina Gundiri; James Shuiabu Barka; Jerry Kundusi; A.A.V. Kana, a retired brigadier general, and Andrawus Sawa.

6 aspirants pick APC form with N5.5m apiece
Although information was scanty at the time of filing this report on the names of aspirants on the APC platform that purchased the form, BD SUNDAY, however, gathered that six persons picked the forms.

Our correspondent, who spoke with Lai Mohammed, the party’s national publicity secretary, gathered that each aspirant paid a total of N5.5m – N5m for the nomination fee and N500,000 for administrative fee.

Last line
The concern of many Adamawa people is not so much about the party that will at the end of the day produce the governor; it is rather on the ability of such governor to perform the duties of his office creditably.
A pundit, who spoke with our correspondent on telephone, said: “We are not so much about the party leaning of whoever that will emerge as governor; our expectation is that the next governor will work in the interest of everybody. In the last seven-and-half years, the state has not known good leadership; the people of the state did not, within that period, enjoy the democracy dividends as the resources were cornered by a few. We are anxiously looking forward to a free and fair election, and a progressive state, thereafter.”

The personalities

Aliyu Idi Hong

Aliyu Idi Hong was born in Hong in 1967. He was PDP secretary, Adamawa State between 2006 and 2007 and, together with other executive members of the party; he ensured that the party retained its governorship slot in the state despite stiff opposition from the AC.

He was also personal assistant to the chairman, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs, Jubril Aminu. He is popularly known in political circles as political son of Aminu. He was appointed Minister of State for Culture & Tourism in 2007 before his reappointment as Minister of State for Health.

Hong is among those who have made politics of Adamawa State very strong, and has provided the succour that sustains the state PDP. Despite his youthful age, the distinguished doctor has shown exemplary qualities that have made him a role model to many youths in his state and beyond.

He was an active participant in student union activism right from his early years in the university up till the time he graduated. It is speculated that Hong may still be leveraging on his robust relationship with Senator Aminu to garner votes.

Mohammed Buba Marwa
Born on September 9, 1953 in Kaduna, Kaduna State, he is a retired army officer who served as military administrator in Borno State, and Lagos State during the military administrations of Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Sani Abacha.

In December 2006, Buba Marwa announced he would be running in the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) primaries to become the party’s candidate for President of Nigeria. His bid was unsuccessful, and he gave his support to Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who went on to become President.

As compensation, he was appointed in 2007 as Nigeria’s high commissioner to the Republic of South Africa. Upon his return late 2010, he showed interest in the 2011 general election as a gubernatorial candidate on the PDP platform.

He lost at the primaries and decamped to the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) where he contested against the impeached governor Murtala Nyako and was defeated. Marwa was with CPC until the merger with some other parties to form the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Not satisfied with the way APC was being run, he decamped and returned to PDP. Now that he has come back to the party he helped to form to contest the governorship, pundits say the fight may not be easy for him as he is seen as an unstable politician who can defect to the opposition after winning the election.

However, it is also believed in some quarters that he is an astute administrator, who, with his experience and past performances in government, is capable of taking Adamawa to greater heights if he wins the election.

Umar Ardo: Ardo is an out-spoken politician and a no-nonsense person. A former history lecturer at the prestigious military institution, the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna, a master’s degree student of Political Psychology and Leadership Development at the prestigious Walden University, USA, Ardo holds a PhD Degree in Political History from the University of Maiduguri.

Ardo served as special assistant to Atiku Abubakar, former vice president, on States and Local Government Affairs between 1999 and 2003, and also special assistant on Research and Strategy between 2003 and 2006. While in the Presidency, Ardo recorded impressive achievements.

While serving as special assistant on States and Local Government, he was said to have initiated and achieved the formation of Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON). The idea of ALGON was to give elected local government chairmen some measure of autonomy from arbitrary state governors’ manipulation and control. An indigene of the state told our reporter that Ardo does not respect leadership when transparency is compromised. “If they impose any candidate, he is likely to go to court,” he said.

Ahmed Mohammed Modibbo
Borno on May 15, 1954. He was executive secretary Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC). Some said that if victory were determined by the deepness of a politician’s pocket, the stupendously rich Modibbo would not contend with any opposition at all.

He is said to have planned to deploy his finances not only to campaign for his emergence as the PDP flag bearer, but to ensure that Adamawa State is well run. Modibbo, husband to Aishatu Ahmed Binani, a serving member of the House of Representatives, may cash in on the political might of his wife to clinch the ticket.

Auwal Tukur:
Auwal is son of Bamanga Tukur, immediate past national chairman of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP). His governorship ambition had worsened the enmity between his father and Nyako.

His father, Bamanga, had wanted him to succeed Nyako, while Nyako also had wanted his son, Abdul Aziz. Pundits say that Auwal was yet to display that leadership quality to lead the state like Adamawa. An influential member of PDP in the state said: “Auwal ambition would have sailed if it were the time Bamanga, his father, was the national chairman, but now it is a herculean task.”

Markus Gundiri: Gundiri, an engineer by training, until very recently was in APC. He once contested the seat on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) against PDP’s Nyako in 2011. He is likely to rely on the massive support he got at that time. A prominent member of the PDP in the state said of him, “He uses religion because coming from the Christian bloc, he uses Christianity and anti-Islamic sentiment. Not so much about his qualities or what he can do as governor, but because being a Christian he is likely to sweep the votes from the Christian dominated area. In fact, it is strongly believed that he won gubernatorial election against Nyako in 2011.”

It is being speculated that his decision to return to PDP a few months before the primary election may work against him. Some analysts say his defection to the opposition in the first place and now his return may taint his loyalty as a party stalwart.

Jerry Kundisi
He is a trained lawyer and a serving member of the state House of Assembly, who will be banking on his vast experience in the state House of Assembly to pick the ticket.

Ahmed Gulak: He was one of the most powerful Abuja-based politicians from Adamawa State until recently. Gulak was special adviser on political matters, to President Jonathan.

After his sack, he set up machinery to achieve his governorship aspiration. But pundits say, the celebration of his exit by youths across the state is an indication of his political clout in Adamawa. Again, having left Aso Rock on a note that is not too good, may be a negative for him in his current ambition.

Ribadu’s profile
Ribadu, born November 21, 1960 in Yola, Adamawa State, was appointed chairman of EFCC in 2003 by former president, Olusegun Obasanjo. He was reappointed in 2007; was also promoted to the position of assistant inspector general of police.

The promotion on April 9, 2007, three weeks before newly elected president Umaru Yar’Adua was sworn-in, was later challenged on the basis that it was “illegal, unconstitutional, null and void, and of no legal effect.” In December 2007, the then inspector-general of police, Mike Okiro ordered that Ribadu be temporarily removed from the position of EFCC chairman and that he should attend the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) in Kuru, Jos, Plateau State, for a mandatory one-year course.

The decision was heavily criticised by many Nigerians who saw it as politically-motivated and likely to set back the fight against corruption. On December 22, 2008, he was dismissed from the Nigerian Police force by the Nigerian Police Service Commission (PSC).

He left Nigeria and in April assumed a fellowship at the Centre for Global Development. He returned to join the ACN as a presidential aspirant in the 2011 general election.