As preparation for the forthcoming governorship election in Adamawa intensifies, the two major political parties – the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP], and the All Progressives Congress [APC] – were wooing a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC,] Nuhu Ribadu, to run for governor on their platforms.
Although Mr. Ribadu was a member of the APC
The report has it that Ribadu has dumped the opposition All Progressives Congress [APC] and joined the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP].
Mr. Ribadu was the presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] in 2011 and until his defection today considered one of the presidential prospects of the APC in the 2015 presidential election.
A member of the executive committee of the PDP in Bako, Mr. Ribadu’s ward in Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa state, told PREMIUM TIMES that the anti-corruption chief has been registered as a member of the party and given a party membership card.
It was learnt that the ruling PDP and some interest groups in his native Adamawa state have stepped up lobby to win the former anti-graft chief over to the ruling party.
It was also learnt authoritatively that President Goodluck Jonathan, through one of his closest aides, Hassan Tukur, has made overtures to Mr. Ribadu to cross over to the ruling party.
The National Chairman of the party, Ahmed Muazu, as well as a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Aliyu Modibbo, who are long-time friends of the former EFCC chairman, are also said to be pestering Mr. Ribadu to dump the APC.
Top PDP sources also told this newspaper that the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; a former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, Akin Osuntokun; and a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode (who recently defected to the ruling party) might also be enlisted to pressure the anti-corruption activist to join the PDP.
The source asked not to be named because he was not authorised to disclose the development to journalists.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has already released a timetable for an election being organised to replace former Governor Murtala Nyako who was impeached by the State Assembly last month.
Already, Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri and Awwal Tukur, a son of former chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur, have picked the notice of intent form to seek the PDP governorship nomination for the election.
Efforts to speak with Mr. Ribadu or his spokesperson, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, were unsuccessful.
Both men’s mobile telephones phones were switched off when tried to reach them.
Mr. Ribadu is yet to publicly declare for the PDP although he has not refuted any of the reports linking him to the party.
--Premium Times
BE PREPARED!!!
@folabright
0 comments:
Post a Comment