RIBADU, MARWA LIGHT UP GUBER RACE Former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, who recently defected from the APC, and former Lagos State Military Governor Brigadier-General Buba Marwa are among the top contenders for Adamawa governorship bye-elections scheduled for October 11. Marwa was also a chieftain of the APC and contested against Murtala Nyako in the last elections under Buharis CPC before eventually defecting to the PDP. The removal of former Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa State from office and the spontaneous resignation of his deputy, Bala James Ngillari, from office has brought a change in the political calendar of the state. A bye-election has been scheduled for October 11 to elect a substantive governor. Nyako was impeached by the state House of Assembly on July 15 over allegations of gross misconduct. Alhaji Umaru Fintiri, the speaker, assumed office as acting governor following Nyako’s impeachment. The state is currently agog with preparations for the bye-election. Various contenders have emerged. But the contest became more intense after the recent defection of former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, from All Progressives Congress to Peoples Democratic Party. Most of the struggle is taking place in PDP, where many political bigwigs and their protégés have thrown their hats in the ring. Speculations are rife that some unlikely aspirants who had been on the sidelines may be drafted by powerful forces in PDP or the Presidency to succeed Nyako, and this is causing a lot of agitation among the contestants in PDP ahead of the bye-election. The speculation heightened with the entry of Ribadu, who has not just defected to PDP but has obtained the intent form to contest the governorship bye-election scheduled to hold on October 11. He is widely suspected to be a nominee of the PDP national leadership and the presidency. There are views that Fintiri may be supported to conclude the remaining six months of Nyako’s tenure, though, pundits have criticised his candidature for the governorship bye-election as morally wrong, considering that he was the person who presided over the impeachment of Nyako. ‘NO ANOINTED CANDIDATE’ A governorship aspirant in PDP and former military administrator of Borno and Lagos states, Brigadier General Buba Marwa, recently responded to a question on Fintiri’s bid, thus, “The best person that will answer the question will be the acting governor himself, but I know I heard different comments, ultimately, a man has to take his decision on what he feels is appropriate and what he thinks he ought to do. The bottom line, the electorate will have the final say. Marwa said he was ready to support the party even if he lost in the competition, provided there is a level playing ground. “There is no anointed candidate from the presidency or national leadership of PDP. I wish to say this categorically that I myself have sat face to face with President Goodluck Jonathan when I went to notify him of my intention. Mr President made it very clear that he did not believe in imposition and he does not believe in the anointments of candidate. He believes in democracy, rule of law, the electoral process.” The fear is that there may be a repeat of the situation in 2007, when the then president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, influenced the election of Nyako as governor of the state, despite objections by stakeholders. This fear is heightened by the widespread belief that it was the presidency that sponsored the removal of Nyako. But there are suggestions that PDP stakeholders and some aspirants had perfected a plan to prevent the presidency or the PDP national leadership from imposing any aspirant. There are speculations that Jonathan may sponsor someone who would be subservient to him and help him to win that state during next year’s presidential election. ASPIRANTS Currently, 14 aspirants have bought the intent form on the platform of PDP ahead of the forthcoming bye-election. Prominent among them are Fintiri, Marwa, Marcus Gundiri, Ribadu, Senator Abubakar Girei, Dr. Ahmed Modibbo, Dr. Umar Ardo, Awwal Tukur, Dr. Idi Hong, Professor Andrawus Sawa, General Aliyu Kama, and Jerry Kundisi. But the challenge for PDP is how to harmonise the various interests and ensure that the contestants remain in the party if eventually the suspected plan to impose a candidate materialises. If PDP fails in this regard, APC may just win the election easily. Pundits are of the notion that Ribadu, for instance, could not have left the APC to join the PDP if he was not sure of something good coming because he hardly has any grassroots support and may never win the bye-election without the support of some power forces. Aspirants like Marwa, Gundiri, and Ribadu, who left the APC because they were promised a better deal in PDP, will, apparently, feel frustrated if their hopes do not materialise. Analysts say the best option for PDP is to allow an open primary. Fintiri Fintiri enjoys some incumbency advantage which may help his governorship aspiration. Since assuming the post of acting governor, he has embarked on some populist policies, including payment of outstanding salaries that Nyako’s regime owed civil servants, sharp increase in the allocation of resources to local governments, which has seemed to popularise him among the local government chairmen, release of running cost to the various ministries and agencies in the state, involvement of Emirs and Chiefs as first line advisors to the state government, and assurances to PDP stakeholders that his doors are open at all times to receive them and listen to their counsels on how to move the state forward. Marwa Marwa, a retired Brigadier General, is popular among the down-trodden because of his people- oriented programmes. Born in Kaduna, he was educated in Enugu, Zaria, Abeokuta and Lagos between 1960 and 1965. He proceeded to the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, from 1966 to 1970, afterwards the Nigerian Defence Academy, from 1970 to 1973. Marwa continued his educational pursuit at the University of Pittsburgh, the United States of America, from 1983 to 1985; and later Harvard University, USA, from 1985 to 1986. During this period, he acquired a number of qualifications, among which are: Master of Public and International Affairs, Master of Public Administration, Leadership and Organisational Diploma and Graduate Certificate in International Security Studies. Marwa was the first student in the history of the Junior Staff College Course to be awarded a ‘B’ grade and the only B- grader of his set. He came first in the: lieutenant to captain practical examination, captain to major written/staff college qualifying examination, regimental signal officers’ course, and senior staff college course with excellent grades. From 1977 to 1979, Marwa was the Aide-de-camp to General TY Danjuma. In 1988, he became the military attaché in the Nigerian Embassy, Washington DC, until 1990. In June 1990, he became the military administrator of Borno State (the present Borno and Yobe states), until 1992. He was the defence attaché, Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations in New York from 1993 to 1996. Marwa was the military administrator of Lagos State from 1996 to 1999. His military service medals include: Forces Service Star, Meritorious Service Star and Distinguished Service Star. As military administrator of Borno State, he was said to have made enviable marks in various sectors of the state’s economy. Strength: His vast political experience and connections across the state and beyond are among things that give him an edge. The successes recorded in his previous outings as governor has also endeared him to the massess. Weakness: His major constraint may be his ability to secure a waiver from the PDP national leadership. Gunduri Gundiri was director-general and commissioner in charge of agriculture, water resources and rural development in the defunct Gongola State between 1978 and 1991. During that period, he designed, constructed and commissioned over 500 isolated rural water supply projects. Also to his credit are four regional water supply projects meant to provide potable water for 20 communities with an estimated population of 200,000, in addition to over 250 kilometres of rural feeder roads. The former Action Congress of Nigeria governorship candidate was appointed deputy director and director in charge of all federal government dams and reservoirs under the Federal Ministry of Water Resources between 1999 and 2009. During this period, he was in charge of monitoring of all ongoing projects in the ministry until his retirement. Gundiri superintended over the design and construction of the Gurara, Galma, Owiwi, Owena, Kontagora and other dam projects located in 22 states of the federation for water supply, irrigation and fisheries, among other national assignments given to him. However, he is seen as Mr. Boni Haruna’s protégé. He is believed to lack the strong political structure. Strength: He was said to have defected with a large number of his APC followers to PDP. This is a plus for him, especially in the party primary. Weakness: Like Marwa, Gundiri’s major weakness lies in the fact that he may not secure the waiver of the party, being a new entrant. Girei Senator Abubakar Halilu Girei was born on March 14, 1954 in Girei Local Government Area of Adamawa State. A degree holder in Quantity Surveying and a master’s degree holder in Business Administration, Girei is a member of the prestigious National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS). He was elected into the Senate to represent Adamawa Central Senatorial District between 1999 and 2003 where he chaired the Senate Committee on Services. Strength: He is believed to be a strong grassroots mobiliser with ample understanding of the problems and needs of the masses. This is coupled with his vast network of friends and political associates that cut across ethnic and religious lines. Weakness: Girei does not have the war chest to run a successful governorship campaign. Ardo Many in Adamawa State see Ardo as large hearted and dogged in pursuing his rights no matter the odds. He is eloquent and charismatic. Ardo is a former history lecturer at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna and a Master’s Degree Student of Political Psychology and Leadership Development at the Walden University, USA. He holds a Ph.D. in Political History from the University of Maiduguri. His inclination to reading not only books, but voluminous ones, is one of the factors that endeared him to some great leaders of our time, among whom are his former principal and the sagacious Adamawa-born politician, Atiku Abubakar. Ardo, 52, has been in politics for several years. He has been a dogged fighter in PDP, though, he lacks elite support. Strength: Ardo is seen as an emancipator of the masses as he has over the years established a reputation of being anti-establishment through his staunch criticism of unpopular government policies. He is about the most popular choice for most ordinary members of PDP. Weakness: Not unexpectedly, in the course of this long fight against the establishment, Ardo has made opponents of influential people in the party. His one-man approach to issues may be a serious blow to his governorship ambition. Tukur Awwal is the first son of a former governor of defunct Gongola State and immediate past national chairman of PDP, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur. Like his father, he has been in politics since he became strong enough to make decisions for himself. A lawyer, Awwal was a member of the House of Representatives representing Yola North, Yola South and Girei federal constituency under the platform of PDP from 1999 to 2003. He was the chairman, House Committee on Aviation. He contested the governorship election in the two previous elections in the state and lost. He is believed to be a strong contender for the plum job due to the grassroots structures he has established over the years. He also has the gargantuan influence his father to gain from. Strength: Awwal’s strongest asset seems to be his father’s political influence in the state and at the national level. His father has never minced words in his support for his son’s governorship ambition. “As a son of Adamawa, Awwal was entitled to any political ambition and I will gladly support it,” Tukur once said. Weakness: In a paradoxical twist, Awwal’s strength seems to also be his weakness. Being the son of the former PDP national chairman has invariably exposed Awwal to share in some of the animosities from his father’s political rivals, which are bound to see his ambition as an extension of his father’s hegemony. Modibbo Modibbo is a consummate educationist, a former boss of the National Teachers Institute and the Universal Basic Education programme. One of his spouses, Hajiya Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani, is currently the member House of Representatives representing Girei, Yola North and Yola South Federal Constituency and is currently nursing the ambition of contesting the Adamawa Central Senatorial seat in 2015. Modibbo’s wife has become a household name in Adamawa State following her remarkable performance and philanthropic disposition. Strength: His major strength is his wife, Hajiya Aishatu Ahmed Binani, who is loved by her constituency following her performance. With her by his side, it is believed that winning Adamawa Central, which is the most integral constituency that consists of the most populated local governments of the state, will surely give him an edge over the other contenders. Weakness: Modibbo’s reserved nature coupled with his elitist lifestyle is a major stumbling block to his aspiration, as many tend to see politics as a game for extroverts.
Posted on: Sun, 24 Aug 2014 10:47:29 +0000