29th August, 2014
Malam Nuhu Ribadu, former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, moved a step further to realising his ambition of becoming the next governor of Adamawa state on Friday as he was granted a waiver to contest for the position under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party PDP.
Ribadu who was the presidential candidate of defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN in the 2011 general election defected to PDP ahead of the Adamawa state bye-election scheduled for 11 October.
He needed the waiver to contest under the platform of his new party in the gubernatorial poll as PDP constitution stipulated two year membership for eligibility to vie for positions on its platform.
Other defectors to PDP who were also granted waiver to run as aspirants under the platform of the party in the bye-election of Adamawa state, according to Olisah Metuh, National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party includes former military administrator of Lagos and Borno states, Buba Marwa as well as Markus Gundiri, the governorship candidate of the defunct ACN in the 2011 election.
The three aspirants had earlier submitted their application for waiver to the National Working Committee, NWC of the party.
In a statement, Metuh said: “the National Working Committee of the PDP at the end of its meeting on Friday, August 29, 2014, unanimously cleared all aspirants who expressed interest to contest the October 11 Adamawa State governorship election on the platform of the PDP to participate in the party’s nomination process.
“After very careful and thorough consideration of all applications and the report of the Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha-led Adamawa State PDP Governorship Waiver Committee, the NWC was satisfied that all the aspirants met the requirements stipulated by the PDP constitution to participate in the process.
“Consequently, waiver has been granted to General Buba Marwa, Engr. Marcus Gundiri and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to take part in the exercise.
“The NWC hereby restates its confidence in the leadership of the National Chairman, Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu in providing a level playing ground for all eligible citizens of the state to participate in the democratic process.
“It assures that the nomination process, including screening of aspirants as well as the primary election will be conducted with utmost transparency and strict adherence to rules and the principles of justice, fairness and equity.
“Finally, the NWC debunks speculations that its members were divided on the grant of the waiver and reiterates that the decision to open the space for wider participation was unanimously adopted after very extensive deliberations.”
With this development, the three aspirants will alongside eight others face a screening panel on Saturday 30 August.