By Garba Mohammad
Ahead of the Adamawa bye election,the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in the state, Chief Joel Hammanjoda Madaki has debunked speculations that the party was shopping for someone from the opposition party to defect so as to be it candidate in the coming guber poll stressing that Adamawa PDP has more than enough governorship contenders. Reports said pressure was being mounted on former Chairman of Eceonomic and Financial Crimes Commission,EFCC ,Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to decamp from the All Progressives Congress,APC to PDP and clinch the gubernatorial ticket.
Madaki, however said there was no iota of truth in the speculations, ‘’ because the party was blessed with so many qualified persons whose pedigree was not in doubt and they can fill the vacancy of the executive Governor of Adamawa State and even can contest for the plum job of the presidency.’’
According to him, PDP was a fully loaded party with experienced politicians who have held many laudable national assignments in different capacities who have been tried and tested having occupied several offices in the country .
Chief Joel Madaki further stated that the Adamawa State PDP was blessed with an array of qualified politicians and there was no need to bring somebody from outside the party to run on its ticket for the 2015 race and those speculating where doing so to satisfy their pay masters.
In a related development, a gubernatorial aspirant under the banner of the People’s Democratic Party PDP Ahmed Ali Gulak has said that the PDP Adamawa state will not accept the candidature of Mallam Ribadu as being speculated.
Speaking in Yola,Gulak said it was only mere speculations because Ribadu himself will not accept to run on the platform of the PDP.
He said “Ribadu is a highly respected person who happens to be my classmate and I have tremendous respect for him so I know that he will not run on the PDP banner having established his tentacles in the All Progressive Congress Party, he will not abandon the party midstream.”
Gulak said some youths that came up calling on Nuhu Ribadu to contest the gubernatorial elections of 2015 on the PDP ticket were expressing their opinions and not that of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, ‘’ because the PDP has more than enough gubernatorial aspirants not to even suggest of recruiting somebody who is not even a member of the party to pick its ticket in the midst of eminently qualified persons with wealth of experience.’’
Gulak pointed out that ,’’Nuhu Ribadu will not erode his high respect by saying that he was decamping to the PDP to contest elections on its banner having had a long romance right from ACN to APC where he picked the presidential ticket.’’
‘’During the Sallah celebrations, Nuhu Ribadu was on the airwaves wishing the good people of Adamawa state happy sallah under the banner of the APC so he cannot come and say he is contesting on the PDP platform,’’ he said.
Another Doctrine of Necessity Looms?
Former Political Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan and a gubernatorial aspirant in Adamawa State Barr. Ahmad Ali Gulak,former Minister Dr Aliyu Idi Hong among others contenders have allayed fears over the possibility of invocation of a doctrine of necessity over the conduct of a gubernatorial election in the state . According to them, the constitution was explicit on the issue of succession when a vacuum in the office of the Governor and his deputy manifests.
Fileding questions from newsmen in Yola, Gulak said in the case of Adamawa State, where the governor was impeached and his deputy resigned, the constitution has clearly indicated that the speaker of the state house of assembly should assume governance of the state in acting position and should conduct election within 90 days.
Gulak who was also a former speaker in the State House of Assembly was emphatic that INEC will conduct election in the state to fill the vacuum created by the ouster of Governor Nyako and the resignation of his deputy from office to avert a looming constitutional crisis in the state.
He said the issue of doctrine of necessity can only come when the constitution is silent where a vacuum exists for the offices of the governor and his deputy.
“From my understanding of the constitution, a doctrine of necessity can (only) be invoked in a situation where the constitution is silent. But in our case, the constitution is very clear and states that when a vacuum is.
Also speaking in the same vein, former Minister of state ,Dr Aliyu Idi Hong envisaged that if were elections were not held within the 90 days stipulated by the constitution, there could another constitutional crisis .
Hong, therefore called on the state Assembly to as matter of urgency transmit the impeachment letter and proceedings to the electoral body, INEC, to avoid impunity.
Impeccable sources at the INEC ‘s office in Yola, had during the week-end confirmed that the electoral body was yet to be officially informed of the vacuum that existed in the executive arm following the impeachment of Governor Murtala Nyako.
“As I am talking to you, we have not been notified as at this day, but already we are working assiduously to ensure hitch free bye election,’’ said a source that pleaded anonymity.
The source said it was emphatic that despite the communication gap,INEC officials are putting all hands on deck to ensure that they prepare for the bye election.
‘’ we cannot continue to wait for the long delay in the transmission of the letter. We are planning for the bye election as soon as we come back from workshop,’’ said the INEC official.
Professor Attahiru Jega,national chairman of INEC confirmed to reporters in Abuja recently that the commission had not been formally informed of Nyako’s ouster.
