After the withdrawal of Nuhu Ribadu, the former presidential candidate of the All Progressive Party and ex EFCC boss, from the PDP’s governorship primary election, indications have emerged that either former Lagos State Military Administrator, Gen. Buba Marwa or the acting governor of Adamawa State Ahmadu Finitri may emerge the standard bearer of the party.
In addition to Marwa and Fintiri, the other four are Ahmed Gulak, Umar Ardo, Jerry Kumdisu and Ahmed Modibbo. The number reduced to six out of the original 14 aspirants.
A former Director General, National Boundary Commission, Alh. Dahiru Bobbo withdrew from the race for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress citing family pressure.
Bobbo announced his decision at a press conference held in Yola Saturday, he said “My decision to withdraw from the race is purely for family reasons.” He called on his supporters “to remain calm as his decision is unavoidably.”
Bobbo also said that it was unthinkable for him to remain in the race knowing that the supremacy of internal democracy has since been compromised.
Others withdrew to enable them to contest the 2015 governorship election in the state as stipulated by the party.
Meanwhile, one of the aspirants, Dr. Umar Ardo, complained on Saturday about the manner the contest was being organised.
Ardo, who accused the national delegation conducting the election of incompetence, said he had “never experienced such manner of conducting polls.”
He told the delegation at the venue of the exercise, “You are abusing the sanctity of the open ballot box election.”
Also complaining about the exercise, the former Special Adviser on Political Affairs to President Goodluck Jonathan, Mr. Ahmed Gulak, criticised the delegation for allegedly handling the election in “a shoddy manner.”
“The way this election is being conducting is totally strange in the history of our party,” Gulak said.
Reacting to the allegation, the team leader, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, said the election would continue as stipulated by the national headquarters of the party.
Addressing the stakeholders before the commencement of the election, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, said the delegation was in the state to carry out one of the party’s fundamental assignments.
Bankole assured the aspirants and members of the party of free and fair election in the interest of the ruling party.
“We were delegated from the party national headquaters to come to Adamawa and conduct gubernatorial primary election of our great party PDP.
“I want to use this opportunity to give assurance to all our party members and those that are contesting, that we are going to conduct this election without fear or favour,” he said.
He urged all stakeholders to give the team maximum support and cooperation to enable it to conduct credible election.
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