Acting governor of Adamawa State, Adamu Fintiri seems to be the ‘anointed one’ in today’s primary election to decide who will complete the tenure of the impeached governor, Murtala Nyako in 2015. UCHENNA AWOM writes on the intrigues and plots that also narrowed the 2015 choice to Nuhu Ribadu.
The October 11 governorship election in Adamawa State is barely a month away and today, against all discernible odds, a candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will emerge.
Latest developments suggest a seamless primary in Yola, as against the trepidation and political uncertainly that no doubt enveloped it before now.
The state has been in the eye of the storm with the exit of former Governor Murtala Nyako, particularly the PDP-which is the main beneficiary of the Nyako impeachment.
The direct beneficiary of that windfall is the erstwhile speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Adamu Fintiri, who will barring any last minute changes, emerge as winner of today’s primary of the party. He has a huge advantage over other aspirants in the running as he is the acting governor of the state.
Fintiri’s coast is clear and what buoys his chances is the sudden withdrawal of former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and a host of other hitherto powerful aspirants on Thursday.
But Fintiri’s certain victory is not coming without a price; a price that could also ignite future crisis in PDP when preparations commence to elect who succeeds the next governor in 2015.
Though, that is not to say that there will not be any contest today, but the last minute intrigues and intervention by the presidency and national party leadership point to a narrow primary election that could have fewer aspirants in the ballot.
The Thursday night withdrawal of Ribadu and six other aspirants was reportedly at the prompting of the presidency and top party apparatchik in Abuja.
That notwithstanding, there are those who are insistent on slugging it out with Fintiri at the primary.
Other aspirants aside Fintiri before now are: General Baba Marwa (rtd) who is a former military administration of Borno and Lagos states. He recently joined the PDP from APC; Markus Gundiri, an engineer; Dr Umar Ardo; Dr Idi-Hong, a former minister of state for Foreign Affairs; Senator Abubakar Girei; Ahmed Gulak who was recently sacked as political adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan; Auwal Tukur, son of the immediate past PDP national chairman, Alhaji BamangaTukur; Honourable Jerry Kumdisi, a member of the Assembly and Adamu Modibbo among others.
Whether there will be an election or not is no longer the case, but what is of concern is whether the now projected outcome would not further elicit crisis within the party.
If Fintiri emerges victorious at the election proper, he will only complete the tenure of impeached governor, Murtala Nyako and of course that is to say that while he will be campaigning to win for this short term, others also would be stomping the arena for the party primaries for the governorship elections sometime in February 2015.
So, will Fintiri participate in that process? Perhaps there lies the reason for the Thursday night deal said to have been anchored by the president of the Senate, David Mark.
The Deal That Favours Fintiri
It was learnt that the PDP national leadership settled for the choice of the acting governor to stave off crisis in the party and to prevent a backlash that could pave way for a victory by the sour All Progressive Congress (APC).
The opposition APC, which was in the saddle in the state during the limited period that Nyako stayed with the party, was sure waiting for a possible implosion in the PDP in the event that Fintiri is side-lined. [eap_ad_1] Also, the party was fervently waiting to reap from the crisis that could have trailed a possible candidature of Ribadu. It was this realisation, according to party sources privy to the meeting, that informed the resolution to allow Fintiri conclude Nyako’s tenure, which lapses May 29, 2015.
However, it was learnt that the acting governor, who did not play hardball during the meeting, which also had the national chairman of PDP, Adamu Muazu and other party chiefs in attendance, allegedly penned down his signature on an agreement not to contest the 2015 governorship election.
