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Tag: Adamawa

  • APC mantains lead in Adamawa

    APC mantains lead in Adamawa

    The results of last Saturday’s presidential elections have started trickling in from 18 local government councils of Adamawa state.

    In all the APC so far polled 274282, while the PDP  scored 202822 votes, the results of three local government councils are still being awaited.

    The collation of the results as released by returning officers at the Gen Murtala Mohammed College showed that the All Progressive Congress, APC, is leading in 12 local councils followed by the Peoples Democratic, PDP, which won in six local government councils.

    The results showed that APC won in Girei, Maiha, Hong, Mayo-Belwa, Yola South,Yola North, Toungo, Mubi North, Shelleng, Gombi, Ganye and Jada while the PDP won in Madagali,Lamurde, Michika, Guyuk, Song and Demsa local council areas.

    In Girei, APC polled 17,149 votes as against PDP 9285 votes, in Maiha APC recorded 15,432 votes as against PDP 2603 votes, and in Hong local government, APC recorded 17365 votes PDP 1662 votes.

    Also in Mayo-Belwa APC scored 24483 votes as against PDP 17789 votes, while in Yola South APC polled 39,019 votes as against PDP 10988 votes and in Yola North APC scored 47139 votes against PDP 13790 votes.

    In Toungo the results showed that the APC won the local government with 6891 votes as against the PDP 4239 votes, while in Mubi North APC polled 20641 votes against the PDP with 12964 votes.

    The APC won Shelleng with 14656 votes as against the PDP which scored 9053 votes, Gombi APC won with 13603 against PDP 12035, Ganye APC won with 24611 against 8551 for PDP and in Jada APC won with 27082 against PDP 12257.

    The PDP however won the election in Madagali with 4997 votes against APC 3331 votes, while in Lamurde, the PDP won with 17919 votes as against APC 7322 votes and in Michika PDP won with 6762 votes against APC 3527 votes.

    The PDP won in Guyuk with 19 808 votes as against APC 9575 votes and in Song local government PDP aslo won with 18,495 votes while APC scored 17354 votes.

    In addition, PDP won Demsa local government by scoring 19,625 against APC with 6211 votes.

    The Senate and House of Representatives results are still being awaited.

  • Election: APC leads in Adamawa

    Election: APC leads in Adamawa

    The results for last Saturday’s presidential elections have started trickling in from 14 local government councils of Adamawa state.

    The collation of the results as released by the Returning Officers at the General Murtala Mohammed College showed that the All Progressive Congress (APC) is leading in nine local councils followed by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP (PDP), which won in five local government councils.

    The results showed that APC won in Girei, Maiha, Hong, Mayo-Belwa, Yola South,Yola North, Toungo, Mubi North,and Shelleng, while the PDP won in Madagali, Lamurde, Michika, Guyuk and Song local council areas.

    In Girei, APC polled 17,149 votes as against PDP 9,285 votes, in Maiha APC recorded 15,432 votes as against PDP 2,603 votes, and in Hong local government, APC recorded 17,365 votes PDP 1,662 votes.

    Also in Mayo-Belwa APC scored 24483 votes as against PDP 17,789 votes, while in Yola South APC polled 39,019 votes as against PDP 10,988 votes and in Yola North, APC scored 47,139 votes against PDP 13,790 votes.

    In Toungo the results showed that the APC won the local government with 6,891 votes as against the PDP’s 4,239 votes.

    Similarly, in Mubi North, APC polled 20,641 votes against the PDP with 12,964 votes.

    The APC won Shelleng with 14,656 votes as against the PDP which scored 9,053 votes.

    Meanwhile, the PDP however won the election in Madagali with 4,997 votes against APC 3,331 votes, while in Lamurde, the PDP won with 17,919 votes as against APC 7,322 votes and in Michika PDP won with 6,762 votes against APC 3,527 votes.

    The PDP won in Guyuk with 19,808 votes as against APC 9,575 votes and in Song local government PDP also won with 18,495 votes while APC scored 17,354 votes.

    As at the time of filing this report, mores results are still being expected at the collation centre while the results for the Senate and House of Representatives are still being awaited.

     

     

  • Adamawa PDP: A divided house

    Adamawa PDP: A divided house

    All is not well with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State, despite the recent presidential visit. BARNABAS MANYAM examines the crisis and its implications for the party, ahead of the general election. 

    The squabbling in the Adamawa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is yet to end, despite President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s visit. The grouse was generated in the wake of the party’s primaries, which were characterised by the imposition of candidates at all levels.

    The support of the Christian population can no longer be taken for granted. After seven years of Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako in office, Christians are demanding for a fair deal. They say they have waited in the wings to take a shot at the governorship, but are being denied the chance once again, with the handing of the governorship ticket to another Fulani man on a platter of gold. They are insisting on Nuhu Ribadu’s name being substituted by that of a seasoned politician and legal luminary, Jerry Kumdisi.

    According to observers, the argument of the Christian community and that of the minorities may be tenable, but the Presidency has continued to disregard this sizeable voting population, going by the outcome of the 2011 general elections.

    Less than two weeks to the presidential elections, the chances of the PDP is becoming bleak by the day, as some party bigwigs have been defecting to other parties.These include: Markus Gundiri, Navy Commander Bodes, Alh. Abubakar Kari Abdulahi and Hon. Awwal Tukur. Others are: two members of the National Assembly, Aishatu Dahiru Binani and Anthony Madwatte, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr. Kwamoti Laori.  Laori left the party with many members of the House, including the former Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Ahmed Modibbo.

    Some of the aggrieved aspirants that contributed to building the party, but have been ditched by the PDP include Gen. Aliyu Kama, Hon. Awwal Tukur, Dr. Ahmed Modibbo, Prof Andrawus Sawa, incumbent Governor Bala Nggilari, Senator Abubakar Halilu Girei, Hon. Jerry Kumdisi, Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong, and former Special Adviser to the President, Mr. Ahmed Gulak. It also includes senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly aspirants, who were sidelined during the primaries by the party. As a result, the party is grappling to make an impact in Adamawa State.

    Under Governor Nggilari, many local government chairmen have resorted to using state funds to fund parties that are in the opposition.

    Another baffling aspect is that some politicians, who are said to be loyal to the PDP are becoming lukewarm; most of them no longer attend party functions or contribute their resources to support the campaign effort. Those could be described as resourceful people in the party are aloof and unperturbed by the struggles the party is going through. People like the former Acting Governor, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who was the major beneficiary of the Murtala Nyako impeachment and who also presided over the government for three month have since refused to identify with the party in terms of committing his resources to run the party. Observers say he is waiting in the wings to benefit from the appeal court judgement between him and Nggilari. Fintiri believes the Presidency will swing the case to his favour.

    Kumdisi has been endorsed by many political heavyweights in the state. According to observers, he is the one politician that may help galvanise the party to victory, if the party decides to right the wrongs done to him during the primary. Such observers see the coming of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu as a sign of the growing impunity and interference with the internal democracy from Abuja. The henchmen behind the manoeuvrings, they said, are only are interested in siphoning the state’s funds, if Ribadu comes to power.

    Among the other nine aspirants that were shortchanged at the primaries, Kumdisi appears to have more political clout. He is a moderate voice that can carry many stakeholders along. Besides, he is an experienced legislator; having served three terms in the House of Assembly

    He is not a money bag. Yet, the people’s love for him is genuine because he is simply a grassroots man that believes in personal persuasions. Kumdisi carries more influence and acceptability among Adamawa State delegates. He was coasting to victory before the impunity that took place in Abuja was concocted.

    Pundits say the only way the PDP can extricate itself from the tight spot it has found itself is to go back to the drawing board, by reuniting stakeholders and pacifying those that left the party because they felt they were shortchanged during the primaries. Kumdisi is believed to be the only man who can unite members once more. Local people contributed to buy his PDP nomination forms for N11m because of their love for him.

    Many party supporters have called for compensation for former aspirants with positions and cash to assuage their huge campaign expenditure and the N11m nomination fee.

    Observers believe that, if Ribadu’s name is not substituted by that of Kumdisi, the party may come a distant third in the election. They believe that the change of candidature will bring the party back to his winning ways. They say this is not because they have anything against Ribadu, who is widely regarded as a gentleman, who can even stand elections to the highest office in the land. But, their grouse is the process that brought him into the race.

    According to this group, the PDP would not be in the mess, if real elections were allowed to take place if the President had persuaded other aspirants to step down for Ribadu. “Many aspirants would have agreed, but, by using the elbow on the other nine aspirants and thwarting the whole process, they see in Nuhu Ribadu as a pawn being used by some dangerous people in Abuja to feather their nests,” one of such observers, who does not want to be named, said.

    He added that those that drafted Ribadu into the race on the platform of the PDP have only succeeded in spoiling the bright chances that the former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had from the beginning. Only time will tell if the mafia will succeed.

  • Troops repel Boko Haram in Adamawa

    Troops repel Boko Haram in Adamawa

    An attack on Gombi, the headquarters of Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State, by Boko Haram fighters has been repelled.

    A combined team of vigilante hunters, troops and policemen Monday night stopped the militants, killed many of them, seized their vehicles and ammunition.

    The Army said Boko Haram terrorists fleeing the onslaught by troops met their waterloo in attempt to enter the Gombi town.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja by Col. Sani Usman , the Acting Director of Army Public Relations, the military said the insurgents were engaged by 23 Brigade troops in a gun battle that led to the killing of a number of them.

    He said the operation also led to the destruction and recovery of vehicles, motorcycles, weapons and ammunition.

    He listed the weapons destroyed and recovered to include four Hilux vehicles, three anti-aircraft guns and one 50 inch Browning machine gun.

    “Others include: 5,000 rounds of 12.7 millimeter ammunition; two boxes of .50-inch ammunition; 1,000 rounds of Light Machine Gun ammunition; one Rocket Propelled Grenade 7 tube as well as one General Purpose Machine Gun.

    “Unfortunately, one soldier was wounded in the encounter and he is responding to treatment,” Col. Usman said.

    He added that troops were mopping up the area to prevent further incursions by the terrorists.

    Adamawa Police spokesman Othoman Abubakar said the insurgents tried to penetrate Gombi through Biu-Garkida road but the joint operation repelled the offensive.

    Gombi is 120 kilometers from from Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

    It was recently recaptured from the sect members.

    “The men came in from Goloso, Garkida villages through Biu road about 6:30 p.m. in a motorcade and vehicles. They engaged soldiers in a gun battle,” a resident, Bello Abubakar, said.

    “There was pandemonium in the town as people scampered for their lives for fear of uncertainty,’’ he said.  Another fleeing resident, Mr Bitrus Danladi, said many residents ran into bush, ‘’ as I am talking to you we are here on the mountain, taking refuge,” Danladi said.

     

  • Court refuses Adamawa CJ’s prayer to stay hearing in Nyako’s suit

    The Adamawa Chief Judge, Justice Ishaya Banu, has lost in his bid to stay proceedings in the suit filed before the Federal High Court, Yola by ex-Governor Murtala Nyako.

    In a ruling yesterday, a three-man panel of the Court of Appeal, Yola (now sitting in Abuja), refused Banu’s prayer for a stay of proceeding in Nyako’s case pending the determination of his (Banu’s) appeal.

    The court, however, abridged time within which parties are to file and serve their briefs of argument. It gave the appellant and respondent one week each.

    Justice Banu had appealed the decision by Justice Bilikisu Aliyu, the then judge in the fundamental rights’ enforcement suit by Nyako. Banu had applied to be made a party in the suit. But Justice Aliyu refused his application on the grounds that he was not a necessary party, a decision he appealed.

    Nyako had initiated the suit to challenge the process leading to his impeachment last year. The suit, with the Adamawa State House of Assembly and others as defendants, was one of two suits filed by the governor shortly after his impeachment.

    Nyako had, in November 2014, alleged that he was denied a fair hearing by the impeachment panel, which recommended to the House of Assembly that he should be removed from office.

    Justice Aliu concluded hearing in the fundamental rights’ enforcement suit and adjourned till February 12. Before the date scheduled for judgment, the Chief Judge, Justice Auta, called for the file on the grounds that a petition was written against the judge by the Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Ishaya Banu, through his lawyer, Festus Keyamo.

    Nyako protested Justice Auta’s action in a February 2015 petition to the National Judicial Council (NJC), accusing him of seizing the case file and “thereby forestalling the delivery of the court judgment slated for February 12.”

    Chief Registrar of the Federal High Court Mrs. Rosemary Dugbo-Oghoghorie, on February 18, denied Nyako’s allegation. She said the chief Judge called for the case file to enable him address a petition dated February 3, 2014, written to his office by Festus Keyamo, who is the lawyer to the chief judge of Adamawa State, a party in the case.

    The case has now been reassigned to another judge, Justice M.G Umar of the Bauchi division of the Federal High Court. The new judge has fixed hearing for March 17.

     

  • Military recounts troop’s success in Adamawa

    Military recounts troop’s success in Adamawa

    Major General Fatai Alli, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, on Tuesday reiterated the successes recorded by troops in the fight against insurgents in far North eastern state of Adamawa.

    Alli said troops have recaptured almost all towns in Adamawa earlier held by insurgents except Madagali, headquarters of Madagali Local Government.

    The Major General disclosed this when some newsmen were taken on a guided tour of liberated towns in Hong, Mubi and Michika Local Government Areas of the state.

    Maj.-Gen. Chris Ogunkolade, the Director, Defence Information, who led the tour, said it was to give the journalists the opportunity to see the situation on ground.

    According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), some of the recaptured towns include Hong, Kaala, Makera, Mararraba Mubi, Maiha, Mubi North, Mubi South, Uba, Kudzum, Bazza, Michika and Shuwa.

    The GOC said operations to recapture Madagali were ongoing, and vowed that all territories held by the terrorists would be liberated soon.

    Alli attributed the successes recorded by troops in the war against the insurgents to recent acquisition of weapons, better coordination, motivation and training of personnel.

    “Boko Haram has been substantially degraded, the flow of arms and ammunition to them has reduced drastically, their financial support has been blocked by financial measures adopted by the international community,” he said.

    Similarly, Brig-Gen Victor Ezeugwu, the Commanding Officer, 28 Task Force Brigade, Hong, described the recapture of Mararraba and Mubi as a ‘watershed’ in the fight against Boko Haram in Adamawa.

    Ezeugwu further added that the town was a strategic supply route for the insurgents.

    He said the brigade had also captured over 100 insurgents and handed them over to relevant security agencies for further investigation.

    Among the three towns reportedly visited, Michika was the most hit by the terrorists, as most structures in the town had been destroyed.

    Some of the structures destroyed included the Divisional Police Office, Local Government secretariat, Emir’s palace, Mosques, Churches, banks, market and the general hospital.

    It was reliably gathered that the insurgents destroyed the structures while fleeing the onslaught by the military to recapture the town.

    It was also reported that residents of the affected areas had not returned as at the time of the visit.

    Meanwhile, the Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Ahmadu, has restated his call on his subjects to return, saying that the area had been secured by the military.

    Ahmadu told the visiting journalists that at his palace that it was important for the residents to return so as to help in the rebuilding process.

    “I will plead with the people of Mubi to come home so that we develop Mubi.

    “Mubi is now in peace, so everybody should come; I have come back to Mubi, I am not going anywhere except on official assignment,” he said.

  • Insurgency: HIV/AIDS Victims displaced in Adamawa

    Insurgency: HIV/AIDS Victims displaced in Adamawa

    The Executive Secretary of Adamawa State Agency for the Control of Aids (ADSACA), Dr. Stephen John, has on Monday expressed concern over the adverse effect of the current insurgency on the fight against HIV/AIDs in the state.

    Speaking in Yola with The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview, John said that the insurgency had set back the gains recorded in the fight against the disease.

    He said that before the displacement of people due to the insurgency, the agency had succeeded in reducing the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate in the state from 6 per cent to 1.9 per cent.

    “We have a situation where people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS from across the state, neighbouring states and even countries like Central Africa Republic flooding Adamawa because of insurgency and unrest.

    “We have it on record that over 6, 000 people living with HIV/AIDS that were on treatment in Hong, Mubi, Maiha, Gombi, Michika and Madagali Local Government Areas were displaced due to the destruction caused by the insurgents.

    “This is a huge problem and a big risk when you have this type of scenario,” John said.

    The executive secretary explained that apart from destruction and looting of HIV/AIDS equipments at the affected areas, records of patients were also destroyed by the insurgents.

    He said ADSACA in collaboration with a donor organization, FHI 360 and the state Primary Healthcare Agency were tracking displaced patients in camps and other places, in order to link them up with treatment.

    On challenges of funding, the executive secretary said that the agency had forwarded a memo to the state governor to settle unpaid counterpart contribution to the World Bank, which accumulated since 2011.

    He therefore explained that the failure to pay the counterpart fund had slowed down the rate of implementation of HIV/AIDS programme in the state.

  • Adamawa PDP splits over plot to bring back Fintiri

    Barely five weeks to the elections, tension has overwhelmed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over alleged plot to sack Governor Bala James Ngilari and reinstate the former Acting Governor, Umar Fintiri, through the court.

    Ngilari, a former deputy governor to the impeached Governor Murtala Nyako, was declared the substantive governor on October 8 last year by a Federal High Court presided over by Justice Adeniyi Ademola.

    But Fintiri went to the Court of Appeal to challenge his removal and seek reinstatement.

    The apex court asked the parties to submit written addresses by March 3.

    Some forces  in PDP were, however, unhappy with Ngilari for not whole-heartedly backing the party’s governorship candidate, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

    The forces discovered through intelligence that the governor had been allegedly supporting the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Marcus Gundiri.

    It was learnt that the forces, including some in the presidency, were disturbed that Ngilari was allegedly promoting Christianity agenda for Gundiri in cahoot with a serving minister.

    It was gathered that although a reconciliation of all groups had been effected, signals showed that Ngilari might favour Gundiri more than Ribadu.

    It was alleged that Gundiri might be enjoying state funding of his party’s campaign.

    The permutations by the PDP border on the need to settle the matter through the court by easing out Ngilari.

    Investigation showed that the forces at work were more at home with the reinstatement of Fintiri, who has learnt his lessons by dumping his aspiration for any elective office.

    The massive turnout of Fintiri’s supporters at the presidential rally was said to have convinced anti-Ngilari forces that Fintiri, who is the Speaker of the House of Assembly, is an electoral asset.

    The campaign was allegedly used to test the waters for Fintiri.

    A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Adamawa is back in the news. Some forces are just uncomfortable with Ngilari, who is being accused of anti-party activities.

    “They are alleging that the governor is surreptitiously supporting Gundiri, a Christian, instead of the PDP candidate, Mallam Ribadu.

    “Ribadu’s camp has bent forward and backward to accommodate the governor with a senatorial ticket, but the Ngilari group is adamant on Gundiri.

    “So, there is a plot to give Ngilari what is now known in the Northeast as “Taraba treatment”, which led to the ouster of the former Acting Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Garba Umar, by the court.

    “This has created tension,  because Christians in Adamawa may engage in block voting against Ribadu.

    “But the forces behind the plot believe that Fintiri is more popular in Adamawa North Senatorial District than Ngilari. They said irrespective of religion, Fintiri may win Christian votes for PDP.”

    Another source said: “There is anxiety in the state that some forces were bent on removing the Christian governor through judicial ambush.

    “Their grouse is that Ngilari has not been loyal to the party at all. But some PDP leaders said it is better to ask the presidency to call Ngilari to order than creating another crisis, which may favour the opposition.

    “We are in a delicate situation where neither PDP nor SDP will win the election if Ngilari is sacked.

  • Police, army recover 19 IEDs in Adamawa

    The police and the army in Adamawa state yesterday recovered 19 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)  in Song  Local Government area of Adamawa state.

    The police said the  have IEDs were intended for attacks on several public structures in the state,the most prominent being the River Benue  Bridge,Jimeta.

    Police  Commissioner Gabriel Adaji   told reporters that the IEDs were 99% ready for detonation  at the time of their recovery.

    Adaji  displayed the items which he said belonged to Boko Haram.

    The IEDs,according to him,were primed to cause  maximum havoc in the state.

    He said that a good citizen tipped off the police about the suspicious movement of  some strange people  in the mountainous areas of Song local government area.

    He  said the police and soldiers immediately moved to the area and recovered the IEDs.  However, no arrest was made.

    Mr.  Adaji  said the IEDs recovery  saved the  State from a  catastrophe and possibly the worst explosion ever  in the  Northeast since the commenvement of the Boko Haram insurgency.

  • Jonathan’s convoy stoned in Taraba, Adamawa

    Jonathan’s convoy stoned in Taraba, Adamawa

    Twice at two state capitals yesterday, President Goodluck Jonathan’s convoy was attacked.

    The President led the campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to Yola, the Adamawa State capital, and to neigbouriing Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.

    His convoy was attacked in both places.

    Windshields and windows of many vehicles in the convoy were shattered in Yola, according to Associated Press, which could not confirm if anyone was hurt.

    Police used tear gas and whips to disperse the mob.

    Soldiers guarded billboards and posters of Jonathan.  Protesters shouted that the troops should instead be fighting the Boko Haram insurgents that are holding part of the state.

    “Why are they using soldiers and other security operatives? They should be deployed in Sambisa and fight with Boko Haram, not with innocent civilians,” one youth yelled as he tore down a poster of a smiling Jonathan.

    Sambisa Forest is where the insurgents have camps and where they are believed to be holding some of the 276 schoolgirls abducted from a boarding school in the remote town of Chibok in April – a mass kidnapping that brought international outrage.

    Yola is housing tens of thousands of people driven from their homes in the five-year-old insurgency.

    The President’s convoy was attacked when he visited the Emir of Muri, His Royal Majesty Alhaji Abbas Tafida, in his palace in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.

    As usual during campaigns, Jonathan, on arrival, was driven to the emir’s palace to seek the royal blessing.

    While the President was discussing with the monarch, hoodlums reportedly hauled pebbles at his motorcade.

    Also, while Jonathan was campaigning at the Jolly Nyame Sports Complex, on Yola Road, the hoodlums reportedly invaded the PDP secretariat on Barde Way.

    The two policemen at the PDP office said they were overpowered by over 300 hoodlums, who invaded the secretariat.

    They damaged over 10 vehicles belonging packed on the secretariat premises.

    Questions were being asked on the identity of the hoodlums.

    Many said they were APC thugs, but another source said they were aggrieved PDP thugs.

    It was learnt that some PDP youths, on Wednesday, threatened to disrupt Jonathan’s rally yesterday, because they were “abandoned”.