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Tag: Adamawa

  • PDP ‘won’t appeal’ judgment on Adamawa

    PDP ‘won’t appeal’ judgment on Adamawa

    The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has said the party would not appeal Wednesday’s judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja, that sacked the erstwhile Acting Governor of the state, Umar Fintiri and installed the erstwhile Deputy Governor, Bala Igilari as governor.

    The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated this while reacting to the verdict of the court.

    According to him, the PDP was not joined in the court case and so there is no basis for the party to appeal the judgment.

    Metuh said: “The party has looked at the judgment on Adamawa and we resolved as follows:

    “The PDP is a law-abiding party and we have therefore advised our members to obey accordingly. As is being done in every legal matter, there is right of appeal.

    “But in the meantime the PDP has enjoined our party members to obey the decision of the court.

    “Secondly, the paramount thing for us is peace in Adamawa. And we enjoin the Executive Governor of Adamawa State that was sworn in today to pursue peace and progress of Adamawa State.

    “The state has had its own fair share of political turmoil, the state has had its own fair share of challenges. We believe that the citizens of the state deserve peace and unity.

    “We urge our state chairman to ensure that PDP remains united as one body in Adamawa. And as a PDP member we can only say to the former Deputy Governor to continue to pursue the party’s programmes for the benefit of the people.”

     

     

  • INEC awaits court order on Adamawa

    INEC awaits court order on Adamawa

    The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, said the commission would in the course of the day announce its position on the conduct of Saturday’s Adamawa Governorship by-election.

    Jega said this on Wednesday in Yola while addressing political stakeholders in the by-election slated for Saturday.

    “As we prepare for this meeting just 30 minutes ago, I received the information from Abuja that a Federal High Court has, among others, granted an injunction restraining INEC from conducting the Adamawa by-election.

    “This information came to me from our Director Legal Services.

    “INEC is a law abiding organization, I am yet to see the court order but I still believed that the right thing to do under the circumstances is not to proceed with this meeting until we get a sufficient clarification.

    “Once we get a proper process served on us in the course of the day, we will make an appropriate announcement as what the position of INEC is on this particular matter,” Jega said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that a Federal High Court in Abuja, on Wednesday ordered that the former Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Bala Ngilari, should be sworn in immediately as the governor.

    The court said in its judgment that the Acting Governor, Alhaji Ahmadu Fintiri, was occupying the office illegally as the former Deputy Governor Ngilari, had not resigned from office.

    Meanwhile, Fintiri said he had directed his lawyers to appeal against the judgment.

    “Our lawyers are preparing their papers and will file an appeal in the next 20 minutes.

    “We are awaiting the result of the appeal and we still belief the election will take place,” Fintiri said.

  • ‘Abandoned girl not Chibok schoolgirl’

    ‘Abandoned girl not Chibok schoolgirl’

    A teenage girl abandoned by her captors in Adamawa State about two weeks ago is not one of the schoolgirls abducted by the Boko Haram insurgents, the leader of the Chibok Elders Forum, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, has said.

    The girl was abandoned at Mararraban Mubi in Hong Local Government and was feared to be one of the abducted girls.

    She was reportedly dumped at an unidentified location from where she trekked for three days to a village near Mararraban Mubi, where she was found by villagers and taken to a police station. The girl was later moved to Abuja and kept in the custody of the Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI).

    It was learnt that to ascertain her true identity, leaders of the Chibok community in Abuja and the Vice Principal (Academics) of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, were brought to Abuja to identify the girl, who gave her name as Suzanna Ishaya.

    However, it has been established that the girl was not one of the Chibok girls.

    Bitrus said: “We have confirmed that she is not from Chibok and is not one of the girls abducted in April. She is in the custody of the security agencies.”

    The Chibok leader said the girl might have been abducted in another location by Boko Haram insurgents and given in marriage to one of their commanders.

    The girl, upon examination, was found to be four months pregnant, with signs of physical abuse on her body.

     

  • 10 put to bed at Yola camp

    10 put to bed at Yola camp

    Ten women have put to bed at the Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDPs) Camp in Adamawa State.

    Fifty four others are due for delivery.

    Most of the over 4,500 inhabitants of the camp are from Gwoza in Borno State. A few are from Madagali, Michika, Uba, Bazza and Mubi.

    Adamawa State Emergency Management Agency (ADSEMA) Secretary Haruna Hamman Furo told reporters that the government was taking care of the displaced persons.

    He said the American University of Nigeria (AUN) was holding classes in the camp to educate the displaced persons.

    Furo said skill acquisition programmes were also ongoing in the camp.

    He said the state was registering the IDPs so that sporting and other facilities could be provided for them.

    Furo said the camp cooks 15 bags of rice daily and had food that can last for four months. He said the displaced persons needed tailoring and crafts materials to learn some skills.

    Furo praised the Federal Government and Adamawa State for sustaining the camp.

    He said over 8,000 IDPs, who were living with their relatives in town, were also been numbered for the smooth distribution of relief materials.

  • PDP gives Adamawa council officials deadline to re-register

    PDP gives Adamawa council officials deadline to re-register

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa State has given the 21 local government chairmen, vice-chairmen and councillors till September 26 to re-register as members of the party or lose their seats.

    The deadline came after the council officials voted in the party’s September 6 governorship primary election, in which Acting Governor Ahmadu Fintiri was given the party’s mandate.

    It was gathered that the move was designed to secure the loyalty of the officials to Fintiri and ensure the PDP’s victory in the October 11 governorship poll.

    There is fear that the council chairmen, who are believed to be loyal to former Governor Murtala Nyako, may work for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    It was also learnt that the step was taken to frustrate a legal action against Fintiri’s emergence because the council officials were card-carrying APC members.

    Some party members faulted the participation of council officials because they were not given “re-admission” waiver by the PDP before voting at the primary.

    But the Mr Dimeji Bankole-led Electoral Committee was said to have turned a blind eye to it because of “pressure from above”.

    The directive was issued by the state PDP Chairman, Chief Joel Madaki, at the party’s stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House in Yola.

    At the meeting were former Minister of Petroleum Resources Prof. Jibril Aminu; former PDP National Chairman Alhaji Bamanga Tukur; Sir Wilberforce Juta; Air Commodore Dan Suleiman; Minister of Youth Development Boni Haruna and Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Hajia Zainab Maina, among others.

    A source said: “The council chairmen and councillors are expected to re-register as PDP members from September 22. They have till September 26 to complete the process. If they fail to re-register, the councils stand to be dissolved by the acting governor. This became necessary because they are still believed to be APC leaders. PDP and the acting governor are jittery that the council chairmen and councillors can sabotage Fintiri.”

    Another source said: “The deceit surrounding the September 6 primary election has started emerging because the panel from Abuja and a gang of PDP leaders allowed non-party members to vote as delegates to elect Fintiri.

    “The electorate is beginning to realise the danger of voting for PDP in the coming governorship poll because they fear that they can be shortchanged. If Fintiri secured the support of these people, why a deadline to council chairmen, vice chairmen and councillors to re-register as PDP members?”

  • Photo: Internally displaced children in Adamawa

    Photo: Internally displaced children in Adamawa

    SOME INTERNALLY DISPLACED CHILDREN, FROM MADAGALI, MICHIKA AND MUBI LGA QUEUING FOR FOOD AT THE BAJABURE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS CAMP IN GIREI LGA OF ADAMAWA ON SUNDAY. Photo NAN
    SOME INTERNALLY DISPLACED CHILDREN, FROM MADAGALI, MICHIKA AND MUBI
    LGA QUEUING FOR FOOD AT THE BAJABURE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS CAMP IN
    GIREI LGA OF ADAMAWA ON SUNDAY. Photo NAN
  • Adamawa poll: Atiku calls for stakeholders’ meeting

    Adamawa poll: Atiku calls for stakeholders’ meeting

    Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for an urgent meeting of stakeholders in Adamawa State to ensure a free and fair governorship election on October 11.

    In a statement yesterday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain said the meeting was necessary in view of the need to maintain security and the fear that the emergency rule in the state could disenfranchise the people.

    Stakeholders expected to meet include political parties, security agencies, the state government, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), civil society groups, election observers, religious and traditional rulers.

    Atiku said a report by NOI Polls revealed that 55 per cent of adult Nigerians and 72 per cent of those surveyed in the Northeast want the emergency rule imposed on three states in the region lifted during the 2015 elections.

    Atiku said the proposed meeting would come up with modalities for ensuring a free and fair election under emergency rule in Adamawa State, adding that Adamawa could be used as a fore runner of the 2015 polls.

    Stressing the need for tight security in the state, he, however, said emergency rule may make it impossible for residents to vote.

    The Turaki Adamawa said it would hinder free movement and association, such as political rallies.

    He said the emergency rule in Adamawa calls to question the level playing ground the government is supposed to provide for parties participating in the election, since the Federal Government is also an interested party in through the participation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Atiku stressed the need to address these issues before the October 11 election in the interest of democracy, justice and fair-play.

  • Adamawa poll: Ribadu, seven others step down for 2015

    Adamawa poll: Ribadu, seven others step down for 2015

    …Marwa, Fintiri, Gulak, Modibbo, Ardo, Kumdisi still in the race

    Eight of the fourteen aspirants jostling for the Adamawa State Governorship ticket  under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stepped down from the race in the early hours of Friday.

    Following the impeachment of the former Governor, Murtala Nyako,  October 11  has been fixed for election to get a substantive governor for the state.

    After about four hours meeting with the aspirants that started by 9.06 p.m on Thursday and ended around 1.00 a.m on Friday at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Senate President, David Mark along with other officials of the party were able to reach a compromise with the aspirants and pruned down the number of those contesting to six.

    The six aspirants still in the race for the party’s ticket on Saturday are  Ahmed Gulak, Buba Marwa, Ahmed Modibbo, Dr. Umar Ardo, Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri, and Jerry Kumdisi.

    Those who have withdrawn from Saturday primary election include Nuhu Ribadu;  Auwal Tukur; Aliyu Idi Hong, Andrawus Sawa; James Barka;  Gen. Aliyu Kama; Markus Gundiri and Abubakar Girei.

    It was agreed at the closed-door meeting that the six aspirants contesting for the party’s ticket on Saturday will not contest for the position in 2015.

    The meeting also agreed that only those stepping down now can contest for the party’s governorship election ticket in 2015, with more consideration in 2015 for Adamawa Central that has never produced a governor.

    Any aspirant who fails to win the party’s ticket in Saturday’s primary election, the meeting, also agreed must support the party’s flag bearer towards the 11th October election.

    Speaking with State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, Chairman of the Adamawa State chapter of the party, Joel Madaki said: “Fourteen aspirants contesting for the position earlier has now reduced to six aspirants due to this meeting. It is a very welcome idea. Nobody was forced to step them. Those who stepped down did so voluntarily in order to wait to contest for the position in 2015.”

    “The six aspirants contesting this election are Ahmed Gulak, Buba Marwa, Ahmed Modibbo, Dr. Umar Ardo, Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri, and Jerry Kumdisi,” he added

    The former Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Ahmed Gulak, who is contesting for the ticket on Saturday, said: “The outcome of the meeting was fantastic. We met as family members of PDP, even before coming here all the aspirants in Adamawa have unanimously resolved that after the primaries, in a free, fair primaries, anybody that emerges will get our support.”

    “Today, in this meeting, the number of the aspirants has been drastically reduced to six, which is manageable. I am contesting, Gen. Marwa is contesting, Ahmed Modibbo is contesting, Dr. Umar Ardo is contesting, Hon. Jerry Kumdisi is contesting, and Acting Governor Fintiri is contesting.”

    “And we have resolved to go into the primaries without rancour, without acrimony and to come out of it as peaceful co-existing members.

    “And at the end of it all, anybody that emerges, we will all queue behind him. And if I emerge as the candidate, they will all queue behind me. It is going to be a family affair and there will be no losers.”

    On his chances of getting the ticket as Ribadu and others are now out of the race, he said: “Nuhu Ribadu or not, you know, I prepared for this election. Even, if 14 of us are going into this election, I am confident of my ability, of my capability, of my mobilization, of my sensitization that the delegates will select me.”

    Aliyu Idi Hong, who is among those who withdrew from the race, said: “Peace-building, negotiation, give-and-take, everything went well. We have been given a caveat and one thing we have succeeded in extracting from this meeting is that the meeting started with a preamble that whoever is going to contest and if he happens to win as a governor, he will not have the right to contest the 2015 election.”

    “Some of us think that our aspirations, our ambition, our vision for Adamawa is a long term and more articulate vision and not a stop-gap six months aspiration.”

    “For that reason, we saw it is wiser that if you are going to do something to change the fortune of Adamawa, you need a longer period of time. So, we decided that it is not wise for you to go into this aspiration for six months,” Hong said.

     “Two, we have also been able to have on record, that whoever is going to emerge as governor will not contest in 2015 and it has also been unanimously agreed that because Adamawa Central has not been able to produce governor of the state before, it is on record that the Presidency and the party have accepted that the aspiration for the PDP nomination for 2015 will be strictly for contestants from Adamawa Central. It is not negotiable.”

    “So most of us from Adamawa Central have agreed to this position and about eight of us have withdrawn from the race. We are going to remain members of the party and we are going to contest in 2015 because it will give us the opportunity to make that transformation that we want to change Adamawa into,” he stated.

    Those who attended the meeting included the PDP National Vice Chairman, Uche Secondus and the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Rufai Alkali.

    Also at the meeting are two governors, Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe) and Isa Yuguda (Bauchi).

    The Secretary of the Adamawa state PDP, Barrister Ati Shehu and the former governor of the state, Wilberforce Jutta were also at the meeting.

  • Mark meets Adamawa PDP guber aspirants in Aso Rock

    To ensure a smooth and less rancorous primary election towards electing  a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Adamawa State Governorship election, the Senate President, David Mark Thursday night met behind closed doors with the aspirants at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja.

    Fourteen aspirants have indicated interest to contest for the governorship election ticket of the party for the election fixed for 11th October, 2014.

    The PDP primary election for the governorship election is billed for Friday in the state.

    The aim of the meeting Thursday night, which started when the Senate President arrived the venue around 9.06 p.m, is believed to be to  prevail on the aspirants to pick a consensus candidate among them.

    Among the aspirants that attended the meeting Thursday include the Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri; Dr. Ahmed Modibbo; Nuhu Ribadu;  Auwal Tukur; Aliyu Idi Hong.

    Also at the meeting are Jerry Kumdisi; Andrawus Sawa; James Barka;  Gen. Aliyu Kama; Gen. Buba Marwa; Ahmed Gulak and Dr. Umar Ardo.

    At the meeting also are the PDP National Vice Chairman, Uche Secondus and the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Rufai Alkali

    The two serving governors at the meeting are Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe) and Isa Yuguda (Bauchi).

    The Chairman of the Adamawa PDP, Joel Madaki, the Secretary of the state party, Barrister Ati Shehu and the former governor of the state, Wilberforce Jutta were also at the meeting.

    Details of discussions at the meeting were unknown last night as the meeting was ongoing as at press time.

  • Adamawa: Anxiety as Jonathan, PDP NWC meet aspirants

    Adamawa: Anxiety as Jonathan, PDP NWC meet aspirants

    President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC)  will today meet with the 14 aspirants struggling for the party’s Adamawa State governorship election ticket.

    The Presidency is to prevail on the aspirants to pick a consensus candidate.

    The state secretariat of the party was told that any aspirant who refuses to attend the meeting will lose the right to participate in the primary election.

    Most of the aspirants have resisted the pressure to step down for Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri.

    Besides, some of them suspect that the invitation to Abuja is  a plot to hold all the aspirants hostage in the capital city till Friday afternoon.

    This, they suspect, is to allow delegates vote for their preferred candidate.

    The suspicion was fuelled by the uncovering of what a source described as a plot to shut down the Yola International Airport  ahead of the primary election on Saturday.

    The aspirants are: Acting Governor Fintiri; Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Modibbo; Nuhu Ribadu; Markus Gundiri; Auwal Tukur; Aliyu Idi Hong; Sen. Abubakar H. Girei; Jerry Kumdisi; Andrawus Sawa; James Barka;  Gen. Aliyu Kama; Gen. Buba Marwa; Ahmed Gulak, Dr. Umar Ardo; Jerry Kumdisi and James Barka.

    A text message was sent to all the aspirants to be “at the compulsory meeting”.

    A party source said: “ All the aspirants have been summoned by the President and the NWC because the situation has shown that the PDP might go to the October 11 governorship poll as a divided group.

    “Some aspirants are already threatening protest vote if the primary election is hijacked by forces in the presidency and some NWC members.

    “The tension is building up already and the presidency and the PDP are deeply worried.”

    Some aspirants yesterday said they would not go by consensus option.

    One of the aspirants said: “We want a level-playing field, we do not like consensus formula. This is why we have refused to  step down for each other.”

    Another aspirant added:”We are already on the field canvassing for votes from delegates, let them leave us alone. We do not need consensus.”

    Some of the aspirants have uncovered a plot that the invitation was part of  a move to tamper with the list of delegates in favour of a preferred candidate.

    One of the aspirants said: “We were asked to come for the meeting by 9pm on Thursday. But we got wind of a plot by some forces in the presidency to hold all the aspirants hostage in Abuja till Friday afternoon when the meeting will hold.

    “As the meeting holds on Friday, Yola Airport will be closed. All routes leading to Yola will also be blocked to deny us access.

    “They will then proceed to hold the primary election in the absence of all aspirants so that they can manipulate the process for an anointed aspirant.

    “Nigerians should ask them: What is the rationale for inviting all aspirants for a meeting on Thursday night when it will be obvious that we won’t be able to go back to Yola same night.

    “Yet, they want to shut down Yola airspace on Friday so that we won’t be able to return to our base. We have all agreed on the list of delegates but some forces in Abuja are unhappy. They want to manipulate the process by altering the list to back an aspirant.”

    Despite grumblings about the conduct of the Ward congress on Monday, some of the aspirants met in Yola and accepted the results.

    Three Adhoc delegates per ward were elected in a peaceful and orderly manner.

    The aspirants in a joint statement in Yola yesterday described the ward congress as transparent and substantially in compliance with the party’s guidelines.

    “The pursuant to the above, we (Aspirants) accept the delegates list resulting from the ward congresses to be used for the September 6th state congress for the election of the party’s flag bearer in the 2014 bye-election for the office of governor of Adamawa State”.

    The statement added that the resolutions were unanimously passed and adopted at the stakeholders meeting convened by the ward congress committee headed by Dr. Akilu Indabawa held moment after the conduct of the ward congresses.

    All the aspirants attended the meeting  except Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who was represented by Mr. Kelvin Peters, Mr. Marcus Gundiri was absent.

    Dr. Ahmed Dahiru Modibbo, has promised a government of the people if he wins the PDP ticket

    Modibbo made the promise at a meeting with 147 delegates in Ganye town, from four local governments – Ganye, Jada, Toungo and Mayo-Belwa local government’s areas.

    He also met with another 178 delegates from five local governments of Demsa, Numan, Shelleng, Guyuk and Lamorde.

    He reassured them that as a foundation member of PDP and a proud son of  Adamawa State; he was committed to bringing back the lost glory of the state through a purposeful political leadership.

    He revealed that a thoroughly all-inclusive government would be the only solution of Adamawa’s challenges going by its large tribal population.

    Modibbo visited the monarch of Ganye,  Alh. Umaru Adamu Sanda (The Gangwari of Ganye). He was assured of support from the Ganye Traditional Council at the palace.

    The monarch who said the former UBEC boss needed no further introduction appealed for peaceful conduct among aspirants.