Adamawa PDP guber primaries: 3 aspirants quit race in protest

From Umar Dankano Yola

As the governorship primaries of the People’s Democratic Party commences in
Adamawa state ,two aspirants have withdrawn from the contest for alleged
irregularities in the conduct of the primaries in the state.

Those that withdrew from the contest are Dr.Umar Ardo and Former Deputy
Governor,His excellency Sa’ad M.C Tahir and both accused the party of not
providing a level playing ground for the exercise.

In a press release issued by MC Tahi, he said “I regrettably wish to
honourably withdraw from the race having realised that there is no clear
direction and focus in the way and manner in which the activities of the
party is being conducted in the state”. Sa’ad alleged

Similarly Dr. Ardo in a press statement issued in Yola yesterday said ” The
guidelines for the conduct of the exercise have been deliberately flaunted
as a large number of statutory delegates were removed and duly elected AD
HOC delegates and ward Executives were whimsically changed.

“Under these circumstances I think it is best to maintain my personal and
political integrity and withdraw from the race.There is no point pursing a
cause in which justice,equity and honesty are ignobly compromised “.Ardo
decried

The  duos lamented that under such circumstances,they rather maintained
their political and personal integrity by withdrawing from the governorship
race.

In a related development,another aspirant Adamu Muazu Modibbo has also
withdrew from the governorship race for not being comfortable with the way
and manner the primaries is being conducted.

Modibbo disclosed his withdrawal through a letter he wrote to the state
chairman of the party,Barristar Shehu Tahir registering his disappointment
stressing that other aspirants are easy criminally buying votes from
delegates.

Modibbo who accused some anointed aspirants of paying as much as N50,000
and N100,000 per delegate decrying that reports at his disposal has shown
that in Michika,Guyuk ,Demsa and Yola South local government areas in the
state delegates names were changed illegally.

He cautioned the party leadership to be wary of such dangerous trends that
will only destroy the wellbeing of the party saying his withdrawal is in
the interest of the party.

“As a consequence of the issues above,I hereby withdraw from the race in
the interest of the party .

“My chairman my conscience and principles cannot allow me to either spend
such huge funds buying votes or be part of such political process to
produce our leaders.

“It is a large ballot market that has opened in Yola today in the last
twelve hours of process “.Modibbo fumed

With Modibbo’s withdrawal,only Former Governor Ahmadu Fintiri,Barrister
Aliyu Ahmed ,Ambassador Jameel Zubair and Former Governor Bala James
Nggilari are left for the primaries.