Desperation and imposition are the twin visible features in Adamawa politics

 Desperation and imposition are the twin visible features in Adamawa politics. Adamawa state has a disturbing history of a democracy driven by desperation and imposition. Such disturbing dimension is precipitated by the fact those who would have wanted to sustain Fulani hegemony in the state lack the political clout and capacity to win an election that is credible and acceptable.
Prior to the Abuja kangaroo primaries, a gubernatorial contender of Fulani extraction was reported to have resisted the idea of participating in party primaries. All he wanted was a democracy that accommodates imposition of candidates on the people against all decency.
As the march, 28 and April11, 2015 election inches closer, revelations of alleged acts of desperation and imposition are emerging.
Only recently, a petition written by one pastor prince Kallamu Musa Ali Dikwa dated January 30, 2015 and addressed to the chairman of the National Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahirun Jega raised some moral questions on the procedure of the governorship primary elections of Adamawa state. The petitioner alleged that the Adamawa state INEC commissioner, Alhaji Baba Abba Yusuf, the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the principal private secretary to Mr. President, Ambassador Hassan Tukur, the National Chairman of PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu and many others held a clandestine meeting at the inland city motel located at No. 9, Girei street Yola on January, 8 2015 to strategize for Nuhu Ribadu’s electoral victory.
They were alleged to have told the meeting that the sum of N 15 billion has been set aside for the project and directed that Nuhu Ribadu must be announced the winner of the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
The petition read in part: “Your INEC commissioner in Adamawa state may not have told you; though some of us are now thinking that you may be aware, that the INEC commissioner, Alhaji Abba Baba Yusuf, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Principal secretary to the president, Ambassador Hassan Tukur, the National chairman of PDP, Ahmadu Adamu Muazu and many others held a meeting at the inland city motel, No. 9, Girei street, Jimeta-Yola on the 18th of January 2015, where they strategized that Nuhu Ribadu must be announced as the winner of the Upcoming governorship election in Adamawa state. They said that since Goodluck Jonathan has accepted the faulty primary election and also said that he will assist them, then Ribadu must win by all means.
“Are elections won by all means? They said to the meeting that they have stashed away N15.0 Billion for the project. That amount is for INEC commissioner and the returning officers who will be doing their bid.
Pastor Kallamu Dikwa in the petition prayed Attahiru Jega to prevail over acts of injustices in the state gubernatorial primaries and to investigate the authencity of his claim in the petition against the INEC chairman and others.
The Pastor also sought for the redeployment of the INEC commissioner of Adamawa state on verification of his claim and requested the INEC National Boss to resist any involvement of the PDP National chairman in election procedures.
Responding to the petition, the former EFCC Boss, Malam Nuhu Ribadu told our correspondent that the allegations are baseless emphasizing that the action was a deliberate intention to smear his reputation.
According to him, the Inland City Motel venue of the alleged clandestine meeting as claimed by the petitioners is a motel he has never visited in his life time.
“I have never been to that motel. Tell them to be careful with me. Have they forgotten that I was once the EFCC Boss in this country? I have served in the Police force for twenty-five years…As an EFCC Boss, I have locked up Governors and Ministers in this country. Is it because I am seeking election into the office of the Governor everybody wants to mess up with me? Let them wait a little; they will know who I am, the gubernatorial candidate threatened.”
Also responding, the Adamawa State INEC Resident Commissioner, Alhaji Babba Abba Yusuf dismissed the petition saying that it has no substance in its entirety.
He said that it was the first time such a petition was brought to his attention and wondered why such an election of such magnitude had not been brought to his attention.
He continued: “I never met Ribadu or the National Chairman face to face, so how could we have met at a meeting as the petitioner is claiming. The best thing you can do to me now is to allow me have a photocopy of the petition. Such mischief makers who have thrived on falsehood need to be taught some lessons.”