traditional leaders, and key members of the ruling Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, in Adamawa State, asking for
support ahead of presidential elections in two weeks.
On his second visit to the state in about two weeks, the
president arrived Yola, the state capital, at about 12p.m
before meeting with the Lamido of Adamawa.
President Jonathan Returns To Adamawa To
Beg
A source at the palace said “the president had a closed-door
meeting with some traditional rulers in the Lamido’s palace
for about hour before leaving for Adamawa State
government house”.
At the government house, the president met with political
and religious leaders in the state.
Mr. Jonathan later met with members of the Peoples
Democratic Party, PDP, including Governor Bala Ngilari, his
deputy.
Also present at that meeting were the state PDP chairman,
Joel Madaki, the PDP governorship candidate, Nuhu Ribadu,
past and present National Assembly members.
Mr. Jonathan’s first visit in a long while to Adamawa State
was on February 26, when he travelled to Mubi, a town
reclaimed recently from the insurgent group, Boko Haram.
Ahead of the trip, Mr. Jonathan had been criticised for not
visiting Adamawa, Borno and Yobe States, the three states
most ravaged for years by Boko Haram.
Unlike his first visit when he met with troops fighting Boko
Haram, and victims displaced from their communities, the
president used Saturday’s visit to canvass support for the
March 28 election.
At a meeting with the PDP leadership in the state, Mr.
Jonathan addressed some thorny issues that emanated after
the party’s primaries in the state, which produced Nuhu
Ribadu as the governorship candidate.
Mr. Jonathan, who chaired the meeting at the government
house Yola, appealed to all aggrieved party members to
work for the success of the party.
Governor Ngilari, who spoke before the meeting went into a
closed-door session, assured Mr. Jonathan of victory in the
state, as according to him, the Adamawa chapter of the PDP
has been one indivisible party.
Mr. Ngilari said the members had to meet with the president
to brainstorm on the present situation the party has found
itself.
“We must deliver PDP on 28th of this month, no two ways
about it,” the governor said. “We all agreed that we must
deliver. This is a safe place for you all the PDP candidates, as
a party faithful we must deliver you and other members.”
Mr. Ngilari said the emergence of Nuhu Ribadu as the
party’s candidate was a blessing.
“We need a governor who has an international connection
and to use the connection to build our state by bringing
dividend of democracy,” he said.
The state chairman of the party, Mr. Madaki, while giving a
report of the effort done at reconciling aggrieved members,
said that members have agreed to put behind all their
grievances and work together for the victory of PDP.
“In every organisation there must be disagreement which
does not translate to hatred. There is inter house struggle in
the Adamawa State chapter of the PDP. Before the PDP
primary there were only two major parties in the state,
which were PDP and APC. But after the PDP primaries we
have four party now and many of our people have left to
other platforms, nobody from APC moved to our fold,” he
said.
Mr. Madaki noted that the earlier intervention of President
Jonathan and other party leaders saved the situation.
‘’The intervention of the party leaders have made things to
happen in Adamawa PDP. We have been mobilising people
for your victory Mr. President, we are making progress,” he
assured Mr. Jonathan.
‘’The gubernatorial candidate Nuhu Ribadu is a humble
person. He has visited all aggrieved people individually
seeking their supports.
‘’We’ve gone out to the 226 wards in the state to reconcile
with our people. We want you Mr. President to assist all the
candidates of the party.”
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