APC crisis in Adamawa deepens

• Former SGF spits fire

By Bello Kawule Dasin

The long unresolved crisis eating up the fabric of Adamawa All Progressives Congress (APC) is deepening into the basic structures of the party.  Major stakeholders in the party have continued to be at loggerhead, showing no sign of interest in reconciliation as the 2019 general elections draw nearer.

The crisis began at the earlier stage of Senator Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindow’s administration. The governor was acceded of diverting his allegiance to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who fought to stop him from becoming Governor of the state.

The change of loyalty by Bindow provoked APC leaders in the state who include former Governor Murtala Nyako, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal, Marcus Gunduri, Senator Abdulaziz Nyako, Senator Moallayidi and several loyalists of Murtala Nyako. They felt that their sacrifices to bring the Governor to power have been abused by Bindow. They are considering removing the governor from office in 2019 as the best noble course they live to do for the people of Adamawa state.

The deepening crisis in the Adamawa APC became clear when leaders of a faction of the party held a meeting in Lelewal Hotel, Yola, where they vowed to maintain parallel government with Bindow unto 2019.

The crisis deepened further when the State party organised a stakeholder’s meeting at the banquet hall, Government House, attended by prominent stakeholders. Those in attendance include the Governor; Sen. Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla, SGF Boss Mustapha, Northeast National Vice Chairman of APC, Mustapha Salisu; former SGF, Babachir David Lawal.

Others include Senator Silas Zwingina, Senator Binta Garba, Senator Moallahyidi, Marcus Gunduri, Modibbo Dahiru, Aishatu Ahmed Binani, General (rtd) Aliyu Kama, former acting Governor, James Barka; Seven House of Representatives members, all Government political appointees, all the 25 lawmakers of the House of Assembly, all party leaders from state, local government areas, to Ward levels, all commissioners and other ranked party officials.

Murtala Nyako, bAbdulaziz Nyako, Nuhu Rinadu and Buba Marwa who are among the senior stakeholders did not attend the meeting. However Ribadu and Marwa sent representatives, with apologies for their absence.

At the meeting on Monday, Senator Jibrilla Bindow, Boss Mustapha appealed for party Unity, calling on all party members to desist from any form of activities that will divide the state APC along primordial sentiments. They called on party supporters to unite for a common purpose as they go for the Ward Congresses on Saturday, 5th May 2018.

Fresh crisis erupted when the former SGF, Babachir David Lawal, was almost denied opportunity to speak until he threatened to organise a world press conference before he was allowed to be part of the deliberations, after the governor has spoken. Amidst a rowdy session, David Lawal protested that the Monday stakeholder’s meeting did not comply with the agenda of the day as a “stakeholder’s meeting” but was rather a “cerographic” and a stage managed meeting where only selected number of Governor Officials were allowed to speak.

He criticized the meeting for not discussing the issue of zoning ahead of the congresses, raising salient points of a free and fair Congresses in all the 226 wards comprising the state.

Babachir emphasized that the APC constitution promotes zoning of positions, particularly, in diverse states like Adamawa and wondered why the issue was not discussed.

”This is not a stakeholder’s meeting, a stakeholder’s meeting should allow everybody to say his or her mind on any bothering issues that can help the party to grow and for a better Congress.

“This stakeholder’s meeting should not be a one way traffic. This is the first time I went to a meeting and the voice of the party chairman is not heard, this is the first party meeting I have attended in which the party leaders’ roles have been played by government officials.

“…However In a choreography meeting like this Key issues has to be addressed,” Lawal declared.

Out of provocation, Lawal in consonance with Engr. Marcus Gunduri, Senator Moallayidi organised a press conference after the meeting at his residence in Yola discrediting the meeting, adjudging that it was a government officials meeting not a stakeholder’s meeting.

At the conference he revealed plans by the Leadership of Governor Bindow of having a mission to conduct an illegal congresses and threatened to only support Buhari to emerge a President for the second term not Governor Bindow.