A former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and seven other aspirants have withdrawn from the Peoples Democratic Party’s Adamawa governorship bye-election primary holding on Saturday.
Others who have pulled out are Aliyu Idi Hong, Markus Gundiri, Abubakar Girei, Awwal Tukur, James Barka, Andrawus Sawa and Aliyu Kama.
The leadership of the PDP and Senate President David Mark, on Thursday night met with the aspirants at the Banquet Hall, State House, Abuja.
It was at that meeting that a decision to reduce the number of aspirants was reached.
With this withdrawal, those still in the race are a former UBEC Executive Secretary, Ahmed Modibbo, a former High Commissioner to South Africa, Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd) and Presidential Adviser, Ahmed Gulak.
Others are Acting Governor Umar Fintiri, Jerry Kundisi and Umar Ardo.
It was also gathered that the meeting agreed that those who will be contesting the primary will not participate in the 2015 contest.
The winner of the governorship bye-election is expected to complete the term of the impeached governor Murtala Nyako, which ends on May 29, 2015.
Former Political Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak, had this to say after the meeting, “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,” he said.
“Today, in this meeting, the number of the aspirants has been drastically reduced to six, which is manageable. And we have resolved to go into the primary 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.”
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