As the war of words between supporters of Adamawa state Governor Muhammadu Bindow Umaru Jibrilla, and that of the former anti-corruption czar, Nuhu Ribadu, continues unabated, IBRAHIM ABDUL’AZIZ writes on the tussle for Adamawa Government House.
Following the new twists to the feud between APC Amana group, comprising supporters of former Governor Murtala Nyako, gubernatorial aspirants Nuhu Ribadu and Buba Marwa, among others, and the Atiku Abubakar’s camp, comprising supporters of the state governor, Muhammadu Bindow Jibrilla, the battle line may have been drawn between the warring camps, even though they are from the same party.
Until Governor Bindow’s supporters few weeks ago fi red the fi rst salvo and even threatened to dump the party, a situation that generated varying reactions, many had thought the rift between them had been laid to rest, Th is came on the heels of similar threat by former governor, Murtala Nyako, and the ‘Abuja Group’-(legacy parties) aggrieved members of the faction led by the embattled suspended Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir David Lawal.
Not only that, the rivalry between Bindow, and his former godfather, Murtala Nyako, seems to have taken another dimension, as both groups have intensifi ed eff orts to ambush and arm-twist each other, all aimed at subduing one another ahead of the 2019 gubernatorial elections.
Th e tension therein is heightened by the fact that Bindow has already declared his intention to go for a second term.
Bindow’s sin Bindow is believed to have opened fresh political attacks recently when he re-named Murtala Nyako Road in the center of Yola after President Muhammadu Buhari during the state visit of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Th e road was constructed by the Nyako in 2007 and was named after him in 2008 during the commissioning ceremony by former Vice President Namadi Sambo.
Th e re-naming of the road is considered as a direct attack on Nyako, who battled former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, to the ground for Bindow to become governor.
Reacting to the issue, a chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Iliyasu Gamawa, accused the governor and his group of biting the fi ngers that fed them, stressing that they are political opportunists in the party, “because they are riding on President Buhari’s popularity and acceptability known as ‘SAK’ in the North.
” According to him, without the support of Nyako, Bindow won’t have been governor and would have been nothing in the APC.
“We are not surprised at the action of the governor, right from the beginning we told Nyako that it is better to trust a snake and sleep on the same bed with it than to trust that group, those with him now including his godfather, Atiku (Abubakar), will soon regret it.
Judas that betrayed Jesus Christ is more trustworthy than the people in Bindow’s group,” Gamawa fumed.
Ribadu: The Brick Wall Against Bindow? Recent developments in the state strongly indicate preparations by the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, to challenge Governor Muhammad Jibrilla for the control of the government house, Yola in 2019.
Ribadu, who lost to Jibrilla in 2015 when he contested under the platform of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), has returned to the All Progressive Congress (APC) and joined forces with former governor Murtala Nyako.
Mustapha Atiku Ribadu, a member of Black Cap Revolution, a group that promotes Ribadu ahead of 2019, said Jibrilla stands no chance against the former EFCC boss.
He argued that Governor Jibrilla’s failure to work with the APC executives and party members that elected him as the party’s candidate, as well as his refusal to pay workers’ salaries or fulfi l campaign promises, have made him “so unpopular that nobody would want him re-elected.
” “Th e governor has neglected those that worked for his victory, including the party executives, and has failed to pay workers their salaries and provide infrastructure.
So voters have realised that he is not a capable and reliable leader.
Everybody is aggrieved and waiting for 2019 to oust him”, he added.
Just like Ribadu’s supporters some disenchanted All Progressives Congress (APC) members have openly vowed to work against the second term re-election of Governor Muhammadu Bindow, saying, “the governor is not only a betrayer but lacks respect for party leaders and stakeholders.
’’ BOA meeting Th e members, who spoke at a meeting organized by a group known as 2019 Buhari Osinbajo Again (BOA) support group recently said while they remain committed to continuity of Buhari and Osinbanjo, they have no confi dence in Governor Bindow’s led APC administration and would therefore not want him to continue in 2019.
Speaking at the occasion, Alhaji Yahaya Hammanjulde, said most of them that worked for Bindow’s emergence in the party primaries and general election had been betrayed.
“It will surprise you to know that the best Gov. Bindow administration did for the party executives at the local level was to give them appointment as street cleaners! Th is is a clear sign of disrespect to the party,” Hammanjulde said.
Another member of APC in the state, Hassan Turaki, said he was relieved of his appointment as Special Adviser to Bindow because he went to receive former governor of Adamawa, Murtala Nyako, who visited the state in June.
Turaki said by trying to defi ne who his appointees should relate with even if the persons concern have been friends for decades showed how vindictive and petty Bindow is.
“I am 68 years old and my relationship with Nyako started decades ago.
I see no reason why Bindow should insist on deciding who I should relate with,” Turaki said.
A member representing Gombi Constituency in the Adamawa State House of Assembly, Rufai Umar, said that because of his personal problem with Bindow, the governor has marginalized his constituency.
“All those the governor appointed as Development Area Administrators in my constituency are PDP members as if there are no competent APC members in Gombi.
A party chieftain, Salau Amada, who spoke for the people of Yola South local government, accused Bindow of destroying the party with his divisive tendencies but urged him to change his attitude before it’s too late.
Comrade Jonah John, who spoke on behalf of the people of Demsa local government said that they were disappointed with Bindow and have no reason to re-elect him in 2019.
Atiku Mustapha in his remarks urged elders of the party to hold their peace and allow the youth to handle Bindow accordingly.
“Bindow is not a straightforward person as shown by his actions.
I want to urge our party elders to leave the fi ght for the youth like us to tackle Bindow accordingly,” Ribadu said.
But in a swift reaction, a loyalist of the governor and founder of Bring Bindow Back (BBB), Dahiru Hammandikko, dismissed Ribadu and other contenders as no threat to Jibrilla, saying Jibrilla’s achievements have brought him closer to voters.
He was emphatic that, Ribadu and his likes had contested in elections in the past but did not make any impact, saying 2019 would not be diff erent.
“We just had a meeting of the numerous groups working for Bindow’s re-election in 2019 and we have all agreed to meet with all stakeholders with a view to further cementing our relationship.
Bindow is the best governor since 1999 in terms of infrastructural development of the state,” he stated.
The Other Factors Pundits say that beside the Ribadu’s hurdles, the governor may face two critical hurdles over his second term ambition, as the pensioners in the state are determined to work against him in 2019, if he fails to pay their N20 billion pensions and arrears of gratuity.
Th e main opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is also not resting on its oars to oust Bindow come 2019.
Th e pensioners are up in arms against the governor asking him to settle the pension arrears otherwise they would mobilize against him in 2019.
Speaking to newsmen, a retired Permanent Secretary, Mustapha Galadima, vowed that pensioners would pay the administration with the same coin it is paying them.
He accused the administration of not only being inhuman on issues concerning pensioners, but also treating retired civil servants in the state with contempt.
However, the Chief of Staff to the governor, Alhaji Abdullraman Abba Jimeta, dismissed the threat, saying that retirement benefi ts are privileges and not rights of pensioners.
While the Chief of Staff insisted it is unnecessary to join issues with Galadima, he said: Jimeta has only demonstrated his ignorance of civil service rules.
All pensioners’ benefits are stipulated in the 1999 Constitution as amended in 2011.
“Jimeta has never been a career civil servant; he only worked briefl y in the erstwhile General Ibrahim Babangida’s Mass Mobilization for Self Reliance, Social Justice, and Economic Recovery (MAMSER) and resigned.
I doubt his depth of knowledge of civil service rules.
” Will Atiku Save Bindow’s ship? Th ough many had accused him (Bindow) of betrayal when he publicly declared that his unalloyed loyalty lies with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar because of the latter’s N500 million donation to his governorship campaign during the 2015 general elections, many view the acclaimed loyalty from diff erent perspectives.
From the lay-man’s the perspective, Bindow/Atiku political marriage is largely based on the N500m largee, while political pundits think it is a marriage of convenience basically to benefi t from Atiku’s legal team ahead of the legal battles instituted by Nyako.
“You see in order to save his political career and governorship seat, Governor Bindow is left with the only option of relying on Atiku’s political structures and guidance, including access to Atiku’s legal team.
‘’So the main reason for Bindow’s claimed loyalty to Atiku is to tap from Atiku’s legal arsenal, his political clouts, experience and successes, including the strong political structure,’’ a former closed associate of the governor said.
Be it as it may, Atiku’s seemingly overbearing infl uence on Bindow’s government and the obvious sidelining of Nyako’s men may lead the Nyako group to team with the aggrieved bigwigs of the legacy parties to fi ght Bindow, though pundits think for the Nyako group to eff ectively mount a good challenge against Bindow, they need a strong leadership to rally around them.
No right-thinking politician in the state can ignore Atiku’s well-established vast political structure, immense war chest and history of successes in political legal battles that easily scare off his opponents and for now only time shall tell whether Atiku will save Bindow’s seemingly the sinking ship or not!
