Ribadu gets PDP waiver for governorship election

Former member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mallam Nuhu RIbadu, has been granted waiver to contest the Adamawa state governorship election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in October.

National publicity secretary of the PDP, Olisa Metuh, made the confirmation to the media on Friday in Abuja.

Also granted waiver are former military administrator of Lagos state, Buba Marwa; and 2011 governorship candidate of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Markus Gundiri.

“The National Working Committee of the PDP at the end of its meeting on Friday, August 29, 2014, unanimously cleared all aspirants who expressed interest to contest the October 11 Adamawa state governorship election on the platform of the PDP to participate in the party’s nomination process,” Metuh said.

“After very careful and thorough consideration of all applications and the report of the Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha-led Adamawa State PDP Governorship Waiver Committee, the NWC was satisfied that all the aspirants met the requirements stipulated by the PDP constitution to participate in the process.

“Consequently, waiver has been granted to General Buba Marwa, Engr. Marcus Gundiri and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to take part in the exercise.”

Indications that Ribadu would be granted a waiver predated his defection to the PDP.

On August 18, TheCable reported that the granting of the waiver would be “accelerated”, as his defection was a “project of the national leadership of the party.

That, though, did not mean all PDP bigwigs supported the move.

Elder statesman, Chief Edwin Clark, spoke against the idea on Thursday, saying Ribadu did not deserve the privilege, having worked against the party during his time as chairman of the EConomic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).