Apparently fearing possible implosion within the ruling People’s Democratic Party(PDP) in the state, the Presidency has summoned the sacked acting governor of Adamawa State, Ahmadu Fintiri, and warned him not to confront the court-appointed governor of the state, Mr. Bala James Ngillari.
Acting governor of Adamawa State, Umar Fintiri
Fintiri had, shortly after being sacked, filed an appeal and a stay of execution of the judgement through his counsel, Bayo Ojo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, against the ruling.
Sunday Vanguard gathered that Jonathan convened a meeting with Fintiri at the Presidential Villa on Friday during which he gave him a piece of his mind and that of the party regarding his decision to challenge his ouster.
According to informed sources, the President told Fintiri, not to press ahead with the appeal since it had the potential to further polarise the PDP in Adamawa and strengthen the chance of the rival All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2015 polls.
Although the source at the meeting did not give details of what the two politicians discussed, it was learnt that Jonathan further drew the attention of Fintiri to the fact that the party was one and that he needed to work together with the new governor to ensure its success in the upcoming election.
The President, it was gathered, also impressed upon Fintiri to accept what happened to him last Wednesday in good faith and drop his threat to personally pursue the appeal against Ngillari, adding that something would be done to compensate him.
A top government official in Yola confirmed to Sunday Vanguard that the meeting between Jonathan and Fintiri on Friday was at the instance of the President, who sent for him.
Less than 24 hours after his disqualification by the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP], Adamawa State Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri has dismissed the party’s decision, insisting he remains in the race for the state’s October governorship bye-election.
Acting governor of Adamawa State, Umar Fintiri
“I am still in the race,’’ Mr. Fintiri announced Sunday, and assured he will continue to mobilize for the election.
The acting governor said the issues that led to his disqualification by the PDP screening committee have been resolved.
He said the Ibrahim Mantu-led screening committee did not disqualify him as it lacked any legal or constitutional grounds to take such a decision.
“The Acting Governor is confident about his eligibility to contest because the decision not to clear him has no political or legal precedence,” Mr. Fintiri said in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Solomon Kumanga.
The PDP announced Mr. Fintiri’s disqualification Saturday, citing “moral grounds”.
The party explained that Mr. Fintiri’s aspiration would be a violation of Section 191 (2) of the Nigerian Constitution.
Mr. Fintiri, a former Speaker, became the acting governor after spearheading the impeachment of former Governor Murtala Nyako and Deputy, Bala Ngillari, the State House of Assembly.
The chairman of the PDP screening committee, Mr. Mantu, said Mr. Fintiri’s role as acting governor is to ensure a smooth transition and a free and fair poll.
“Fintiri is not qualified because he is not like a deputy governor, but a child of circumstances. He is like a midwife and not seen as the one carrying the baby. His role should be somebody who should ensure a free and fair election. But he can appeal,” Mr. Mantu told reporters Saturday.
In his statement Sunday, Mr. Fintiri faulted the committee and said the decision will not stand considering that the party had granted waivers to other aspirants who joined the party to contest the poll.
“Where is the fairness to the man who reclaimed the party’s mandate and wiped shame from the faces of all the Adamawa Party bigwigs, who failed to do so in the first place?” he asked.
Separately, the Fintiri Campaign Organization, comprising members from the 21 local Government Areas of the state has rejected Mr. Fintiri’s disqualification by the PDP saying the decision will be challenged.
“It is also to be noted that the committee that did the screening did not find any legal, technical or any misgiving on the part of our candidate whether in the PDP constitution or in the national constitution and therefore the grounds of the decision is untenable,” the chairman of the organization, Silas Zwingina, said.
Mr. Zwingina said as a loyal party man, Mr. Fintiri has challenged the decision of the screening committee adding that the issue will soon be resolved.
“The issues raised by Mantu committee has been successfully dispelled and resolved and it is a matter for the appeal and it is a matter for the appeal committee to lay all of that to rest. We want to assure the PDP throughout the state that Fintiri campaign organization is ready for the delegate election by going into the race not only to participate but to win the race,” Zwingina said.
The Governorship Screening Panel of the Peoples Democratic Party has disqualified the Acting Governor of Adamawa State, Umar Fintiri, from taking part in the forthcoming governorship primary in the state.
Acting governor of Adamawa State, Umar Fintiri
The primary holds in Yola on September 6.
The decision to ban Fintiri was taken when the committee interviewed all the 11 aspirants and screened their qualification papers, which included party membership card, tax clearance certificates and educational certificates, among other things in Abuja on Saturday night.
The Chairman of the screening panel, Sen. Ibrahim Mantu, announced the result of his committee which met for about nine hours at the party national secretariat.
Mantu, in company with other members of the committee, said Fintiri was disqualified because of Section 191 (2), which he claimed did not allow an acting governor to transmit from that position to become a substantive governor.
He said, “Thirteen aspirants were cleared while one was disqualified. He was found to have fallen short of the guideline set by the party.
“Fintiri was not cleared because of Section 191(2) which does not allow him to transmit from acting capacity to the position of the governor.”
Section 191 (1) of the constitution reads, “The deputy governor of a state shall hold the office of governor of the state, if the office of Governor becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or removal of the governor from office for any other reason in accordance with section 188 or 189 of this constitution.
“(2) Where any vacancy occurs in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (1) of this section during a period when the office of deputy governor of the state is also vacant, the speaker of the House of Assembly of the state shall hold the office of governor of the state for a period of not more than three months, during which there shall be an election of a new governor of the state who shall hold office for the unexpired term of office of the last holder of the office.
“(3) Where the office of the deputy governor becomes vacant -
(a) by reason of death, resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or removal in accordance with section 188 or 189 of this Constitution;”
Mantu said it would be wrong for the governor, who he described as the midwife, to also be seen as a pregnant mother.
Sources close to the acting governor on Saturday night however said he would appeal the verdict.
“He will appeal the verdict. The panel misinterpreted the constitution,” one of his aides, whose identity was not known, said after Mantu spoke.
Signs that all was not well with Fintiri started manifesting after he came out of the room where he was screened.
The acting governor who was jovial with reporters while going in however refused to greet them when he came out.
Even when he was accosted by journalists, he refused to speak as he started walking to the gate.
His aides however brought him back as it appeared that he had forgotten that he had walked past where his official vehicle was packed.
Mantu listed those who were cleared by his committee as a three-time gubernatorial aspirant, Dr. Umar Ardo; former Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu; Senator Abubakar Girei; former Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Ahmed Gulak; a former Military Administrator of Lagos and Borno states, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.); and a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Aliyu Idi- Hong.
Before Mantu announced the result of the panel, all the 14 aspirants expressed confidence that they were capable of winning the primary.
Speaking with journalists after his screening, Ribadu expressed satisfaction with the screening process and noted his confidence that the party leadership would ensure transparent primaries.
He said, “I pray to God that for the good of the country; for the good people of Adamawa, what is going on today is probably a turning point and a change that is coming in Adamawa State and Nigeria.”
Moddibo, on his part, described the screening process as excellent and straightforward, adding that the rest was left for the committee to decide.
He, however, ruled out any intention of stepping down for any other aspirant, saying “that question does not arise”
Ardo, on his part, expressed reservations against the waiver granted Ribadu, Marwa and Gundiri to face the screening ahead of the primaries.
He said “I am not satisfied because it did not follow due process. In any case, I will abide by the decision of the party.”
Another aspirant, and the eldest of the lot, Sawa, said questions were straightforward and excellent.
