Ribadu won primary, Adamawa PDP insists

Adamawa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday insisted that the process that threw up Malam Nuhu Ribadu as the party’s gubernatorial candidate was credible and should not be questioned.

State chairman of the party, Jingir Ibrahim, in a statement said he was reacting to a statement by a suspended chairman of the party, Chief Joel Madaki, questioning the process for the primary.

He said by the virtue of the suspension placed on Madaki, he cannot speak on behalf of the party.

He said: “It has come to our notice that the suspended chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Joel H. Madaki and some few leaders of the party issued a press statement purportedly claiming to be acting on behalf of members of our great party in Adamawa State in respect of the recently concluded party primaries in the state.

“I am constrained to issue this statement in order to put things in their right perspectives. As far as the Peoples Democratic Party in both the state and national levels is concerned, Chief Madaki and Barr. A T Shehu remain suspended from the party. It is therefore surprising that the two still parade themselves as leaders of the party in the state,” the statement said.

He said as regards the conduct of PDP primaries in Adamawa, it was conducted under the full backing of the laws as the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party is empowered to name venues of primaries for all elections.

“It is worth noting that all stakeholders from the state, except a few who stayed away for personal reasons, participated fully in the elections that produced our state assembly, National Assembly and gubernatorial candidates for our party.

“Those elected by our delegates in Abuja therefore remain the validly elected candidates for our party. We therefore urge all the law-abiding members of the party to disregard any information to the contrary,” he said.