by Sani Tukur
The weeks of speculation on whether the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Nuhu Ribadu, will dump the opposition All Progressives Congress [APC] and joined the Peoples Democratic Party [PDP]. has finally been laid to rest as the former anti-corruption czar has defected to the ruling PDP, Premium Times is reporting.
According to the report, Ribadu who was the presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria [ACN] in 2011 registered for the party in Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa state and has been given a party membership card.
The report however said the source who confirmed the registration of Ribadu asked not to be named because he was not authorised to disclose the development to journalists.
The former EFCC Boss has been under pressure from both the PDP and the APC. While the PDP was making efforts to get Ribadu to decamp to its party and fly the party’s flag in the Adamawa bye-election scheduled for October 11 to replace former Governor Murtala Nyako who was impeached by the State House of Assembly, the APC leadership on the other has continued to dissuade the former anti-corruption chief from defecting to the PDP.
Ribadu himself was quoted as saying a few days ago that while he appreciates the gestures of the APC leaders, he is entitled to his decision and not bothered about the pressure mounted by his party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), to halt his planned defection to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But on Thursday evening, after a planned registration for the PDP in Adamawa failed to see the light of day, his media aide, Abdulaziz Fagge, denied that his principal was not in Adamawa to register as a member of the PDP.
“As I am talking to you, Malam Nuhu Ribadu is in Abuja; he is not in Adamawa as being speculated”, Fagge said.
With Ribadu finally joining the PDP, he is expected to join other PDP bigwigs who have indicated interest to slug it out for the PDP ticket for the Adamawa governorship election.
Already, Acting Governor Umaru Fintiri and Awwal Tukur, a son of former chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur, have picked the notice of intent form to seek the PDP governorship nomination for the election, while former Lagos State military administrator, General Buba Marwa and former Political Adviser to President Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak has also indicated interest to contest for the Adawama governorship seat.
