PDP Stops Adamawa Governor, James Ngilari from Contesting 2015 Election

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), may have shut the door on the governor of Adamawa State, Bala James Ngilari from contesting the 2015 governorship election in the state, with the retention of the zoning formula earlier agreed for the governorship bye =-election before a Federal High Court cancelled the conduct of the polls.

The party’s National Working Committee (NWC), rose from  meeting on Wednesday, with an assuranc that the agreement reached with all the governorship aspirants in Adamawa state, zoning the governorship position to Adamawa Central will be fully respected. This effectively shuts the door on Mr. Ngilari who is from the Northern Senatorial district of the state.

The decision of the party’s NWC followed a protest staged by the eight PDP governorship aspirants who had voluntarily withdrawn from the botched by-election earlier slated for October 11 in the State.

The aspirants who were at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja, demanded for the exclusion of Adamawa State governor Bala James Ngilari from participating in the upcoming governorship primaries in line with an earlier agreement which zoned the post to the central zone.

Those who were present at the secretariat include the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Ahmadu Fintiri, who acted as the governor until his sack by the court. Others  were a former political aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, Ahmed Gulak; son of a former PDP national chairman, Awwal Tukur; former minister of health, Idi Hong; Mr. James Barka; Aliyu Kama; Marcus Gundiri and Abubakar Girei.

Addressing journalists on behalf of his colleagues, the former Political Adviser to the President, Ahmed Gulak reiterated the position of other aspirants that the agreement should not be jeopardised ahead of the governorship poll.

Gulak said: “We are here, all the aspirants from Adamawa state, that were suppose to take part in the bye election that could not hold, and the party, the government at that time and aspirants entered into agreement that our forms will be validated for 2015 election.

Accordingly, the NWC ordered that the zoning of the governorship slot for Adamawa state to the central senatorial district as earlier agreed stands.

The party said it expects that only aspirants from Adamawa Central will present themselves for the governorship primaries ahead of the 2015 general elections.

The national leadership promises that there will be free, fair and transparent congresses in the state in keeping with the party’s strict adherence to the dictates of the principles of internal democracy and the PDP constitution.