By Iro Dan Fulani

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Adamawa has said that it would not accept to field Nuhu Ribadu, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to run as its governorship candidate in the Adamawa gubernatorial bye election.

The chairman of the PDP in the state, Joel Madaki, debunked speculations that the party was shopping for someone from the opposition party to defect so as to be its candidate in the coming gubernatorial poll, stressing that Adamawa PDP has more than enough qualified contenders to fill the position.

A PDP governorship, Ahmed Ali Gulak, also declared at the weekend that the party in Adamawa State will not accept the candidature of the former EFCC boss as being speculated.

Madaki, said there was no iota of truth in the speculations that the PDP was holding talks with Ribadu ‘’ because the party is blessed with so many qualified persons whose pedigree was not in doubt and they can fill the vacancy of the executive Governor of Adamawa State and even can contest for the plum job of the presidency.’’

Madaki stated further that the Adamawa State PDP was blessed with an array of qualified politicians and that there was no need to bring somebody from outside the party to run its ticket for the governorship race.

Also speaking on the matter at the weekend in Yola, Adamawa State capital, Gulak, a former special adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on political matters, said it was mere speculation because the former EFCC chairman will not accept to run on the platform of the PDP.

“Ribadu is a highly respected person who happens to be my classmate and I have tremendous respect for him so I know that he will not run on the PDP banner having established his tentacles in the All Progressive Congress Party, (APC) he will not abandon the party midstream,” he reasoned.

Besides, he said, “the PDP has more than enough gubernatorial aspirants not to even suggest of recruiting somebody who is not even a member of the party to pick its ticket in the mix of eminently qualified persons with wealth of experience.’’

Gulak said the call on Ribadu, a former presidential candidate of the APC, to contest the gubernatorial elections of on the PDP ticket was the sole opinion of some youths and not that of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

He further reasoned that Ribadu” will not erode his high respect by saying that he was decamping to the PDP to contest elections on its banner having had a long romance right from ACN to APC where he picked the presidential ticket.’’