The National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Thursday granted waivers to Nuhu Ribadu, former presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Buba Marwa, former Lagos State military administrator, and Marcus Gundiri, governorship candidate of ACN, in 2011, to contest the gubernatorial bye election in Adamawa State in October.

Announcing the decision after its NWC meeting on Thursday, the PDP national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, said the party granted the three aspirants’ application for waiver after careful consideration and expressed happiness that the “distinguished Nigerians” were now in the party.

“After very careful and thorough consideration of all applications and the report of the Alhaji Abubakar Mustapha-led Adamawa State PDP Governorship Waiver Committee, the NWC was satisfied that all the aspirants met the requirements stipulated by the PDP constitution to participate in the process…Consequently, waiver has been granted to General Buba Marwa, Engr. Marcus Gundiri and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to take part in the exercise,” Metuh announced.

The PDP spokesman assured all aspirants in governorship election in Adamawa State of a level playing field, adding that the screening and primaries would be transparent and fair to all.

Ribadu, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, contested the presidential election on the ACN platform in 2011 and dumped the party only last week to contest the governorship election in Adamawa State.

Buba Marwa was also an aspirant in the race under the umbrella of the PDP in 2011 but lost in the primaries to Murtala Nyako who was recently impeached.

There are a total of 14 aspirants for the Adamawa Government House seat in the pdp.