Barring any last-minute change in plan,
the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will, at its National
Executive Committee meeting on Monday (today), ratify a former governor
of Bauchi state, Adamu Mu’azu, as its new national chairman, party and
presidency sources have said.
The usually reliable sources told
PREMIUM TIMES early Monday morning that Mr. Mu’azu emerged the consensus
candidate for the job after a rash of meetings involving President
Goodluck Jonathan, PDP governors and other influential chieftains of the
party, including Vice President Namadi Sambo and President of the
Senate, David Mark.
Mr. Mu’azu, who will now replace Bamanga
Tukur, who was forced out of office Thursday, emerged ahead of Minister
of Transport, Idris Umar, a former Minister of Commerce, Idris Waziri,
former Acting National Secretary of the party, Musa Babayo, a former
party spokesperson, Ahmed Rufai Alkali and a former minister of the
Federal Capital Territory, Ibrahim Bunu, who were all widely reported to
have jostled for the position.
A party source familiar with the
maneuverings and negotiations that threw up Mr. Mu’azu said President
Jonathan actually preferred Minister Umar for the position but was
outfoxed by governors from the North-East geopolitical zone who all
rooted for Mr. Mu’azu.
When Mr. Jonathan tried to insist on Mr.
Umar, insiders say, the North-East governors reminded him of how they
deferred to him two years ago when he insisted on Mr. Tukur for the
position in spite of massive opposition from the zone.
Our sources said Bayelsa state governor,
Seriake Dickson, Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, and President
of the Senate, Mr. Mark, joined the North-East governors in pushing that
position.
They reportedly warned the president
against foisting an unpopular candidate on party members to avoid a
repeat of the Tukur situation where the party was perpetually in crisis
throughout his reign.
Mr. Mu’azu, 55, was among candidates who contested for the PDP chairmanship position in March 2012.
In a zonal congress election conducted
by the North-East PDP in Bauchi to choose a consensus candidate for the
zone at the time, Mr. Mu’azu got only one vote to place last.
Mr. Babayo got 14 votes to defeat other
contenders. Mr. Tukur, who was clearly the president’s anointed
candidate for the position at the time, got four votes.
Former Ministers Bunu and Shettima Mustapha scored 2 votes each while Mr. Alkali , just like Mr. Muazu, scored only one vote.
Mr. Mu’azu and corruption
In November 2013, President Jonathan appointed the former Bauchi governor chairman of the Nigerian Pension Commission, PENCOM.
He was appointed to the position even
though he is still being investigated for graft by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, for allegedly looting N19.8billion
belonging to his state while he was governor between 1999 and 2007.
The former governor has consistently denied any wrongdoing but he is yet to be cleared of the allegation.
The civic group, Transition Monitoring
Group, protested the appointment at the time, saying it was morally
wrong for the president to appoint a man being tried for corruption to
such a high office.
Mr. Jonathan and the National Assembly disregarded that position and proceeded to clear the former governor for the position.
The TMG statement at the time reads in
part, “The Transition Monitoring Group, TMG, is astonished and peeved by
this move of the President, especially in the light of the fact that
the former Governor is yet to be cleared by the Economics and Financial
Crimes Commission, EFCC, of the corruption charges he is facing for
allegedly defrauding the coffers of Bauchi State to the tune of
N19.8billion when he was Governor of the State,” the group said in a
statement on Monday.
“This and other similar acts of Mr.
President, particularly his penchant for surrounding himself with famed
corrupt individuals, makes his government’s so-called anti-corruption
efforts a laughing stock, for it is patently obvious from his
antecedents that President Jonathan endorses corruption.
“The EFCC is investigating Mr. Mu’azu
for allegedly stealing billions of naira belonging to Bauchi State
during his term as governor between 1999 and 2007.Other names forwarded
to the Senate for confirmation as Commissioners of PENCOM include
Chinelo Anohu-Amazu (South East), Reuben Omotowa (North Central),
Mohammed Ka’oje (North West), and Adesojo Olaoba-Efuntayo (South
West).But the group said that appointing Mr. Mu’azu to head the
commission is in line with his practice of shielding corrupt
individuals.
“TMG recalls that in the heat of the
corruption charges against the same Mu’azu Adamu, President Jonathan
appointed him in 2011 as Chairman of the Board of Nigerian Maritime
Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA),” said the statement signed by
Ibrahim Zikirullahi and Eddy Ezurike, the group’s Chairman and
Publicity Secretary respectively.
“It was with the President’s nod that
Business Mogul, Mike Adenuga and his wife, Titi Adenuga in late 2010
walked free from the EFCC charges they were facing for reportedly
collecting bribes from Siemens officials; and it was this same attitude
of Presidential Romance with alleged corrupt individuals that enabled
controversial Lawyer, Dele Oye to walk scot free from EFCC charges of
allegedly acting as front for the defunct Oceanic Bank CEO, Cecilia
Ibru; and aiding her to loot tens of billions of Naira in Bank assets.
“The Nigerian people of course will not
forget in a hurry how this same President granted presidential pardon to
a notorious convicted corrupt former Governor and his kinsman, DSP
Alamieyeseigha, and other criminals, including a paedophile.
“Those who recently looted the Police
Pensions Board, including its former Director are yet to be brought to
book. The list is endless; yet Jonathan’s regime talks about fight
against corruption. The attitude of Mr. President in recycling corrupt
individuals in public places is worrisome and does not inspire
confidence at all.
“In fact, on issue after issue, he has
shown that he will never combat corruption but will rather aid, abet and
shield corrupt officials.
“The group called on President Jonathan
to withdraw, immediately, Mr. Mu’azu’s nomination and take “creative
steps” to rebuild confidence and imbue confidence in the anti-corruption
war.
“This is the only pathway to redemption, prosperity and development in this country.”
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