Nyako was a liability to us in APC — Danladi Lawal

The recently elected APC National Vice- Chairman for the North-East, Mr Danladi Lawal is very confident that his party will defeat the ruling PDP at the governorship by-election scheduled for October 11. In this interview, he gives reasons why the APC would win the election.
BY OKEY NDIRIBE
How is the All Progressives Congress, APC, preparing for the forth-coming governorship by-election in Adamawa State?
We have about 10 governorship aspirants who are going to contest the party’s primaries. Some of them are Boss Mustapha, Senators Jubrilla and Barata. The primaries would be held on September 7. The governorship aspirants have started buying their nomination forms. The party has approved the guidelines for the primaries. The aspirants have started going round to mobilize their supporters.

Former EFCC Chairman, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu

After the impeachment of Murtala Nyako and the exit of politicians like Nuhu Ribadu, and Buba Marwa, your party is said to be bleeding in Adamawa State. How true?
If you remember the history of Nyako’s entry into the APC, the party’s leadership in Adamawa State resisted him. This was because of the fact that he was an excess baggage. We realised at that time that he would be a problem rather than asset for the party. Even before Nyako’s entry, the combined strength of the merged parties made them the leading party in the state.
That was why we resisted the entry of Nyako into the party. We knew he wouldn’t bring any value into the party. On the contrary, he became a liability. What really happened was that the leadership of the party couldn’t really stop Nyako from joining APC because he was coming as part of a group. You may notice that because Nyako joined us, people like Marwa and Markus Gundiri left.
Although, his impeachment was done in an illegal manner, his exit resulted in many people who had left the party previously trooping back in large numbers. Nyako’s impeachment would only deprive us of the power of incumbency and whatever it is worth during the forth-coming election.
In the case of Marwa, he contested the 2011 governorship election on the platform of CPC. Marwa simply rode on the structure of CPC and that of the party’s presidential candidate Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.). As soon as the 2011 election was concluded, Marwa’s supporters went back to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. He was the only one left behind in CPC when the merger was concluded. When he eventually left APC, maybe only one or two other people followed him and they were rural dwellers.
Gundiri contested the last governorship election on the platform of ACN. He did well at the primaries. But by the time Gundiri was leaving, APC had been formed and it was very strong to the extent that his running mate did not follow him to PDP.
The Deputy National Vice-Chairman of ACN, Barrister Boss Mustapha did not follow Gundiri to PDP too. Ambassador Fatti Ballah, the Senatorial candidate of ACN, from Adamawa North Central ( who every body believed the senatorial election in 2011) did not also follow Gundiri to PDP. The state Secretary of ACN, did not also follow him to PDP. If you ask me today, despite the fact that Gundiri is from the same local government area with me, we didn’t miss him at all. His exit did not affect the fortunes of the APC in Adamawa. Ever since he and Marwa entered the PDP, you can see they have been struggling to be relevant.
But despite Nyako’s exit, he is still supporting the party. He remains committed to the success of the APC in the forth-coming election.
Apart from Nyako, former Vice-President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is also working tirelessly for the success of the party in the forthcoming election. You know he is a heavyweight in Adamawa State politics. I have known him to be a very astute politician. In fact, when you are talking about politicians in Nigeria, he is one of those at the top.
He is also a man of immense means. If you recall, he won the election in 1999 as Governor of Adamawa State. As a former Vice-President, he has accumulated enormous goodwill. He remains an amiable and humble person. He is very experienced. At our last caucus meeting, he pledged he would do whatever it takes to deliver Adamawa State at the next governorship by-election.

Nyako and Marwa

How can APC withstand the political heavy weights the PDP is parading in the election?
In the case of Ribadu, he was never a politician. He was a policeman. Although, he was drafted into politics, he lacked experience. As the presidential candidate of the ACN during the last election, he was only able to secure 30,000 votes in Adamawa State. This is only comparable to the number of votes some councillors get during local government elections. During the 2011 election, he lost both his polling unit and ward. This was despite the fact that he was the only presidential candidate from Adamawa State that year. The APC in Adamawa State is praying and fasting that the PDP should field Ribadu as their governorship candidate for the by-election. This is because he has no structure in the State.
He was only an Abuja politician. The PDP put him on their high table because his name is Ribadu. He has no relevance. He is a non-issue in Adamawa politics. They have drafted him into the governorship race at the twilight of the campaign for the election. Don’t forget that there are people who have been in the party since 1999, building the party’s structures and hoping that they would pick the party’s governorship ticket one day. So, if they suddenly decide to impose a new comer into the party as PDP’s governorship candidate, all such people would troop out enmasse. Many PDP members in Adamawa have been calling me even up till Wednesday last week.