2019: Atiku, SGF, Bindow on collision course over Ribadu

Mallam Nuhu Ribadu

The planned return of the pioneer Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, to the All Progressives Congress (APC), has set former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Engineer Babachir David Lawal and Governor of Adamawa state, Senator Mohammed Bindow Jibrilla on collision course, revealed a party source.

It was gathered that the SGF, who is also from Adamawa state as Ribadu and Atiku, is believed to be spearheading the latest move to get back the politician.

The revelation is coming to fore some 48 hours after Atiku led some party chieftains on a visit to the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress, “to appraise challenges within the party’s structures.”

Ribadu’s return bid is flowing from the numerous calls by some stakeholders within APC, urging the party to lobby for return of its members “who left in anger or were misled in the runoff to the election.”

One of such calls was made by an APC support group, National Coalition for Peace and Mobilisation (NACOPEAM).

National President of the group, Comrade Ahmed Saleh, told newsmen that the party was in need of “the likes of Nuhu Ribadu and many others to re-join the party and support this government to fight corruption and help Mr. President address the multifaceted problems we have been facing since independence”.

Ribadu, it would be recalled, contested the presidential election on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria in 2011.

And upon the party’s merger with some others to form APC, the retired police officer dumped the new mega party in 2014 to contest the 2015 governorship election on the Peoples Democratic Party’s platform, but lost to the incumbent.

Since then, there had been pressure on the erstwhile anti-graft boss to rejoin the APC.

And to realise this, Ribadu was said to have held talks with the national leadership of the APC and other party chieftains, including former Governor Murtala Nyako, who are believed to be engaging Ribadu on the need for him to reunite with his old party.

It was also gathered that the state chapter of the party, last month, wrote a letter to Ribadu,
urging him to return to its fold. The missive was dated June 22 and signed by its acting secretary, Saidu Naira.

“We, the entire APC Adamawa state chapter, wish to invite you back to your “Home party” APC. Given your track records and progressives nature, we strongly believe APC is where you belong to.

“We are also mindful of the efforts and contributions you made during the merger without which the merger would have been difficult. To this end, we reaffirm our request for you to come home to APC and assist and contribute to the success of the APC government both at state and national level,” Naira pleaded.

But former Vice President Abubakar and Governor Bindow, our reporter gathered, are frantically kicking against the move, a development many believe, might not be unconnected with the 2019 race.

“Atiku, it is generally believed, has his eyes on the presidency, as many are of the view that President Muhammadu Buhari might not be favoured by age to fly the party’s flag, hence his (Atiku) perceived discomfort with Ribadu’s return. Although, no pronouncement by the party to the effect on whether Buhari would re-contest or not.

“For whatever reason, Turaki (Atiku) is not comfortable with Ribadu and that was what he came to tell the party leadership. You know he was the main reason Ribadu left the party in the first place when Nyako was impeached and Atiku took over the party in Adamawa,” said a source at the APC national secretariat who pleaded anonymity.

In February this year, a move by some governors of the PDP to make Ribadu the party’s national chairman was out rightly resisted by the politician, who, sources said, went into hiding at the time. They later settled for the former Borno state Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff.

“It is like a done deal. He (Ribadu) and Oga (SGF) have met many times and I think all arrangements have been concluded for his return to the party. It is not only the SGF, some other party chieftains have also been talking to him (Ribadu) and by now, I think his disposition to the calls is positive.

“The feeling around here is that no matter what happens, people like Ribadu are still needed in the party and around the government, given his experience and credibility as an accomplished individual. It is for this that he and some other politicians in Adamawa are being wooed back to the party by the SGF,” added the source.

The overture was further confirmed by an official of the state APC (names withheld), who said plans are on to receive Ribadu and his followers “any time, they are ready.”

But asked what his mission was at the party secretariat on Monday during which he parleyed with the National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, Atiku said, it was a normal routine expected of party chieftain.

Atiku clarified that his visit to the party secretariat was not a response to summon by the leadership of the party as widely reported.

“As a party chieftain, I owe it a duty to my party to appraise challenges within the structures of the party and also proffer suggestions on how to manage those challenges. I urge you all to discountenance any malicious insinuations about my visit to the party secretariat.

“My visit to the national secretariat of our great party was to rub minds with the party hierarchy, and it was of a routine kind as a chieftain of the party. I was neither summoned nor queried by the party on any issue as being speculated. Rather, my visit was at my own behest,” explained the former VP.