31/12/2022
The First Lady Federal Republic of Nigeria Mrs Aisha Buhari called a meeting of selected individuals from Adamawa State on Friday 18th November 2022 by 7pm. We spoke to over 10 attendees for corroboration and below is a faithful representation of the issues addressed and outcomes.
All the sources I spoke with have craved anonymity.
*Some of the key persons who attended are*
The National Vice Chairman NE
The State Working Committee of the Party
Aspirants for Governor Nuhu Ribadu, Namdas, Wafari Theman. Binani was not invited for the meeting.
One Senatorial Candidate from the Southern Zone. The Senatorial Candidates for Central and Northern zones boycotted the meeting
House of Representatives candidates candidates and all serving members of the House of Representatives
APC House of Assembly candidates (all 25)
Some selected persons known to either support Nuhu or oppose Binani.
Former Deputy Governor Martins Babale who is the interim coordinator of Tinubu Campaign in Adamawa State.
What they did was to go on a journey of self deception by playing God. All through the first lady assured them of how very powerful she is and her capacity to determine outcomes especially in Adamawa State. She said she had powers to influence the course of events including removing the National Chairman of the party if he opposes her move. She intimidated them to high heavens and even claimed that non of the candidates will win the next election without her support.
The candidates spoke through representatives for each category, one Senatorial, one House of Representatives and one House of Assembly. The party leadership spoke and a few selected stakeholders also spoke. One of the gubernatorial Aspirants gave the closing remarks.
All the candidates made it clear to the meeting that two major problems may impede their success at the next circle of elections.
Should there be no gubernatorial candidate for the APC in the state, all other candidates from presidential to the state House of Assembly will be hard to sell.
As it is they are all very low on funds to prosecute their campaigns and that there is an urgent need to provide them financial support.
*Highlights of the meeting.*
1. The first lady said Nigeria is not ripe for a female gubernatorial candidate or an elected female governor. That the maximum women should expect is a female deputy governor. That she asked Tinubu if he will allow a female governor in Lagos and he said no. She therefore said she will only allow them have a female running mate but not a female candidate.
2. The key stakeholders at the meeting were forced to sign a document of endorsement saying Nuhu Ribadu has been endorsed as the Gubernatorial candidate and Ambassador Patricia the current woman leader was to be the running mate. All other gubernatorial Aspirants were assured a place in Tinubu's government at the center.
3. On the Court case at the Court of Appeal and several other cases such as the one for the southern Senatorial Candidate, the House of Representatives for Mubi the first lady boastfully said she will invite the Attorney General of the Federation and the Judges in order to direct them (ridiculously so) to make sure the cases go as follows;
In the case of Nuhu Ribadu vs Binani, the court will rule in favour of a rerun election for the primaries
In the case of the others the courts will dismiss all the cases.
4. She also insinuated that she has influence on the Supreme Court and that should any of the cases reach the highest court of the land she will make sure it's dead on arrival.
4. On the case of the current governor coming up for judgement at the supreme court the meeting was made to believe that it's almost a forgone conclusion that the governor will be disqualified from contesting and that he will be made to work for the Nuhu Ribadu/Patricia ticket.
*Other issues discussed include*
The setting up of a committee made of serving members of the House of Representatives to mobilize funds for the financing of the campaigns in Adamawa State especially those of the state Assembly members.
The first lady will directly take charge of all affairs of the APC in Adamawa State and that once the cases are over and Nuhu Ribadu becomes candidate she will roll out the campaign plans.
Certain individuals were instantly appointed directors of media, administration, mobilization etc of the Tinubu Campaign Council in Adamawa State which will in turn also be the driver of the gubernatorial campaign as well.
*The BOMBSHELL!*
Apart from the reckless statements on the judiciary which one or two persons tried to caution, the biggest bombshell was that the first lady said she is in Talks with Atiku Abubakar with regards to the soon to be disqualified PDP governorship candidate in the state who is the incumbent governor. All attendees were shocked as to how a leading member of the APC campaign council will be in a political (not personal or family) talks with the candidate of the opposition.
*Alleged offence committed by Binani*
After acknowledging that they are first cousins and close family relations with "Uwani" as Binani is called within family circles, the first lady said that Binani offended her by crossing over to PDM in 2015. That she sent emiseries to ask her to remain in APC in order to support her husband but Binani refused. That was cheap blackmail. Nuhu Ribadu whom she supports now was an APC member who defected to the PDP to fly the flag of PDP as gubernatorial candidate. The deputy Governorship candidate she endorsed was an APC member who defected in order to serve as a Commissioner in a PDP government in the state headed by Bala Ngillari.
*History repeating itself.*
In 2015 Mallam Nuhu Ribadu was not popular within the PDP, the current governor was the choice of the majority, he used his connections with the Villa to move the primaries from Yola to Abuja and he won the nomination but came third in the election to the extent of being defeated in his polling unit, ward and LGA by Marcus Gundiri.
In 2023 he is repeating the same thing by coming to Abuja to receive the endorsement of people who cannot even deliver their polling units. Meanwhile the person whose ambitions he scuttled in 2015 contested in 2019 and by the grace of God the governor of the state. He sought nomination in 2019 and lost to then sitting governor. He only succeeded in delaying the will of God but he never stopped it. So shall it be in the case of Binani insha Allah.
*The bottom line.*
Several of those who are on their side had told me that they were told to be prepared that in the unlikely event that Binani recovers the ticket at the Appeal Court, they should be prepared to work against her as they did to Bindow in 2019. They called this agenda " *the secret within a secret"*
They were all playing God at that little venue while God himself was watching. Some called the meeting a "military government meeting " others said it was "martial law" in practice.
*But God is definitely in charge.*
