TheCable

The entry of former military administrator of Lagos State, Brig-General Mohamed Marwa (rtd), into the governorship race in Adamawa State has changed the calculations, party sources have told TheCable.

Following the impeachment of Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako, a new election to elect his replacement will be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) latest by October.

Marwa, who left the PDP for Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in 2011 to actualise his governorship ambition, returned to the PDP this after Nyako took over the structures of All Progressives Congress (APC) ─ the entity that emerged from the merger of opposition parties.

Because of certain local sentiments, the battle for the PDP ticket is expected to be a straight one between Marwa and a long-time aspirant, Alhaji Awwal Tukur, son of former PDP national chairman, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur.

However, there are other strong possible candidates ─ including former minister of state for health, Dr. Idi Hong, Mr. Marcus Gundiri, Dr. Umar Ardo, Senator Abubakar Girei and the acting governor, Hon. Ahmadu Fintiri.

Marwa is already being marketed as the most experienced of the lot, having been military governor of the old Borno State and military administrator of Lagos State ─ two of the most complex states in the country.

A group called Democratic Young Patriots has also been circulating campaign materials on the social media describing Marwa as the one well equipped to quell the Boko Haram insurgency in the north-east as a result of his experience as governor of Borno State ─ in addition to his army background.

Marwa was governor of the state at a time Chadian rebels, led by Idriss Derby, waged a long campaign against Hissène Habré.

The rebels often invaded the neighbouring Borno State to raid and camp, but Marwa set up a joint military patrol team tagged “Operation Zaki” which successfully repelled the rebels.

When he was governor of Lagos, he also set up “Operation Sweep” to combat armed robbery ─ an initiative that was eventually adopted by many states around the country.

But Marwa’s entry into the governorship race is also fraught with some legal and procedural issues, as returnees to PDP need to wait for two years before contesting for positions  ─ or get a waiver instead.

Marwa claimed he had been given waiver by the national headquarters of the party, but the procedure should be bottom-up, with the application starting from his ward in Michika LGA and journeying through the state leadership before landing on the table in Abuja, according to the PDP constitution.

This is not considered to be a major obstacle, though, as the national headquarters can easily direct the ward to play along.

Party sources told TheCable that President Goodluck Jonathan “will play a key role in who is picked as PDP candidate because we will have to move with his body language”.

But Aso Rock sources said Jonathan will play no role “whatsoever” in the choice of a candidate.

“The president’s position is that he is ready to work with anyone who emerges as candidate. He has no preferred candidate,” an aide to the president told TheCable.

Many thought Jonathan will pitch his tent with Tukur because of the special relationship the father enjoys with the president.

After his ouster as PDP chairman, the elder Tukur was made chairman of the National Railway Corporation as well as an ambassador at large by the president.

Tukur, TheCable understands, was also the one who nominated the former governor of Adamawa State, Mr. Boni Haruna, as minister.

Those in Awwal Tukur’s camp are very optimistic his father’s relationship with Jonathan will swing the ticket his way.

The battle for PDP’s ticket has become very fierce and competitive because the PDP is highly favoured to win the fresh election.

Last week, all the council chairmen, councillors and development area administrators in the state defected to the PDP from APC. There are 21 LGAs in Adamawa.