The Presidency may have decided to withdraw its support for the former Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, as a result of the furor his defection to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is generating.
According to Saturday Sun, the Presidency was worried by the gang up by certain governorship aspirants for the Adamawa governorship ticket on PDP platform against Ribadu coupled with intelligence reports that former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar was waiting in the wings to exploit the acrimony in the ruling party to the advantage of the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress.
The report claims that a presidential aide from Adamawa State and arrowhead of the Ribadu governorship project misled the Presidency on the political weight of the former APC chieftain.
“The race in the coming days is likely to be very interesting but we have all resolved to be very careful because in politics, you cannot take chances, especially ones that are likely to jeopardise the chances of your party.
“When the issue of Ribadu first came up, some indices which we are witnessing now had not come up then.
“For instance, no one knew that the acting governor was going to be interested. Also, the impression was created that all other aspirants were going to step down for him (Ribadu) on the intervention of a mutual friend of most them who brought the Ribadu option.
“But right now, the president has insisted that he cannot support any of the aspirants against others since there appears not be a consensus among them and more so, that the hurdles we thought could be cleared for Ribadu are not just there but are still waxing stronger.
“So, the situation as it is now means that all the aspirants would have to carry their various ambitions on the strength of their structures”.