Feelers from the camp of former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu suggests that he has dumped the All Progressive Congress to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The ex-anti graft crusader, Naijalog, learnt formally registered as a PDP card carrying member, in Bako, Yola South Local Government Area of Adamawa on Saturday, and he is expected to contest the PDP’s Adamawa governorship election primaries next month alongside heavyweight contenders such as Acting Governor of the state, Umaru Fintiri; former Special Adviser to the president on Political Matters, Alhaji Ahmed Gulak and former Lagos State military Administrator, Buba Marwa.
If indeed he decides to vie for the primary this may cause rumpus among and rekindled intrigues and rivalry among chieftains of the party in the state.
Already Chieftains of the PDP are have already grumbling over what they perceive as Aso Rock attempt to impose Ribadau’s candidature and her already threatening brimstone.
Meanwhile, Ribadu, who was the 2011 presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, which metamorphosed into while justifying is defection to the PDP on Sunday, said there was no difference between the PDP and APC, in terms of the character of the people who constituted both parties.
Speaking through his spokesman, , Mr. Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, he said:
“In Nigeria, especially in politics, you can’t say that this is an exclusive party for the people who are thieves or this is for good people.
“It’s just like saying that all Yorubas are this or all Igbos are this. In every group of people, there must be good people and there are bad people. Of course, the good may be more than the bad or the bad may be more than the good in any group.
“But there is no any party that is exclusively for the good people or for the bad people.”
He said that his defection was not borne out of his desperation to realise his political ambition but was based on his patriotic zeal to serve the country and its people.
Abdulaziz said, “It is not true that he (Ribadu) was desperate to realise his political ambition. This is because this decision was taken in the overriding interest of serving the people.
“What matters for him is service. That is why even when he was a member of the opposition party, when government asked him to serve the country, he accepted the offer and he did a wonderful job that everybody hailed except those who don’t want change in the system.
“If you are ready to serve the people, sometimes you will have to do something that is not even palatable to yourself.”