2019: OBJ’s ADC gaining ground, lures nPDP with automatic Tickets (DETAILS)

As the APC crisis deepens in Gombe State, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), says it has opened its doors for possible defectors. Chairman of the party in Gombe State, Alhaji Auwal Abba Barde, told Correspondent, ABDUL LAUYA, that ADC would be ready to give automatic to defectors to boost it’s chances in the 2019 elections

As the 2019 elections gathers momentum, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is not leaving anything to chance, as the party is set to reinvent itself as an emerging third force. Sources hinted that the ADC, recently adopted by the Coalition of Nigeria Movement (CNM), an organization promoted by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, hopes to reap bountifully from the looming mass defections from the two mega parties.

While the APC is battling to put its house in order, impeccable sources revealed that the ADC has reached out to some key members of APC across the country especially Gubernatorial, Senate and Reps hopefuls to consider their party should they fail to secure their party’s ticket.

The APC had been enmeshed in in-house crisis since the just concluded party congresses that produced factions and parallel congresses in about 28 states. Impeccable sources hinted that there is ploy by a group within the ruling APC to ensure that the parallel congresses lead to two factions within the party. One of the sources which pleaded anonymity accused some former members of PDP of clandestine moves to destroy the APC in order to benefit there from.

“We know their plan, we are aware of their clandestine move to destroy the APC like they did to their former party PDP. They are planning to break away just like they did when they formed the new PDP and later used it as a platform to join the amalgamation that later became the APC.”

An investigation revealed that ADC has been working round the clock to woo some aggrieved members of the APC, some of whom have been promised automatic tickets, should they join the ADC. One of the sources confided that the ADC is actually wooing would-be defectors with automatic tickets in order to gain their confidence.

“Yes, we will give them automatic tickets. It is normal in politics. I can assure you that there are over 100 Senators and Reps members as well as Governorship hopefuls that are ready to come but are waiting for last hour to defect.” These political giants are ready to move with their supporters”, he declared.

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Alhaji Auwal Abba Barde, is ADC Chairman Gombe State. In an exclusive interview recently, he told The AUTHORITY that their plan in Gombe State is to leverage on the “Tambuwal strategy”. Asked what he meant by the Tambuwal strategy, he said they are waiting for those that will defect at the last minute just like Tambuwa did in 2015. He said that his party hopes to reap bountifully from the spate of defections that will follow after the party primaries in August.

“We are prepared to contest all the elective positions in Gombe state, because we have structures in all the eleven Local Government Areas. Since we came into existence 12 years ago, we have been contesting all elections, and we used to come 3rd in LG, State, Senate and reps elections.

He said that the party in Gombe is working assiduously to ensure that it fields candidates in all elective offices in 2019, saying that with the crisis rocking the APC and the ruling PDP in the State, they hope to reap from defections arising from party primaries, and eventually capture power in the State.

Asked why he thinks ADC is a credible alternative to APC and PDP, he said: “ADC stands for Grand Coalition for Good Governance in Nigeria. We stand for genuine and positive change, and development in all facets of our economy. Our symbol is handshake as you can see in our logo. Handshake symbolizes love, peace and togetherness. Whether you are a Muslim or Christian, we are all one. Our National leader is a Christian from the South East and we have structures in all the 36 states including FCT. We hope to enthrone an egalitarian society, where we are all equal before the law, nobody is oppressed because of his social status. A country where there is only one law for both the low and mighty, not like we had in the past and recently where there are distinct laws for the rich and the poor.

Alh Barde listed Education, Healthcare, Agriculture, Unemployment, as well as Water and sanitation as cornerstone of their administration. “ADC will focus on Education, Health, Agric, development of industries to solve unemployment problems, job creation, reinvigorate Dadin Kowa Dam to make water available and boost electricity supply in the State.”

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On fight against corruption, Alh Barde has this to say: “The APC has not lived up to its promises especially war on corruption. We feel that there is selective fight against corruption. The APC government seems to be looking towards only one direction. It does not prosecute friends or members of APC. That’s why most corrupt officials of previous government are decamping to APC to enjoy immunity from investigation and prosecution. There are some corrupt officials in present government that ought to have been prosecuted or shown the way out but are enjoying immunity. This should not be so. If we takeover power come 2019, we shall show example of how to fight corruption. We will fight total corruption where there are no sacred cows. Whatever is your political party or allegiance if you are found to be corrupt, you will be prosecuted. No selective treatment.

Elsewhere in Bauchi, Kwara, Kaduna, and Ondo States, there is uneasy calm as the gladiators in these states battle to affirm their grip on the party. In Bauchi and Kwara, it was gathered that the supporters of Speaker Yakubu Dogara and Senate President Bukola Saraki, might eventually collapsed there structures into the ADC. While Saraki has firm grip of the party in Kwara, Dogara has been having running battle with his Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, and may have a herculean task controlling party machinery in Bauchi.

In Kaduna, a faction of the party, APC Akida, threatened to dump the party over irreconcilable differences between the group and the State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. Among members of the Akida are Chief of Staff to Senate President, Dr Hakeem Baba Ahmed, Senators Shehu Sani and Suleman Hunkuyi. Sources confirm that these big wigs have commenced discussions with the ADC for a possible move to join the party.

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