Against a strongly expressed opinion that Adamawa people across parties should show solidarity to son of the soil, Atiku Abubakar, who holds the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the coming presidential election, the state Organising Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mustapha Ribadu, has said everyone should be free to vote for or reject Atiku.
The APC state organizing secretary made his point via a statement Sunday in reaction to a verbal curse pronounced by his predecessor, Ahmed Lawan, against Adamawa people who refuse to vote for Atiku in the much anticipated presidential election.
Ahmed Lawan took his position for Atiku during the PDP Presidential rally in Yola on Saturday when he formally defected into the PDP and spoke on behalf of himself and some others who also joined the PDP.
“May Allah curse anyone from Adamawa who refuses to vote for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the forthcoming presidential election,” Ahmed Lawal had said.
In his statement on Sunday, however, Mustapha Ribadu urged his immediate predecessor Ahmed Lawal to withdraw his ‘provocative’ remark.
Mustapha Ribadu, a brother to former EFCC Chairman Nuhu Ribadu who is an ardent supporter of APC Presidential candidate Ahmed Tinubu, said in the statement obtained Sunday evening that as a friend, he deemed it fit to advise Ahmed Lawal to recant his remark because of its negative implications.
“Lawal has friends, relatives and well wishers who will definitely not vote Atiku in the presidential election; then what happens to the relationship? He should know that there is life after the election and friendship will continue even after elections are won and lost.
“What will happen between him and respected elders like former governor Murtala Nyako who is working assiduously to ensure the victory of Tinubu? I know how close Lawal is to Abdulrazak Namdas, and Namdas is working round the clock to ensure the emergence of Tinubu,” Mustapha said.
