Buhari’s supporters, Adamawa APC chieftains boycott Bindow’s declaration 

• As Party Exco Gives Governor Automatic Ticket 
There is no sign that the lingering crisis in Adamawa State Chapter of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will soon come to an end, as the two warring groups: President Muhammadu Buhari’s supporters and Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow’s group have refused to sheathe their swords.

Yesterday, the two warring factions renewed their hostilities, as the party’s state executive, led by the chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Bilal, awarded automatic ticket to embattled Governor Bindow, while the Buhari group, headed by former Secretary of the federation (SGF) Mr. David Babachir Lawal, insisted that the governor won’t return to Government House in 2019.

The Buhari’s supporters, top APC chieftains like Gen. Buba Marwa (rtd), serving senator Abubakar Mo-Allah Idi and Mr. Markus Gundiri, among others were conspicuously absent at the governor’s declaration.

While speaking at the state’s party secretariat during Bindow’s declaration before a scanty crowd of APC members, Bilal said 138 members of the state executive from ward to state level had endorsed the governor’s candidature without apology.

“I want to tell Abuja politicians and Oshiomhole that he cannot remove us from office. If he removes us as APC officials, he cannot remove us as indigenes of Adamawa State. So, we can still vote for Bindow and there is nothing he can do about it,” he said.

Bilal said whether through direct or indirect primary, Bindow will emerge as APC governorship flag bearer and that the state had approved indirect primaries to pick their candidates.

In his speech, Governor Bindow said: “Despite the fact that my predecessors collected huge federal allocations, they refused to pay salaries. I cleared seven-month salary arrears, but at the local government level, we are still battling the issue. But I know it will be over in the next few months.”

Bindow, who begged party officials and the people of Adamawa State to vote him for a second term, pledged commitment to their demands, as well as improved performance to tackle challenges facing the people.

But reacting to the award of automatic ticket to Bindow, Babachir said the governor’s days are numbered in Government House, and that 100,000 Bilals cannot rescue him from defeat next year.

A member of the state APC executive, who spoke to The Guardian on condition of anonymity, said indirect primary was adopted to protect the governor from losing in the exercise, and that Bilal’s statement was not the executives’ position.”