Adamawa is sinking, save us, APC chieftain tells Buhari

A CHIEFTAIN of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State and one of the major sponsors of Governor Umar Bindow’s campaign, Alhaji Halladu Jimeta, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the national leadership of the party to intervene in what he described as administrative disaster under APC government to avoid total collapse of the state before next year.

Halladu, the Sarduana of Jimeta, who spoke with The Guardian in Yola, lamented that the mantra of APC leadership in the country, which is positive change for development, had been abandoned for personal interest, which he said, is not only affecting the image of the party in future elections, but that the people of the state are undergoing undue hardship in the state.

The APC chieftain, who apologised to the people of the state for what he called anti-people government in the state, said that they supported APC with a good intention of development in the state, but lamented that what they got after elections was not what the party chieftains bargained for.

We work for our party and we ensure that Bindow win the election bearing in mind that he has the capacity to restore the lost glory of the state, but unfortunately, we now discovered that our case in Adamawa now is like from frying pan into fire. Our search for good leadership has landed us in a bigger trouble. Only God and the national leadership of APC can rescue us from the trouble we have put ourselves in. For me, it is only apology that I can give the people of the state,” he stated.

Halladu, who said that several attempts by the party chieftains in the state to draw the attention of the governor to the major and dangerous lapses of his government have fallen on deaf ears, regretted that the APC, a party that is tasty for positive change, cannot find its feet in the state due to personal selfish interest of some people in government.

The Abuja-based business guru-turned politician expressed concern that if the party’s national leadership did not take effective fast action, the APC will collapse before next year, pointing out that the opposition PDP is not only watching the lapses of the present government in the state, but that the PDP is building fast on the APC’s poor leadership in the state.

Immediately the governor took over the mantle of leadership within three weeks without a cabinet, he awarded road construction contracts worth over N6 billion. This is completely abuse of the provisions of the Constitution and the due process. It is only the state executive that has the constitutional powers to approve contracts. Buhari did not award any contract up till now because he is yet to constitute a cabinet. The governor’s Commissioner for Information out of ignorance was saying that the governor can spend money without cabinet on emergency, but what he fails to understand is that such situations are limited to security issues only, but not award of road contracts. When did road project become an emergency issue that the governor cannot wait for his cabinet to be constituted?” he asked.

He said that if the governor fails to respond to the yearnings of the people of the state for positive change, the people would effect the change through the ballot-box, pointing out that no person or group can hold the entire people of the state to ransom.

Halladu, who expressed concern over the fate of his party in the next general elections, said the chieftains of APC in the state cannot fold their hands and watch an individual destroy a party they built to restore hope in Nigerians and ensure that democracy thrives and the people enjoy its dividends.