Guber Race: The Odds against APC’s Binani, Why Adamawa May Not Vote for a Woman as Governor

When the news filtered into Adamawa state that All Progressives Congress, APC gubernatorial candidate in the state, A woman and serving senator removed her veil also kinown as hijab amongst men in the public, not a few condemned such act, describing Senator Binani as a bad example to the Muslim fateful. According to the information made available to Labari Adamawa by a chieftain of the APC, the gesture of the senator was unacceptable in Islam hence many of our supporters may not like her for the exalted position in the state.

‘It is against our religion and tradition for a woman to open her veil in the mists of men who are not her husband or relatives. This singular act may pitch many residents of Adamawa against our candidate”,

Continuing, a chieftain of the APC who don’t want his name in print added that “Aside this, Senator Binani was also alleged to have concerned substantial parts of the Federal Government’s projects and position herself as the one initiating such projects. This of course caught the attention of many residents of the state who vowed to work against her success during the elections.”

Few days to the gubernatorial elections however, Adamawa Chapter of the APC still swims in the river of crisis. Labari Adamawa gathers that the is sharp divisions and unresolved crisis between the gubernatorial candidate of the party in the state, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed

Popular as Binani, the APC flag bearer is said to be having unresolved crisis with the party’s Yola Souith Local Government. The Yola South leaders of the party had sometimes in February sent a letter, tiled; INVITATION TO ANSWER ALLEGATIONS AGAINST YOUR PERSON, to the party’s guber candidate. The grassroots party leaders wanted Senator Ahmed tocome before it over certain allegationemanating from a petition submitted byn a prominent APC member.

The invitation letter reads in parts that “The Local Government Executive Committee in accordance with right of fear hearing and party’s constitution want you to come forward and show cause why necessary action should not be taken against you”

The letter signed by the chairman of the party Ahmed Mohid Mbamo and the secretary, Mohammed Ajiye and 19 other members of the executive committee maintained that Binani is given 7 days to appear before them.

It is possible that the APC goes to the general elections with divided house in Adamawa state as it has remained stuck in series of crisis following the emergence of Binani as guber candidate of the party. Some members of the party, according to findings preferred the former EFCC Chairman, Nuhu Ribadu to Binani. This has created wide gap in the party as members still grumble over the choice of Binani

An APC member in Adamawa who pleaded anonymity said, “There is currently a sharp division in the inner caucus of Binani and the state working committee of the party on the one hand and the PCC on the other over the use of Ribadu Square and the running of the party affairs in Adamawa. ”While Binani is keeping everything to herself, the PCC and the SWC felt sidelined by the governorship candidate of the party in Adamawa,”

Since the June, 2022 governorship primary election, when the party SWC openly declared support for Nuhu Ribadu, the PCC, and SWC have refused to be fully integrated into the camp of Binani who sees them as enemy rather than partners in progress.

“Attempts by party leaders to mediate and close ranks between the SWC and Binani have failed,” multiple sources told newsmen in Yola.

Binani was alleged to have mismanaged the post primary crisis. The APC in Adamawa is yet to reconcile aggrieved members of its membership over its stand on the primary contest. This is evident as gubernatorial aspirants are still at loggerheads with the party’s flag bearer and Binani is unable to resolve the crisis.

Aminu Mohammed, one of the party leaders in Jimeta, Yola faults the state governorship candidate, stressing that “Instead of mobilizing everybody for her success Binani focused on the launch of the campaign as if that’s all she was elected to do.” Binani must let go of her ego if the APC is to win. Her visit to ASO Rock can’t guarantee the success of the party in next year’s general elections.

“Right now, she doesn’t have the support of the SWC and PCC in Adamawa.

“Almost all the governorship aspirants of the party, including the state working committee of the party, are not openly supporting Binani.” What has she done about it?

“As we speak, many senators and members of the House of Representatives are not working for us.” “We are getting bad press, and SWC is doing nothing.”

But the APC Publicity Secretary in the state Malam Abdullahi said that there is no issue in the petition as the crisis is a thing of the past.