Posted by By FEMI BABAFEMI on
Ahead of the April 30 public declaration for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by former Lagos State military administrator, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, his campaign group has alleged that it has uncovered plans by some forces in Adamawa State to disrupt the event.
Ahead of the April 30 public declaration for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by former Lagos State military administrator, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, his campaign group has alleged that it has uncovered plans by some forces in Adamawa State to disrupt the event.
Spokesman for the group, Engr. Mohammed Lawan who gave the revelation however, gave assurance that in spite of the sponsored plots "we have put every necessary arrangements in place to ensure that PDP leaders, governors, ministers, diplomats and other dignitaries coming for the ceremony do not leave Adamawa with a bad impression about the state and its political leaders."
Speaking in the same vein, Coordinator of North East Youths Forum, Mallam Abdul Rahman Kwasham, who is also a PDP chieftain in Adamawa, said it is regrettable that most of the plots so far uncovered were "linked to the state government and an Abuja godfather who appears to be too jittery over the popular support Marwa is enjoying in the state, across the country and from the international community."
He alleged that the teeming supporters of Marwa in the state were able to unveil the plan by the government to use the police to disrupt the event through indiscriminate arrest of people posting Marwa's posters and by firing teargas to scare people during the event.
The group also alleged that "the state government deliberately slated a trade fair for the Ribadu Square, venue of the event to coincide with the public declaration, thinking that the ceremony would hold around middle of the month. We are also aware that there are still plans to put the venue in a state of disuse by dropping tipper loads of granites there to give the impression that the place is being renovated."
It was further alleged that not less than N2 million has been given to each local government areas "to pay for all the Okada and buses in their areas so that the transport unions will not participate in the event."
Kwaslam also alleged that the money being distributed round the state in the last two weeks were targeted at sabotaging the event.
He alleged that apart from government's efforts to book all hotels in the state capital, Yola, during the event, his life and those of other supporters of Gen. Marwa are being subjected to daily threats because of the mass mobiliasation of the people towards the event.
"May be you don't know that even assassination plot against Marwa himself grows thick by the day because they think that is the only way to silence him, insh Allah they will not succeed," Kwasham added.
He said while all the plots to disrupt the ceremony are going on, "many of our leaders in Adamawa and beyond see the formal entry of Marwa to PDP as a big gain to the party because millions of new entrants, especially from other parties are following him to the party."