by Laila Ibrahim

President Goodluck Jonathan will meet with the 14 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial aspirants for the Adamawa State governorship election ticket.

The PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC) has said that any aspirant who refuses to attend the meeting in Abuja today, will lose the right to participate in the primary election.

The meeting which will be presided over by the President in order for a consensus candidate to be picked, has been described by some of aspirants as a plot to hold all the aspirants hostage in the capital city till Friday afternoon. This, they suspect is to allow delegates vote for their preferred candidate.

According to a source in the PDP, a text message was sent to all the aspirants to be “at the compulsory meeting”.

“ All the aspirants have been summoned by the President and the NWC because the situation has shown that the PDP might go to the October 11 governorship poll as a divided group.

“Some aspirants are already threatening protest vote if the primary election is hijacked by forces in the presidency and some NWC members.

Yesterday, it was learnt that some aspirants said they would not go by consensus option.

One of the aspirants said: “We want a level-playing field, we do not like consensus formula. This is why we have refused to step down for each other.”

Another aspirant added:”We are already on the field canvassing for votes from delegates, let them leave us alone. We do not need consensus.”

Another aspirant was of te opinion that the meeting in Abuja is a plot to shut-out aspirants from Adamawa State.

“We were asked to come for the meeting by 9 pm on Thursday. But we got wind of a plot by some forces in the presidency to hold all the aspirants hostage in Abuja till Friday afternoon when the meeting will hold.

“As the meeting holds on Friday, Yola Airport will be closed. All routes leading to Yola will also be blocked to deny us access.

“They will then proceed to hold the primary election in the absence of all aspirants so that they can manipulate the process for an anointed aspirant.

The state gubernatorial candidates to be present at the meeting are; Acting Governor Ahmadu Fintiri; Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Modibbo; Nuhu Ribadu; Markus Gundiri; Auwal Tukur; Aliyu Idi Hong; Sen. Abubakar H. Girei; Jerry Kumdisi; Andrawus Sawa; James Barka; Gen. Aliyu Kama; Gen. Buba Marwa; Ahmed Gulak, Dr. Umar Ardo; Jerry Kumdisi and James Barka.

Emmanuel Chidiogo