Governorship candidate of the Labour Party in Adamawa State, Umar Madawaki, has raised alarm over what he described as a “group of selfish, self centered, single track-minded, yet hand picked Ulama’s”, who have been invited and “sponsored to Abuja” in an uprising against Senator Aishatu Binani on religious grounds.
In a statement issued yesterday, he lamented that the sponsored attempt is to be led by a very high government official to “deceive the President Commander In Chief Of The Armed Forces Of The Federal Republic Of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the great people of Adamawa who stood solidly, come rain come shower to vote for their darling politician Sen. Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani as Governor, are now surprisingly against her leadership of the state on religious grounds”.
“It is a well known fact that they have raised a high powered group of government officials and close friends of the Hon. Minister Of Justice and Attorney General Of The Federation, to persuade him to intervene in their favour by providing some soft landing for the opposition party, the Hon. Minister being a shrewed lawyer and now the custodian of our justice system, the attempt is not likely to yield the required result,” he said.
Madawaki recalled that Sen. Binani picked her nomination and expression of interest form unchallenged, participated in the primary elections unchallenged, and comfortably defeated five other male contestants to become the flag bearer of her party.
While expressing hope that President Bola Tinubu is “too smart to be played around by these empty skulls”, he posited that Adamawa people are adherents of both Islam and Christianity. “Sen. Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani couldn’t have emerged as winner of the elections if only christians voted for her”.
Madawaki said the attempt to blackmail Sen. Binani’s emergence as Governor is a mere conspiracy with a sinister motive to satisfy to whimps and caprices of their sponsors who stand to gain in the end.
He urged Tinubu to disregard the fabricated plans and allow justice to take its course, adding that religious leaders should concern themselves with the dictates of their revealed books and not politics. .
“Her trouble started when some of those who lost at the primaries felt slighted. They collectively started their evil machination’s, to stop her from winning the general elections. However, the people of Adamawa proved them wrong and Sen. Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed Binani emerged the winner until her mandate was stolen.
“The analogy is that the opposition party also fielded a female candidate as Deputy Governor, if the so called sponsored Ulama’s were honest enough, why didn’t they raise issues on that, it is a solid fact that the ticket of the Governor and Deputy Governor has been constitutionally adjudged to be one and the same. That explains why when the Governor is on annual leave, the Deputy will act as Governor, when the Governor is incapacitated the deputy will also act and in the event of death or impeachment the Deputy Governor will take over.
“It is public knowledge that the leadership of the Muslim council of Adamawa State led a delegation to congratulate the Deputy Governor while acting as Governor of Adamawa State.
“Looking at this issue from a global perspective, we are all witnesses to the emergence of several Muslims women in predominantly Muslim countries as either Prime Ministers or presidents.
“Such Muslims like Mrs Benazir Bhutto as the 11th and 13th Prime Minister, of Pakistan between 1988-90 and 1993-96 becoming the first woman leader in modern history. Mrs. Tansa Ciller also led turkey 1993-96 as Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina was Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Mame Madior, rose as Prime Minister of Senegal and Megarati Sukamoputri was voted as President of Indonesia (2001-2004), Rosa Otunbayeva, President of kyrgyztan 2010-2011, Atifete Jahjaga current President of Kosovo 2011- present. Klaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh 1991-96, 2001-2006.
“Non of these hired Ulama’s has spoken, written or condemn the ascendancy of these Muslim women to power at anytime in their public lectures or before any council or group of leaders,” his statement read.
