This was disclosed by the screening committee chairman, ex-deputy Senate president Ibrahim Mantu, after the five-man committee grilled all 14 aspirants, preparatory to the scheduled party primaries on September 6 and the October 11 governorship by-election.
Addressing newsmen after the committee finished a nine-hour screening exercise for all PDP aspirants, Mantu said the acting governor was disqualified because his candidature violated section 191, subsections (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
The section does not allow him to transmute from acting governor to substantive governor. It reads:
“The Deputy Governor of a State shall hold the office of Governor of the State if the office of Governor becomes vacant by reason of death, resignation, impeachment, permanent incapacity or removal of the governor from office for any other reason in accordance with section 188 or 189 of this constitution.
(2) Where any vacancy occurs in the circumstances mentioned in subsection (1) of this section during a period when the office of Deputy Governor of the State is also vacant, the Speaker of the House of Assembly of the State ‘shall’ hold the office of Governor of the State for a period of not more than three months, during which there shall be an election of a new Governor of the State who shall hold office for the unexpired term of office of the last holder of the office.”
Mantu noted that the acting governor was supposed to serve as a referee in the process and not a participatant in the election.
Mantu, who described the acting governor as “a child of circumstance”, noted that the committee had “done a very meticulous job, went through all documents critically and ensured that what is submitted is in conformity with the provision of our constitution”. He added that the governor ought to serve as a midwife in the process and “not be the carrier of the baby”.
He noted that Fintiri is entitled to “appeal against our position as there is going to be an appeal”.
Fintiri Fights Back, Mulls Plan B
The acting governor is not giving up, he is poised to fight back. In a move seen as plan B, Fintiri has already given indications to nine of the aspirants that he would back one of them.
Leadership gathered that the nine aspirants will leave for Yola in a chartered flight provided by Fintiri. They are to address the Joel Madaki-led state executive committee of the PDP at 3 pm today.
Although details of Fintiri’s plans were sketchy, a source close to the nine aspirants disclosed that the acting governor would facilitate a hasty consensus arrangement that will throw up one aspirant to run against the trio of Ribadu, Marwa and Modibbo.
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