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The former Nigerian
ambassador to South Africa, Buba Marwa, yesterday announced his
defection to the opposition Congress for Progressive Change in his
quest to contest the Adamawa governorship elections. The politician
had, last week, announced his exit from the PDP, saying he would be
seeking another party’s platform to realize his aspirations. Mr Marwa,
who arrived in Yola at about 6pm yesterday night, drove straight to the
CPC state party secretariat to formally join the party. After about two
hours, the state party chairman, Ibrahim Mohammed Waziri, told the
press that Mr Marwa had obtained a membership form and was subsequently
screened by the party screening committee as a gubernatorial aspirant.

Mr Waziri, in an
apparent response to the significance of Mr Marwa’s membership of the
CPC, said it presents “opportunity and possibilities of taking over
government within a very short time. There’s no problem. Our party is
very formidable and well positioned to take over power in 2011 in
Adamawa State.”

Mr Marwa’s
defection from the PDP comes on the heels of the cancellation of the
December 28 ward congresses which he insisted was properly conducted.
Although both Mr Marwa and the incumbent governor, Murtala Nyako,
agreed that the congress conducted on December 28 was satisfactory but
the national headquarters of the party cancelled the ward congress
which Mr Marwa now claims was to shortchange him and give Mr Nyako
undue advantage.

An earlier attempt
by the former ambassador to join the Action Congress of Nigeria was
unsuccessful as both sides could not reach an agreement.

No blame on Jos

But speaking after
his presentation by the CPC party officials, Mr Marwa said he would go
into the primaries with other aspirants, confident in his credentials.
Meanwhile, the CPC has debunked the allegation that the violence in Jos
was due to the crisis that erupted during its ward congresses last
Saturday. The party, in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Aghanya
Dennis, however said the CPC has always conducted its affairs in most
orderly manner.

The party also called on the security agencies to review its tactics.

“Leadership of our party should also share in the blame. A political
party should at all times be on its toes attending to all
misunderstanding emanating within its membership at all levels quite on
time before it generates into a monster that may be capable of
consuming the party,” Mr Aghanya said. “The problem in Jos should not
be linked to the CPC because of the crisis within, if there was any at
all, but to the lapses on the part of our security agencies.”