Nuhu Ribadu: I’m not in PDP on anyone’s errand (For The Records)
Today is a happy day for me. I am awed and inspired even further by the cheerful crowd that received me at the airport and which has come with me to this place. Whatever way I turn, I feel a sense of boundless happiness at coming home, more so now with a mission to be accomplished; a task dear to the hearts of all the people of Adamawa State.
This is therefore not an ordinary day for me, and as indeed it is not for the rest of the patriotic citizens of this State – we are here on the march of history. I would like to appreciate those members of the PDP who privately and publically prodded on me to join this party. My appreciation also to the leadership of our party for the warm reception accorded me deserving of any full-fledged party stalwart. This kind reception did not begin from today, it began from the day I signified the intention of joining this great party.
Mr.
Chairman, other party leaders here present, let me declare that I am
here as an ordinary PDP member whose personal aspiration is organically
tied to the best aspiration and progress of all people of this great
state. I am not here on anyone’s errand.
Today, I come to you as a full blown party member who defines himself in the spirit of community service
and party development. Whatever brought us here, the love for and need to serve our people is supreme. I therefore come to you with this pledge of service and all sense of commitment trusting also to receive the same measure of goodwill and acceptance by all of you, from Mr. Chairman here, down to the member in the villages from Madagali to Lamurde.
The trigger of me being here today is that passion to uplift that I have; it is that spirit with which I am known, all my life. It is that zeal that saw me going into the police, as against obviously more lucrative career paths. My philosophy, as we were taught, is that one should put the interest of the public over any other consideration. In life of service, one’s first consideration should be the impact one makes under the circumstance. It is therefore that same will to serve that is responsible for me respecting and answering to the people’s choice to come back home and serve the people of Adamawa State under the platform of the PDP. Mr. Chairman, other party leaders here present, let me declare that I am here as an ordinary PDP member whose personal aspiration is organically tied to the best aspiration and progress of all people of this great state. I am not here on anyone’s errand.
I want to stress the point also that I am here on my own and thus prepared to subject myself to all norms and protocols of the party. I preach respect of law and order and the respect for constituted authorities, anywhere I go. It is a template of my action and conduct. I therefore cannot breach the teachings of my gospel. I anticipate participation in all democratic processes that would lead to the emergence of a candidate for the Party. What I would however appeal for is for the party to also treat all of us as its members with equal rights. We should all be treated with fairness in a transparent manner that is the hallmark of democracy.
Finally, I would appeal to all political actors in the state, especially my fellow aspirants to go into the field armed with our rules of engagements. No one’s ambition is worth the peace and stability of our people. We should eschew antagonism or stoking primordial sentiments. Elections would come and go but the people will always be together. Damaging the harmony we enjoy as a people would have dire consequences on all of us and is the gravest disservice anyone can do for our dear state. I thank you all for your valuable time and this august reception.
Thank you!
By Nuhu Ribadu
