Gov. Bindow faces certificate forgery allegation ahead of 2019 election

Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow

Governor Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow of Adamawa State Thursday made light the certificate forgery allegation and other forms of criticisms against him, saying he would rather face the business of governance squarely than waste time reacting to critics.

Two people, who contested for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket against him in the party’s primaries last October, Ahmed Halilu (Modi) and Nuhu Ribadu, have always faulted the primaries labelling Bindow who won the primary as a fraud.

Modi renewed his opposition to Bindow’s candidacy on Wednesday when he and his ally, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, told a press conference in Yola that he (Modi) was bracing himself to take the ticket from Bindow in the event that he wins a certificate forgery case he filed against Bindow.

Against the certificate question, the remark by Babachir that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would lose Adamawa State if it retains him (Bindow) as the party’s candidate, as well as other accusations and allegations against him, Bindow maintained at a function by one of his campaign support groups, Home Front, that he could not be distracted by critics from his efforts at developing Adamawa State.

He said, “I am focused at leaving a legacy behind. I have seen that some people must find things to say against me. I won’t join issues with them. I just want to face what I am here for. There are things I am doing that were not seen before. It is daunting governing Adamawa. When people talk as if it is easy, I laugh; but God brought me in and has been finding ways for me.”

The Governor maintained the position when reporters sought his view, after the Home Front event at the City Green Hotel in Jimeta, on the comments Wednesday by Modi and Babachir, insisting that he could not comment on a case that is in court.

Conversely, a former National Vice Chairman of the APC (Northeast), Dr Umaru Duhu, had addressed the media earlier in the day (Thursday), accusing Babachir of anti-party activity and canvassing his expulsion from the party.

Duhu, who spoke while briefing at the Correspondents’ Chapel in Yola, said, “Primaries of the party were conducted at all levels. A loyal party man, whether he benfitted or not, should wish his party to win general elections at all levels by embracing the candidates that were elected. It beats my imagination that somebody in the caliber of BD (Babachir David) Lawal who was the second national vice chairman of this party after me will come out to say that APC will lose Adamawa if Bindow is fielded as the candidate. It’s sad and I feel I owe it as a duty to reply Mr BD Lawal and to say it is tantamount to anti-party activity punishable under the laws of the APC.”

Duhu however urged the people to ignore Babachir and vote for Bindow’s reelection as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which has the power to disqualify candidates, had certified Bindow fit for the APC governorship candidacy.