Principal Private Secretary to President Jonathan, Ambassador Hassan Tukur, has been identified as the man behind the current moves to zone out Adamawa State governor, Barrister James Bala Ngilari, from the 2015 gubernatorial race.

Alhaji Hassan, an influential native of Adamawa, was pointedly accused by a Public Affairs Analyst, Mr. Sunny Okim, while featuring on the popular Channels TV programme, SUNRISE Daily, this morning. Okim accused Hassan and his clique of desperation to foist former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, as the next Adamawa Governor.

The seasoned journalist and analyst encouraged Governor Ngilari to fight against forces working against him and his authority to re-run for office, noting that it was his constitutional right to contest.

Speaking on the issue of zoning in Adamawa, Okim noted that Adamawa is “a really troubled state,” explaining that “between 2007 and now, they have sworn-in eight different governors at different times. It has never happened in any other place in this country.”

Okim noted that Adamawa State can be divided into two major regions – Adamawa North, which is dominated by Christians, and Adamawa Central, dominated by Muslims.

According to the analyst, the power play between the two regions is stiff and the governor of the state, who hails from Adamawa North, is scared because the powers that be want to zone him out despite the fact that he became governor via a constitutional means.

Ngilari had been sworn into office following a court judgment which rendered his resignation as deputy governor null and void.

Okim noted that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has a policy of allowing first-time governors run for a second term and asked: “Why, in this case, don’t they want him to go back”?

According to him, “a hand up there” (in the Aso Presidential Villa in Abuja) is responsible for the troubles the governor was facing as outsiders were influencing politics in the state. He identified Hassan as that “hand up there” and also accused PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, of playing along in the alleged plot to mete out injustice to Ngilari.

Commenting on the popularity of the governor and the people’s wish, Okim said: “The people can only say this is who we want, if you pass through the primaries of the party. If the party does not want you to be there, my brother, you can’t be there.

“They will only allow you to go, buy form, appear during the screening and then say look, your zone cannot produce the governor.”

Mr Okim encouraged the governor to pursue his constitutional right and contest for the office again.

•Photo shows Governor Ngilari.

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