All things were go­ing on well and smoothly in the Adamawa State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), until few days ago when the former anti-corrup­tion czar, and former presiden­tial candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, an­nounced to a bewildered na­tion that he had pitched his tents with the Peoples Demo­cratic Party, PDP. The PDP in Adamawa had hitherto been a formidable force destined to take over power in the oncom­ing election for the governor­ship position following the re­cent impeachment of Admiral Murtala Nyako of the APC, which led to the enthronement of an acting governor. But with the surprising defection of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the PDP is in for a serious crisis in the state and even at the na­tional level. His entry just few days ago has already polar­ized the party.
Ribadu’s defection would not have come with any sur­prise based on our own pecu­liar type of party democracy. Inter-party defection is a trend we are gradually getting used to and painfully assimilating into our political system.
But, a situation when a once respected Ribadu is now treading a doubtful path occa­sioned by political ambition is nothing but absurdity. General Mohamed Buba Marwa and many other APC bigwigs in Adamawa also defected from the then ruling APC probably when the handwriting was clear on the wall that waiting a minute longer was like mov­ing against a strong wind that was blowing and promising to consume whoever was on its way.
They defected even when the APC party was still in power in Adamawa; they de­fected when serious crisis was consuming the party and when the then governor was no longer in tune with the aspirations of the people and leadership of his party.
As the pioneer head of the anti-graft agency, Ribadu al­most became an invincible legend of sorts in Nigeria. His words were as sharp as his deeds when dealing with the issue of corruption, so to say.
He was a national figure whose influence spread across the length and breadth of Ni­geria. No wonder, he had higher votes in Osun State, than any other candidate, in the 2011 presidential election.
Most people who had thought that Ribadu was a man of immense wisdom have to eat their words based on his recent action. Ribadu, in the past, had reeled out how the PDP is the cancer eating deep into the essence of the Ni­gerian society; how the PDP with its almost 16 years in the saddle has nothing to show for it; how the PDP is a party of murderers etc. What surprises many are what changes had occurred in the party to have suddenly attracted him, if not for the governorship ambition only. It should not surprise us if he loses the ticket and back he goes to the APC.
This would be amusing and embarrassingly toeing the footsteps of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President of Nigeria, who once had the presidential ticket of the opposition party, AC, contested but lost and re­turned to the PDP.
When the elections were fast approaching again and he knew getting the PDP ticket would be a tall order, he jumped once again to the opposition APC. It should not surprise us if loses the ticket or the presidential election of the APC and runs back to the PDP.
For how long shall we be on this path? Nigeria’s democra­cy is old enough to have men of integrity who would stay by their party, come rain or shine, to build it.
For Ribadu to have told a bewildered nation that the two parties are one and the same, that there are good people and bad people in both parties, is nothing but an afterthought to justify his action. This is a volte-face that would one day haunt him.
My only advice is to the PDP in Adamawa and the na­tion at large. It is for this party to beware of people parading the corridors of the party for the sole aim of getting their ticket for the oncoming guber­natorial election.
There are more credible can­didates who have been tested with power and who have not betrayed their benefactors for one second. This is because what goes round comes round.
If Ribadu betrays his former party, the APC, which was magnanimous to have entrust­ed him with its presidential ticket, what is the guarantee that he will not sooner than later betray the Adamawa PDP should he be entrusted with the gubernatorial ticket? Ad­amawa PDP, please beware.

Ribadu and Adamawa PDP