Borno: Group warns against imposition of governor's cousin

The youth wing of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Borno ANPP Youths' Assembly (BAYAS) has warned the party against imposition of the governor's cousin, Modu Funnami Gubio, as the party's governorship candidate in the state for the April general election.

In a statement jointly signed by Buka Shettima Gubio and Modu Muhammed, Chairman and Secretary respectively, the group warned that the party would jeopardise its chance of winning the state if Gubio, the so called consensus candidate was fielded for the contest.

While calling for Gubio's replacement, the group said 'ANPP was doomed with Gubio as flag bearer,' lamenting that 'the governor, Alli Modu Sheriff was being prompted to impose him on the party by his mother simply because he is governor's cousin.'

The group, insisted that 'Gubio is roundly unpopular and a recluse, who is not accessible to the party members even as commissioner,' revealing that 'he removes himself from the people to the extent that he employed no gateman to watch over his house.'

The group's concern, according to the statement, was borne out of the fact that the ANPP now needed more than ever, a strong and popular candidate 'this time that the party is losing grip due to Boko Harram crisis, defection of heavy weight like Ali Ndume and others who are aggrieved and who are likely to work against the party.'

The governor was reminded that Alhaji Kassim Imam, who was expected to emerge the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was roundly defeated by the former governor of the state, Alhaji Muhammed Goni.

Goni's feat, the group pointed out was due to his performance as governor between 1979 and 1983, that made him a shining star in the state today, wondering while Governor Sheriff should allowed himself to be cajoled into picking an unpopular candidate to face such a man withoutstanding achievement.

BAYAS therefore called on the governor and the party leadership to replace Gubio now with a more popular candidate if the ANPP wanted to retain the state beyond April 2011, asserting that the interest of the party and that of the generality of the people should be upper most in their hand and not narrow interest of an extended family.