BY Umar Yusuf

YOLA-The candidacy of incumbent Governor Murtala Nyako, of Adamawa state, was Monday endorsed by the state chapter of the party, in a delegates congress supervised by the Minister of State, for Education, Mr Ezenwo Wike.

Nyako, polled 854 votes to emerge the winner, beating his only challenger, Dr. Umar Ardo, who withdrew from the race at the last minute without giving reasons, in the exercise described by the Minister as one of the most peaceful and orderly exercise, he had ever witnessed in a long time.

Governor Murtala Nyako in his acceptance speech commended the party men and women , for the peaceful conduct of the primaries, stressing that the current exercise was a sharp contrast to the 2007 episode, when the governorship primaries was stalemated along factional lines.

Nyako, said not only was it a testimony of the growing political awareness but a sign of the cohesion of the people of the state, assuring the party-men that he would continue to engender development for the people of the state.

The state Chairman of the party, Alhaji Umaru Mijiyawa, had said last week that the state chapter of the PDP had endorsed Nyako’s candidature for the election scheduled for January 14, next year.

Mijiyawa who spoke while receiving both Nyako’s letter of intent and nomination forms, stated that his adoption, however, did not in any way stop other candidates from contesting the primaries, as according to him, primaries were purely the internal affairs of the party as stipulated under its constitution.

But he was quick to ask Dr Ardo, not be discouraged by the endorsement, as the PDP secretariat would ensure a level playing ground for all candidates.