Crises Persist as APC, PDP Round off Gov Primaries

Primaries for the election of the governorship candidates of Nigeria’s main political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were rounded of yesterday with rife accusations of malpractices.

The process which started on Sunday in many states, were carried over to yesterday in others due to wrangling over fairness of the exercise, most times arising from disputes over membership register and lists of delegates.

More candidates, however, emerged last night.

NDDC Boss, Ekere, Clinches APC Ticket in Akwa Ibom

The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Mr. Nsima Ekere, was officially declared as the winner of the APC governorship primary in Akwa Ibom State.

Ekere floored three others governorship contestant with the highest votes to click the party ticket for the 2019 gubernatorial race in the state.

The result was announced at the APC secretariat on Ikot Ekpene Road, Uyo, by the Chairman of APC nine-man national committee that conducted the primary, Mr. Yamah Momoh.

According to Momoh, Obong Nsima Ekere polled a total of 160,458 votes out of the 167,896 votes cast across 30 local government areas of the state except Uyo LGA where materials were reportedly hijacked by thugs. Eight votes were voided.

A onetime Managing Director of NDDC, Sir Bassey Dan Abia, scored 4,189 votes to come second, while former Minister of State for Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator John Akpanudoedehe, placed third with 2,015 votes. Mr. Edet Efretuei trailed fourth with 1,234 votes.

ABIA: Emenike Emerges APC Guber Candidate

Chief Ikechi Emenike was returned as the governorship candidate of the APC in Abia State in the primary election, which was held in all the 184 wards in the 17 local governments of the state.

The Chief Returning Officer, Professor Okezie Abarikwu, announced the results in Umuahia, saying that Emenike polled 274,133 votes to defeat six other aspirants, including Chris Akoma, Friday Nwosu, Martin Azubuike, Uche Ogah, Okey Emuchay and Paul Ikonne.

Parallel governorship election was expected to be held in Abia APC which has two factions. But while the faction led by Dr. Emmanuel Ndukwe concluded its primary poll, the other faction headed by Hon. Donatus Nwankpa could not get its act together.

The Nwankpa faction was embroiled in disputes over the authentic party register to use as well as the inability of the five aspirants from Ukwa/Ngwa zone to arrive at a consensus on who should be presented to face the aspirants from other zones.

BAUCHI: Protest Over Disappearance of APC membership Register

Hundreds of angry youths yesterday staged a protest in Azare, Katagum Local government area of Bauchi State following the disappearance of APC register booklets for the governorship primary.

The irate youths attacked a member of the House of Representatives, representing Azare, Katagum constituency, Ibrahim Mohammed Baba, in Azare at the Government Lodge in Azare town by pelting him with stones.

THISDAY checks revealed that the protest occurred when the All Progressive Congress chairman ,Katagum Local government Aminu Umar Chinade and the Council chairman Alhaji Mohammed Hassan raised an alarm over the loss of APC membership registration booklets at a stakeholders meeting in Azare.

It took the intervention of security agents to bring the situation under control.

BAUCHI: Former FCT Minister Wins PDP Ticket

There was jubilation in Bauchi metropolis as the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed, emerged winner of the Bauchi PDP governorship primary election.

Mohammed polled 1,335 votes to defeat his closest contender and former Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi, who polled 802 votes, while the third contender, Senator Adamu Gumba, polled 15 votes in the primaries.

Announcing the results at the Zaranda Hotels, Bauchi, Chairman of the National Electoral Committee, Chief Dan Osi Orbih, commended the delegates for conducting themselves in an orderly manner throughout the period of the exercise saying that it was a demonstration of the readiness of the PDP to reclaim power in the state.

BENUE: Ortom Wins PDP Primary

Benue State Governor, Dr. Samuel Ortom, emerged the winner in the PDP gubernatorial primary election after polling 2,210 votes to defeat Mr. John Tondu who garnered 475 votes to come second.

Other contestants in the election at the Ape Aku Township Stadium Makurdi, included Mr. Felix Atume, who polled 44 votes and former NAFDAC Director General, Dr. Paul Orhii, who garnered 10 votes.

BORNO: Umara Leads APC Governorship Charge

Delegates at the gubernatorial primary of the APC in Borno State elected Professor Babagana Umara as the flag bearer of the party, but the exercise was marred by last minute withdrawal and protest.

Umara scored 4,432 votes to beat his closest rival, Idris Mamman, who, however, protested alleged arrest of his campaign director-general by the police.

The primary was also flawed by the last minute withdrawal of aspirants like Kaka Shehu Lawan, Senator Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai, Senator Abu Kyari, Mohammed Makintami, Yuguda Dibal, Adamu Lawan, Mai Sheriff. Babagana Tijjani-Banki, Mohammed Liman and Mustapha Fannarambe, who pledged their support for the incumbent governor’s anointed candidate.

Also abstaining from the primary were seasoned politicians including Kashim Imam, Mustapha Shehuri (the Minister of State for Power, Works and Housing). Amb. Baba Ahmed Jidda (Nigeria’s Ambassador to China), Hon. Abba Jato and Idris Mamman.

CROSS RIVER: Usani Flies APC Guber Flag

Pastor Usani Uguru Usani emerged governorship candidate of APC in Cross River State, in a parallel governorship primary election staged by a faction of the party.

The faction, which adhered to the direct primary approved by the national secretariat of the party, returned Usani as winner after collated votes from all the 196 wards in the state were announced.

Announcing the results, the Chairman of the committee that organised the governorship primary, Mr. Emmanuel Anom, said Usani polled 47, 313 votes to defeat four other governorship aspirants.

Anom said Chief Edem Duke came second with 1, 322 votes and Senator John Owan-Eno, came third had 1, 236. Professor Eyo Nyong was credited with 1, 162 while John Ukpan Odey had 1, 099.

DELTA: Ogboru, Utomi Emerge Candidates from Parallel Primaries

The factional crisis rocking the Delta State chapter of APC got messier with the emergence of Chief Great Ogboru and Prof Pat Utomi as the 2019 Delta State governorship candidates following the conduct of two parallel primary elections in Asaba, the state capital.

Utomi and Ogboru emerged within a space of 24 hours from separate exercises held at Nelrose Hotel Asaba and Federal College of Education (Technical) at the conclusion of the two primaries.

Announcing the results of the primary election that produced Utomi, the Returning Officer, Elder Favour Adibor, said that Utomi polled 2481 of the 3755 total delegates votes while Rt. Hon. Victor Ochei, Dr. Cairo Ojougbuoh and Chief Great Ogboru trailed him in that order.

In another development, the presiding officer and chairman of the election panel, Gen. Lawrence Onoja, declared Ogboru as the APC governorship candidate after polling 3,292 votes of 3,515 valid votes with 129 votes declared invalid. Ochei scored 160 votes, Utomi 26 votes and Ojougboh got 12 votes.

GOMBE: Inuwa Yahaya Bears APC Flag Governorship Flag

Alhaji Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya emerged winner of the APC governorship primary election held at the Gombe International Hotel, Gombe.

Yahaya, a former Commissioner of Finance during Senator Danjuma Goje’s eight year tenure, was also the party’s governorship flag bearer during the 2015 general election.

He lost the election to Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Announcing the winner of the election, chairman of the election committee, Abu Bawuro said Inuwa polled 859 votes to beat his closest rival, Mohammed Jibrin Barde who polled 463 votes.

The election which was conducted under a peaceful atmosphere featured other contestants Farouk Bamusa who polled 139 votes, Idris Umar, former Minister of Transport 68 votes, Umar Kwairanga 54 votes, Abubakar Habu Muazu 49 votes, Dasuki Jalo Waziri 28 votes, Ahmed Khamisu Mailantarki nine votes, while Aliyu Haidar Abubakar polled five votes.

IMO: Death, Arson Mar APC Governorship Primary

Widespread violence due to logistics delays marred the governorship primary election of the APC in Imo state.

The exercise scheduled to hold at the party’s headquarters along Okigwe Road, opposite Imo State University, Owerri and in other party offices in the respective wards and local government areas did not take place as party members turned out but could not find the materials logistics to go on with the election.

One person was reported dead at Orodo ward, three buses were burnt in Amike, Mbieri all in Mbaitoli council area of Imo state.

Trouble started in Amike, Mbieri when a pro-government politician, Sunny Onyegbula, believed to be in support of the candidature of Uche Nwosu, former Chief of Staff and son in-law to Governor Rochas Okorocha was confronted by his kinsmen and dissuaded from shortlisting delegates at the polling centre, who the locals believe may be induced with money to vote for Nwosu against the aspiration of their son, the Deputy Governor, Prince Eze Madumere, who is also from the area.

KANO: Police Stops PDP Guber Primary

Police in Kano State barred the caretaker committee, loyal to former governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, in the PDP from conducting governorship primary election.

The caretaker committee, headed by the former Secretary to State Government (SSG), Mr. Rabiu Suleman Bichi, was constituted immediately after defection of Mr. Kwankwaso, a serving senator, from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to PDP.

The committee had not been able to function, following a substantive court order after dissolution of the Umar El-Jibrin Doguwa-led committee by the PDP’s national body recently, who challenged the decision in court.

The Police had also been ordered to stop the committee from conducting any political event, pending a court judgement.

Ganduje Secures APC Ticket with 2.7m Votes

Meanwhile the state Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, scored 2,740,847 votes in the APC governorship direct primary election in the state to emerge winner.

The Chief Returning Officer for the election, Dr. Pius Odubu, announced the result of the election at the state party secretariat in Kano.

Ganduje, who expressed satisfaction with the election result, commended the peaceful conduct of the election and the party members for exhibiting total solidarity for his return.

Conduct of the exercise was peaceful and orderly in all the 484 wards across the 44 local governments of the state.

Atunwa Picks PDP Ticket in Kwara State

A member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Razak Atunwa, representing Ilorin/Asa Federal Constituency won the PDP governorship primary election in Kwara state.

He defeated Sha’aba Lafiagi, the senator currently representing Kwara North, who participated in the rescheduled exercise held on Monday after eight aspirants polled out of the contest.

Atunwa scored 1,555 votes while Lafiagi got 578 votes.

The election was deferred to yesterday following the disruption of the exercise on Sunday .

The eight aspirants that withdrew were, Bolaji Abdulahi, Ali Ahmad, Saka Isau, Ladi Hassan, Ibrahim Kaia, Zakari Mohammed, Abubakar Amani and Ahman Pategi.

PLATEAU: Useni Clinches PDP Gubernatorial Ticket

Senator Jeremiah Useni, former military Governor of defunct Bendel State and former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), emerged as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Plateau State.

Useni, the senator representing Plateau South Senatorial zone, is believed to be one of the most famous and generous politicians in the Southern part of the state from where the next governor is expected to emerge based on a zoning arrangement.

He polled 1018 votes to beat his closest rival of other 12 contestants, Mr. Johnbull Shekarau, who polled 340 votes.

SOKOTO: Deputy Governor Emerges APC Governorship Candidate

Sokoto State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu, has emerged the APC governorship candidate.

Aliyu scored 2,282 votes to defeat Alhaji Faruk Yabo, who scored 837 votes. Abubakar said Alhaji Abubakar Gumbi, got 70 votes while Senator Abubakar Gada scored 20 votes. He said 397 votes were invalid during the election.

Declaring the result, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee for the APC Governorship Primary Election in the state, Alhaji Sulaiman Abubakar, said the election was contested by four aspirants.

YOBE: APC National Secretary Wins Guber Ticket

The National Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Maimala Buni, has emerged the gubernatorial flag bearer of the party in Yobe State.

Buni, whose aspiration was made easy by the endorsement of the incumbent governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Gaidam, defeated three other aspirants.

Announcing the result of the primary in Damaturu, Alhaji Umar Kareto, the returning officer, said after about 13 hours of electioneering, Maimala Buni polled 2,797 votes to defeat Hon. Sidi Karasuwa who scored 23 votes, Alhaji Umar Ali eight votes and Aji Kolo who polled four votes.