Despite Being in Captivity, NEF Convener’s Son Wins PDP House Ticket

Chuks Okocha in Abuja, Sylvester Idowu in Warri, Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City, Okon Bassey in Uyo, Olusegun Samuel in Yenagoa, John Shiklam in Kaduna and Fidelis David in Akure

Despite being in captivity, Sadiq Abdullahi, son of the Convener, Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Prof. Ango Abdullahi, has emerged winner of the Peoples Democratic Parry (PDP) primary election for Sabon Gari (Zaria) Federal constituency, Kaduna State.

The younger Abdullahi, who was among those abducted in the March 28 attack on the Abuja-Kaduna passenger train, is still in captivity contrary to recent reports that he was released by the terrorists.

His father confirmed in a telephone chat with THISDAY yesterday that Sadiq won the primary while still in captivity.

He, however, won the primaries with 28 votes to defeat three other opponents.

Also Yakubu Barade, who has been in the House of Representatives since 2003, secured the ticket for Chikun/ Kajuru federal constituency for the sixth term. Barde got 45 from 65 delegates to defeat two other contestants.

Also, in the Kaura federal constituency, the Minority Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Hon. Gideon Gwani secured the ticket for a fifth term.

Gwani was said to have scored 18 votes to defeat his close opponent, a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. John Kish, who was said to have scored seven votes.

 Kish has, however, protested against the outcome of the election, alleging that delegates were intimidated by the Zonal Chairman of the PDP in Kaduna south senatorial zone.

Two Serving Senators Lose PDP Tickets in Ondo as Akinyelure Blames Mimiko for Defeat

Two serving senators  from Ondo State, were yesterday defeated in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election held in the state.

A legal practitioner, Ife Adedipe (SAN) won the  primary election for Ondo Central Senatorial District after polling 82 votes to beat the incumbent Senator, Ayo Akinyelure, popularly known as “Allover” who had fifty eight (58) votes, followed by the  former  Chairman of the party in the state, Mr Clement Faboyede with fifty seven (57) votes.

In the Southern senatorial district, the former Deputy Governor in the state, Hon. Agboola Ajayi polled 78 votes to defeat the incumbent senator, Nicholas Tofowomo, who scored 74 votes.

The Chairman, Election Committee, Idhiarhi Bekekhimi, declared Ife Adedipe (SAN)  the winner of the Central seat during the party’s primary held at Ondo road in Akure, the state capital.

However, speaking with Journalists after the exercise, Akinyelure, who is a two term Senator representing Ondo Central in the red chamber, blamed the immediate past Governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, for his defeat, alleging that he directed most  delegates to vote for his main opponent.

“As a ranking Senator and with all I have done for them in Ondo Central Senatorial District, the three ad-hoc delegates that favours Olusegun Mimiko, they gave instructions for them to vote me out. I am happy for this but I know my God will never fail.

“I know what I am talking about. We have six local governments in the central, by the grace of God I am still a sitting Senator.

“The election was so transparent but I know that with the volume of what I have done for Ondo Central Senatorial District, I did not expect to be paid this way. But I have a destiny that nobody can stop,” Akinyelure lamented.

The winner, Adedipe, who is from Akure South Local Government expressed delight over his victory, and vowed to lead the PDP to victory in the general election.

In the Northern Senatorial District, Mr Tokumbo Modupe, scored 124 votes to defeat his closet rival, Mr Foluso Adefemi, who scored 93.

Aduda, Nwoko, Dankwambo, Onolememen, Amori, Others Win Senatorial Nominations

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, elected more persons to fill the slot for the 109 seats in the nation’s senate.

Philip Aduda representing the Federal Capital Territory won his nomination election.  He got 199 votes out of 200 votes cast

Ned Nwoko, the billionaire husband of former teenage film star, Regina Daniels, won the PDP Delta North Senate ticket even as an associate of former Governor James Ibori, Senator Ighoyorta Amori, escaped with a narrow victory in Delta Central.

Chief Michael Diden, popularly known as Ejele, a close political enforcer for Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, also emerged candidate for Delta South.

The emergence of Nwoko, it was gathered came after the two major political tendencies in the area put aside their differences to back him as a popular personality in the area.

Nwoko’s ride to obtaining the Senate ticket became easy after Okowa surprised many when he pulled out of the contest to return to the Senate, where he served for one term between 2011 and 2015, before winning the governorship of Delta State.

Diden, a close associate of Okowa, won the Delta South ticket after he polled 176 votes to the 49 votes scored by former member of the House of Representatives, Daniel Reyenieju and Othihiwa Ayodele, who polled  46 and Kent Omatseye, who polled 2 votes.

In Delta North Ned Nwoko polled 240 votes to defeat Paul Osaji who scored 66 votes.

However, the closest in the PDP Senate primary contest was in Delta Central, where Amori escaped narrowly by defeating a former commissioner, with 143 to 123 votes.

Also, Ndudi Elumelu defeated Patricia Ajudia in the contest for Delta north federal constituency. The election was held Sunday in Asaba.

In Gombe State, Hassan Ibrahim Dankwambo, former governor of the state, was nominated to represent the Gombe North Senatorial district.

Former Minister of Works, Dr Mike Onolememen, has been declared the winner of the Edo State Central Senatorial ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In the primary election conducted yesterday, he scored 123 votes to defeat his nearest rival and former member of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Friday Itulah. The zone is currently being represented Clifford Ordia.

Meanwhile,  no fewer than 30 senators may not make it back to the parliament in 2023,when the 10th National Assembly would be inaugurated.

It was gathered that some pursued other aspirations, paving the way for some other aspirants to take over their seats in the Red Chamber, but the re-election bids of some lawmakers were threatened by the senatorial ambition of their governors.

The lawmakers who are running for governorship are Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia), Aishatu Dahiru Binani Ahmed (Adamawa), Albert Bassey Akpan (Akwa Ibom), Gershom Bassey (Cross River), Sandy Onor (Cross River), Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta), James Manager (Delta), and Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi).

Others are Ike Ekweremadu (Enugu), Mohammed Sabo Nakudu (Jigawa), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi), Teslim Folarin (Oyo), Dimka Hezekiah Ayuba (Plateau), George Sekibo (Rivers), Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto), Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba), and Yusuf A. Yusuf (Taraba).

While horse-trading is gathering steam between some senators and their governors over who would get senatorial tickets, other lawmakers are ready to slug it out with their governors in the primaries.

Security Arrests Four Journalists as Obaseki, Orbih’s Factions Hold Parallel Primaries in Edo

*One fataly shot, hospitalised

Four Journalists were on Monday arrested by a combined team of Edo security outfit for allegedly covering what they termed “illegal assignment”.

Those arrested were the State Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mrs Deborah Coka; Ohioze Inuarumen and his Camera man of African Independent Television (AIT), and Osamuyi Ogbomo of Independent Television/Radio,

This came as the Edo State chapter of the PDP, held parallel primaries to choose candidates for the Senatorial ticket.

The  parallel primaries were held at different locations in the state between delegates loyal to Governor Godwin Obaseki and the PDP National Vice Chairman (South), Chief Dan Orbih.

The four were arrested for giving coverage to the faction loyal to the Dan Orbih delegates of the party.

However, while the faction loyal to Orbih held its primary at an event centre by the Airport gate, Obaseki’s group held theirs at the Samuel Ogbemudia’s stadium.  

The journalists were arrested and taken to Oko Police Division, where they were detained for over five hours and made to give statement.

Coker, said they were arrested by a combined team of Edo Security Network, men of the State Vigilante and Police.

“Even after we told them that we were journalists carrying out our legitimate duty, they insisted that we are providing coverage for an illegal primary and that is why they took us to Command Investigation Intelligence Rapid Response Office located off Airport Road.

In the melee, she said one person was shot fatally and was rushed to the hospital, when venue of the primaries was invaded.   

Meanwhile, at the indoor sports hall of the Dr Samuel Ogbemudia stadium where Obaseki’s delegates of the PDP converged, the former Majority leader of Edo State House of Assembly, Mathew Iduoriyekemwen, emerged the senatorial candidate, defeating the incumbent Senator Mathew Uroghide. 

On the side of Orbih, the member, representing Oredo Federal Constituency, Ogbeide Ihama, emerged the candidate.

In Edo Central, former Minister of Works under ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Mike Onolememen, picked the PDP ticket for Edo senatorial district while Hon Clifford Ordia, the incumbent senator emerged in the Obaseki-led faction.

Similarly, in Edo North, former Assembly Chief Whip and local government council chairman, Pascal Ugbome, emerged the candidate of the Orbih-led primary while Mrs Victoria Edelokun won the ticket of the Obaseki-led delegates in the parallel primaries conducted

Crisis in Kaduna APC Over Alleged Non-conduct of Delegate Polls

One of the contenders for the governorship ticket of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, Sani Sha’aban, has protested against alleged non-conduct of special congresses for the election of delegates in the state.

The special congresses were said to have taken place across the 23 local government areas in the state on May 17 and 18, 2022, through consensus, in accordance with the APC election guidelines and constitution.

A five-member Appeals Committee headed by Tinuke Ogunrinde (from Oyo state) had told journalists that the congresses were hitch-free, and that no petition was received before, during and after the congresses.

According to Ogunrinde, “1,275 delegates were elected for local government and state delegates while 69 national delegates were unanimously elected.”

Addressing a news conference yesterday in Kaduna, the Director General of the Sani Sha’aban Campaign Organisation, Chief Joshua Ephraim, said there was no election anywhere in the state to produce delegates for the primary elections.

Ephraim also alleged that the campaign organisation wrote a petition to the Appeal Committee, but it refused to collect it, adding that, it had already submitted a petition to the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state to the effect that no congresses were held anywhere across the state to produce delegates.

“This statement is a direct response to the misleading and erroneous press released by the APC Delegates Primary Election Appeal Committee, given some hours ago in which it is claimed that, delegates Primary Elections to produce delegates in Kaduna State were held and; that there was no petition that was submitted by any person, or campaign organisation, during the purported two-day sitting of the Appeal Committee.

“We categorically deny, before you and before the whole world, that no such Delegates Primary Elections to produce delegates were ever held in the whole of Kaduna State. Secondly, there was a petition written by our campaign organisation, which the Appeal Committee refused to collect,” Ephraim said.

According to him, “Many party faithful paid for, and filled the Delegates Election forms, which were neither collected by the state, nor the national office of the APC, thus disenfranchising thousands of APC members in the state of their rights to become delegates as enshrined in the constitution of the party.”

Three Killed as P DP Holds Assembly, House Primaries in A’Ibom

Three persons were reportedly killed in Ini Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State during the conduct of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Assembly and House of Representatives primaries in the area.

Sources alleged that the violent clash occurred between supporters of House of Representatives aspirants during the party primaries in Mbiabong Ikot Udofia of the LGA held on Sunday.

Police sources at the Ini Divisional Police Headquarters, told Journalists that thugs loyal to one of the aspirants killed someone from the rival camp and the opposing camp retaliated killing two persons.

But stern-looking security operatives were immediately dispatched to maintain security during the conduct òf the senatorial primary of the party at designated venues across the three senatorial districts.

THISDAY gathered that although the senatorial primary was peaceful, many of the aggrieved aspirants boycotted the exercise.

The aspirants who stayed away from the exercise, said, their decision was based on the order by a Federal High Court, Abuja, against the use of ad hoc delegates for party primaries.

One of the aspirants, Mr. Inibehe Okori, in a petition yesterday to the chairman PDP National Assembly Senate Primary Election Committee, said he would not violate the court order by partcipating in the primaries.

Okori, an aspirant for Akwa  Ibom North-west (Ikot Ekpene) senatorial district said, “Following the ruling given on an order in suit no. FHC/ABJ/CS/606/22 between Hon. Friday Iwok and ors vs INEC and ors, on 18th May, 2022 by the Federal High Court, Abuja,  that the parties maintain Status Quo Ante Bellum pending the hearing and determination of the suit as per the application for rejoinder of the over 900 ad hoc delegates, I hereby state as follows:

“That it is my conviction that no party can legitimately make use of the Ad hoc delegates for the primaries before the determination of the matter before the court. That it will constitute a breach of a court order to participate in the primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) set to hold today, to field candidates for the Senatorial Election.

“Following the above, I, Hon. Inibehe Okori, will not participate in the primaries slated for today 23rd  May 2022. This does not mean my withdrawal from the race or from my party; this only restates my intention, as a law-abiding citizen, to work within the confines and stipulations of the law.”

Another aspirant, Ephraim Inyang-Eyen, for Akwa Ibom South (Eket) Senatorial district, in a similar statement disassociated himself from the exercise.

“Myself, my agent and supporters therefore shall not participate in the nomination exercise as delegates to be so used by the Party are not recognised by the laws of the land,” he said.

The Senate nomination of the party candidates was supervised by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Chairman National Assembly-Senate Primary election in Akwa Ibom, Mr. Edwards Ayo-Odugbeson.

Results of the PDP senatorial primary showed that for Akwa Ibom North-west (Ikot Ekpene) senatorial district, the immediate past national legal adviser of the PDP, Barrister Emmanuel Enoidem won; for Akwa Ibom North-east (Uyo) senatorial district, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Aniekan Bassey, won; while Barrister Ekong Sampson, was announced winner in the Akwa Ibom South  (Eket) senatorial district.

PDP Conducts Peaceful Primaries for House in Bayelsa

The Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, conducted a peaceful Federal House of Representatives primaries in the state.

As at the time of this report, three federal constituencies had concluded their primaries with the former Ogbia Local Government Chairman, Hon. Ebiyoun Turner, emerging the standard bearer of the party for the Ogbia Federal constituency.

He defeated three others including the incumbent, Hon. Fred Obua.

 Turner scored a total of 16 votes, to beat his closest rival, Mieteme Obodor, who got 12 votes, while a former Commissioner for Information, Daniel Markson-Iworiso, had seven votes, with the incumbent lawmaker, Fred Obua, polling six votes.

Declaring the results, the returning officer, Mr. ThankGod Embilakpo, said after the free, fair and smooth contest, the aspirant with the highest votes, 16, Ebiyun Turner, emerged the winner.

At the Yenagoa Federal Constituency, a member of the State House Assembly, Oboku Oforji won with 74 votes as against his opponents Ogbo Okolovie, who polled 5 votes while Romanus Lot, got no vote.

At the Southern Ijaw Federal constituency, Rodney Ambaiowei polled 29 votes to defeat a former commissioner, Kurokegha Dorgu, popularly known as Kabaka with 24 votes.

The other results from Brass/Nembe and Sagbama/Ekeremor Federal constituencies were still being awaited at the time of filing this report..

The delay in the conduct of the primaries was, however, due to late arrival of election materials to Brass and Sagbama, venues of the primaries.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the PDP has commended the security agencies for the success recorded in the Assembly primaries conducted in the 24 constituencies in the state.

The PDP, in a statement yesterday by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ogoli Ebiye, described the outcome as a win-win situation for all contestants, admitting that there were minor hitches, which led to slight delay in voting in some centres.