* All governors seeking reelection returned, as Ambode wins
There was a serious twist to the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship primaries held throughout the nation on Thursday, as Governor Babatunde Fashola and former Governor Bola Tinubu boycotted the Lagos primaries. Expectedly, all incumbent governors seeking reelection under the party have emerged as candidates to contest the 2015 governorship elections in their respective states.
However, the second term plans of the Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha remains unclear after he picked the APC presidential nomination form.
Eight APC governors would be completing their first terms in 2015. They are: Governors Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Umar Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and Rochas Okorocha (Imo).
IMO I
In the case of Imo State, the APC governorship primaries has been suspended. Although, no specific date has been fixed for the postponed primaries, the Imo State APC chairman, Hillary Eke, disclosed that a new date for the primaries might be fixed after a general meeting of the party held yesterday.
The deputy chairman of the party, Hon. Ugochukwu Nzekwe, told LEADERSHIP that the party was still working on the list of aspirants.
Zamfara
In Zamfara, Governor Abdulaziz Yari was returned as the sole candidate at the end of the APC primary election yesterday.
A total of 2,336 delegates from the 14 local government areas of the state, including 38 from the party executive, voted in favour of Governor Yari.
Declaring the governor as party’s flag bearer, the supervisor of the election Chief John Nebo, announced that out of total of 2,336 votes, Yari garnered 2,298 and was declared winner.
Ogun
In Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun emerged the APC gubernatorial candidate. His deputy, Segun Adesegun, declared his intention to get the gubernatorial ticket of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
At the APC gubernatorial primary election held at MKO Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta, the state governor, who was the sole aspirant, polled a total of 3,554 out of 3,681 total votes while 16 votes were void.
Oyo
In Oyo State, the incumbent governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi defeated the son of the former governor of the state, Dr. Wasiu Adesina, to win the APC ticket for the 2015 governorship election.
At the congress midwifed by the Hon. Lumumpa Adeh-led five-man electoral committee, Ajimobi polled 4,662 votes to defeat his Adesina, who polled 22 votes. Ninety votes were declared invalid. The result was declared at 7.40 pm.
The third aspirant, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu, who was on Monday cleared in Lagos to contest along with the two others, however pulled out on Wednesday after he filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Ibadan praying the court to declare the congress invalid and illegal in view of the manner the delegates were selected.
Accreditation of the 4,776 delegates from the 33 local government councils began at 9:30 am while voting commenced at 3.30 pm at the main bowl of Lekan Salami Stadium, ending at 5:15 pm.
Rivers
At the Alfred Diete Spiff Civic Centre, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the gubernatorial delegates of APC numbering 3,774 formally elected Hon. Dakuku Adol Peterside as their gubernatorial candidate for the 2015 polls.
The election was supervised by the six-man National Electoral Committee under the chairmanship of Prince Austin Eweka from Edo State.
From a total 4,574 delegates, 4,321 were accredited. There were 3914 valid votes. A total number of 3774 voted for Peterside. Total invalid votes (140).
Nasarawa
In Nasarawa State, Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has emerged winner of the gubernatorial primary election of the APC in the state in a landslide victory.
Results as declared by the chairman of the electoral committee, Chief Ike Chunwo, show that Governor Al-Makura polled 1,630 votes to beat two other contestants, Dr. James Angbazo and Engr. Reuben Audu who polled 73 and 17 votes respectively.
Kwara
In Kwara State, 3,007 delegates of the APC yesterday unanimously elected the incumbent governor of the state, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed as the party’s candidate for the 2015 governorship election in the state.
Ahmed, who was the sole aspirant of the party, emerged unopposed with 3,007 votes cast from delegates across the 16 local government areas of the state.
Announcing the result, the chairman of the APC governorship primary in the state, Azu Nwandu, said that a total of 3016 votes were cast but nine were invalid.
Borno
In Borno State, the APC governorship primaries was shifted to Monday. However, Governor Kashim Shettima is expected to emerge as the sole and consensus candidate.
Yobe
In Yobe, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam emerged winner after Yobe APC delegates endorsed him as the party’s 2015 governorship candidate, according to the chairman of Electoral Committee, Babagana Tijjani.
New Entrants
Sokoto
The Speaker, House of Representatives Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and one of the aspirants for the Sokoto governorship job was yesterday declared winner of the primary election held at the state township stadium after a landslide victory against his co-contestants..
Speaker Aminu Waziri Tambuwal got 3,466 of the 3503 valid votes cast. His opponents Senator Umaru Dahiru Tambuwal got 23, Yusha’u Kebbe got 13, while Professor Lawal Bashar, Barrister Aliyu Sayinna and Senator Jibril Gada had no vote.
Responding shortly after been declared winner, Speaker Tambuwal said he will strive to continue with the legacies of the incumbent governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.
Delta
The APC governorship primary which ended at about 6:45 pm in the Delta State capital, Asaba, produced Olorogun O’tega Emerhor.
He was overwhelmingly elected as the candidate of the party for February 2015 governorship election
Going by the result of the primary as declared by Alhaji Aliyu Sa’ad, the Chairman of the five man electoral committee, Emerhor, Evwreni, Ughelli North Local Council from district polled 3, 584 votes out of the 3, 587 vote cast.
Shortly before the commencement of voting, his main challenger, Mr. Fidelis Tilije staged a walkout, alleging that the primary was skewed in favour of Emerhor from Delta Central senatorial.
Tilije, a running mate to Chief Great Ogboru of the defunct Democratic Party (DPP) in the 2011 election however scored a paltry195 vote to come out second best while Princess Nana Onwordi recorded only two votes.
Enugu
Chief Okey Ezea, lawyer and shipping magnate, was elected as candidate of the APC for the 2015 governorship election in Enugu State, following the last minute withdrawal of three aspirants to the race on the party’s platform.
One of the aspirants Dr. Ifeanyi Asogwa had earlier pulled out of the governorship race to contest the Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South Federal Constituency seat in the House of Representatives.
The two other aspirants announced their withdrawal from the race shortly before commencement of voting leading to the emergence of Ezea through affirmative voting.
Jigawa
The APC in Jigawa State yesterday suspended its scheduled gubernatorial primary election to produce a consensus candidate.
Despite instructions given by the party’s national secretariat for the conduct of the governorship primary elections nationwide, the Jigawa State chapter of the party appeared to have a different plan.
Going round the state, LEADERSHIP Friday noticed the party state headquarters in Dutse, the state capital, was deserted with no any official or party executive in the office. All the party offices at the local governments were closed with no sign of any exercise.
Lagos
The result of the APC gubernatorial primary in Lagos was still being awaited at press time. However, Akinwunmi Ambode was already touted as winner of the APC gubernatorial primary.
Curiously, the duo of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Babatunde Raji Fashola, widely regarded as kingmaker in the state, stayed away from the Onikan Stadium, venue of the APC primaries.
Though no reason was given for their absence, sources told LEADERSHIP that the inability of Tinubu and Fashola to reach a compromise on who should be the APC flaagbearer necessitated their decisions to stay away and monitor proceedings through their aides.
While Tinubu is backing Akin Ambode, former accountant general in the state, Fashola preferred Supo Shasore, a former Attorney General and commissioner for Justice in the state.
Taraba
Three APC governorship aspirants in Taraba boycotted the party’s governorship primaries, alleging that the process lacked credibility.
In a joint press conference yesterday in Jalingo, the three aspirants alleged that the state executives of the party refused to carry them along in the process leading to the exercise.
The aspirants include Dr Suleiman Julde, Alhaji Tumba Ibrahim and Barr. Yusufu Akirikwen.
LEADERSHIP Friday further reports that senator Aisha Jumai Alhassan stands a better chance of emerging winner.
Adamawa
The APC gubernatorial primary election in Adamawa was still in progress at the Lamido Cinema in the state capital at press time.
Four contestants are aspiring for the party’s guber ticket, including Senator Muhammdu Umaru Jibrilla, the candidate of the party in the botched October 11 gubernatorial election. Others are Mijinyawa Yayaji, Dr. Mamman Tahir and Kobis Ari Thimnu.
It appears that the contest is likely to be a two horse race between Senator Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla and Alhaji Mijinyawa Yayaji who is believed to be backed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
APC Postpones Governorship Primaries in Benue
The APC in Benue State yesterday postponed the conduct of the governorship primaries in the state.
The public relations officer of the party, Mr. Ayem T. Atsem announced this in Makurdi. He said the postponement is due to the inclusiveness of the state assembly primaries in the state.
Kano
The leading APC gubernatorial contenders in Kano, deputy minority whip, House of Representatives, Hon Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila and two others have withdrawn for the Kano deputy governor, Dr. Abdullahi Kumar Ganduje. The deputy governor is expected to emerge victorious after the exercise
The primaries held at Kofar Mata indoor stadium was ongoing at press time. Kawu Sumaila had publicly announced his withdrawal at the venue after consultations some of the party leadership.
Niger
Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has won the Niger State APC governorship primaries. He polled 3,829 votes to defeat Senator Musa Ibrahim who had 61 votes out of the total 3,932 votes cast in the election.
The Founder, LEADERSHIP Group and presidential aspirant of the APC, Mr. Sam Nda-Isaiah was among the top party stalwarts from Niger state who voted at the party’s primary in the state.
Akwa Ibom
Former Akwa Ibom State Secretary to Government, Umana Okon Umana has emerged winner of the APC governorship primaries.
Umana emerged winner by scoring 2,444 out of 2453 valid votes cast, while Senator James Udoedehe had six votes. Umana who defected from the PDP to APC is said to have brought into the APC, his supporters and a robust political structure that cuts across every part of the state. Condensed from Leadesphip.