By Olusegun Olanrewaju and Oluwayemi Davidson
The governorship election primaries held nationwide by the All Progressives Congress (APC) produced standard bearers yesterday, with sundry reports.
The primaries, which were held in 28 of the 36 states of the federation, ahead of the 2023 general election, were supervised by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who monitored the exercises.
•Victory for foot soldiers
Before the emergence of the states’ helmsmen yesterday, some of their foot soldiers had earlier won tickets. These include the Special Adviser to Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai on Political Matters, Uba Sani, who had earlier been declared winner of Saturday’s primary elections for the Kaduna Central senatorial ticket.
Uba Sani polled 2,088 to beat three other candidates who participated in the election.
The same went for Cross River, a former senator who represented the southern senatorial district, Bassey Otu, an acolyte of Governor Ben Ayade, emerged as the party’s flagbearer.
Otu was said to have beaten 17 aspirants, in a primary presided over by the state leader of the party and governor, Ben Ayade.
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Others in attendance were the state chairman of the party, Alphonsus Eba, state executives, and party stakeholders.
•Omo-Agege picks Delta slot, Sule, Emenike for Nasarawa, Abia respectively
Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, succeeded in picking the APC guber ticket in Delta State. Omo-Agege polled a total of 1,190 votes and was returned unopposed by a total of 1,235 accredited delegates of the party at the APC governorship primaries held yesterday in Asaba.
The event was held at the premises of the Federal College of Education (FCE) in Asaba, Omo-Agege was the sole aspirant of the exercise in the primaries.
Announcing the results, APC returning officer, Oyibo Nwaneri, declared Omo-Agege as the winner, having polled the majority of the votes cast.
A victorious Omo-Agege expressed joy over the smooth conduct of the primaries. He thanked his supporters and the entire APC family in Delta State.
“Today, the APC in Delta has spoken with one voice. We may have had our differences in the past, but we have been able to reconcile ourselves.
“With my emergence as the party flagbearer for the 2023 governorship in Delta, the APC is very determined to take over the reign of affairs in Delta,” he said.
The party primary was attended by some notable chieftains of the APC in Delta, including Senator Peter Nwaoboshi and a former governorship candidate of the APC in Delta State, O’tega Emerhor.
Nasarawa State governor, Abdullahi Sule, also won a new ticket for a second term in office.
He cleared all the 735 votes to beat the former wife of APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, Dr Fatima Abdullahi.
All the delegates from the 147 wards in the 13 Local government areas voted for the incumbent governor to return him as the flag bearer of the party in the 2023 governorship elections for the state.
A development economist and publisher, Ikechi Emenike, yesterday emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Aba State.
Emenike defeated five other aspirants to clinch the governorship ticket of the main Abia opposition party at the governorship primary held in Umuahia.
Emenike has thus been put in a vantage position to lead his party in the forthcoming battle with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 gubernatorial poll.
Announcing the result, the chairman of the APC governorship primary election committee for Abia State, Tony Obiefuna, said Emenike polled 672 votes out of 892 votes cast by 907 accredited delegates to emerge victorious.
He said, “We hereby return Chief Ikechi Emenike as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Abia State”
Obiefuna declared the exercise transparent and peaceful.
One of the aspirants, Alex Otti, had withdrawn from the race on the eve of the primary and still got 14 votes.
In his acceptance speech, Emenike described his emergence as “the beginning of the beginning” in his mission to liberate Abia from “the forces of darkness” that has held the state down for decades.
•As Sanwo-Olu, Abiodun, Buni, Zulum, Matawalle, Yahaya, others get second-term nod
In Lagos, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu secured 1,170 votes to get a second-term ticket.
The Lagos governor was the sole contestant in the primary decided at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, formerly, Onikan Stadium on Lagos Island.
Five delegates from 245 wards across the 20 recognised local government areas who participated in the rain-soaked exercise exercised their voting rights.
However, only 1,198 of 1,225 registered state delegates were officially accredited for the exercise, leaving 12 void votes.
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Voting started at about 2pm and lasted till 4pm before sorting and counting took place.
Voting, which started at about 2.30pm, was temporarily suspended to contain the impact of the heavy downpour.
Personalities at the event include Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Senator Ganiyu Olawale Solomon (GOS), former deputy governors in the state, members of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC), members of the state executive council, as well as leaders and chieftains of the APC, among others.
One of the contenders, Abdul-Ahmed Mustapha, a former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Minerals Resources, had earlier been branded disqualified.
Ditto, Olawale Oluwo, a former commissioner for energy and mineral resource under the immediate past administration of Governor Akinwumi Ambode.
Mustapha resigned about 14 months ago and declared to vie against Sanwo-Olu picking up the N50m governorship form of the party.
Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee, Shettima Yuguda, announced the results of the voting, saying 1,198 delegates were accredited to vote out of 1,225 registered delegates.
Yuguda said Sanwo-Olu, incumbent Governor, scored 1,170.
In his acceptance speech, Sanwo-Olu thanked all the delegates for finding him worthy to be the party’s flag bearer in the 2023 election.
The governor, who expressed his appreciation to the National Leader of APC, Bola Tinubu, party leaders, and faithful, stakeholders, among others for their unflinching and valuable support, said the victory was an affirmation of trust and good work his administration has embarked on, promising to more if re-elected in 2023 governorship poll.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, witnessed the primaries.
However, disqualified aspirant Mustapha claimed that he was in Abuja two weeks ago for the screening without the committee members informing him of the outcome.
He said the secretary of the primary election committee, Bashir Mohammed, turned him back yesterday, saying that he was not cleared and as such cannot be given accreditation access to the venue.
In Ogun, incumbent Governor Dapo Abiodun also won a ticket for the 2023 governorship election.
Abiodun contested the primary election with five other aspirants, Abdulkabir Akinlade, Biyi Otegbeye, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, Owodunni Opayemi, and Remi Bakare.
The exercise was held at the main bowl of the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto-Abeokuta yesterday, supervised by a five-man electoral committee from the national Headquarters headed by Wale Ohu.
Announcing the results of the election after delegates from the 20 local government areas had cast their votes, Ohu said Abiodun scored 1,168 votes, while other aspirants had nil.
He said that 1,180 delegates were accredited for the election, saying that 1,170 votes were cast with two voided votes.
“Prince Dapo Abiodun, having scored the majority votes cast, is hereby declared the winner of the APC governorship primary election in Ogun State.
“He is hereby declared the governorship candidate of APC to stand in the 2023 governorship election in the state,” Ohu said.
In his acceptance speech, Abiodun promised to continue with the massive turnaround of the state with various infrastructural development.
He appreciated the people of the state for their continuous support and prayers.
The governor also commended members of the electoral committee, saying that they have conducted a free and fair election.
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Former national caretaker of the APC, Mai Mala Buni, came up trumps in Yobe’s re-election.
Buni was declared the winner of the primary after scoring 805 out of the total votes of 890.
The primary, which was held at an event centre in Damaturu, was contested solely by Buni, according to the chairman of the election committee, Umar Kareto.
Governor Babagana Zulum won a fresh APC ticket in Borno State. He won the APC governorship primary with 1,411 out of 1,411 votes.
The governor thanked the people of the state for electing him in 2019 and re-electing him yesterday.
Governor Bello Matawalle also triumphed yesterday for a second term in Zamfara State, in an election in which he was also unopposed.
However, unlike Lagos, all the 735 delegates from the 147 political wards of 14 local government areas of the state that participated in the election, were accredited.
Chairman, Committee for Governorship Primary Elections in the state, Babagana Tijjani-Banki, said out of 735 delegates, 733 votes were validly cast.
Tijjani-Banki commended the delegates for showing maturity and good conduct during the election.
He said, “Based on the power vested in me as chairman of the APC governorship primary election in the state, I am happy to declare Bello Matawalle winner of the APC governorship candidate for the 2023 general elections.”
In his acceptance speech, Matawalle described his election as peaceful and historic.
“I wish to express my gratitude to Almighty Allah for attending and completing this exercise.
“I commend our delegates and all stakeholders of the party for the successful primary election,” Matawalle said
The primary election was monitored by the officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state Prof. Sa’idu Babura.
Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, also emerged as flag bearer in the 2023 governorship election having received an overwhelming affirmation, through a voice vote, of votes by 563 accredited state delegates.
The Chairman of APC Governorship Primary Election Committee in the state, Dr Danjuma Dabo, in his remark, said since the governor was the sole aspirant in the race, thus, it was needless to go through the rigours of balloting.
He said, “By the powers conferred on me by the constitution and guidelines of our great party, the APC, I hereby declare His Excellency, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya as the duly elected flag bearer of the party in Gombe State for the 2023 general elections.”
The Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Francis Nwifuru, has emerged as the gubernatorial flag bearer of APC in Ebonyi State.
Nwifuru won all the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primaries in the state.
He polled 743 votes to defeat four other aspirants in the exercise conducted
inside the Pa Ngele Oruta Stadium, Abakaliki.
Mrs Rosemary Ofoke came second in the exercise with 63 votes, while Senator Julius Ucha came third with 22. Elias Mbam scored 10 votes and Edward Nkwegu, eight votes.
Chairman of the party’s committee for the primaries, Emmanuel Adebayo, declared Nwifuru the winner and commended all the contestants for their mature conduct.
Adebayo announced that 855 delegates were accredited for the exercise, while 854 votes were cast in total.
•Magnus Abe boycotts Rivers exercise, Tonye Cole wins
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In Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe withdrew from the primaries in the state, alongside his supporters.
In a surprise move, the frontline governorship aspirant on the platform of the APC pulled out of the party’s gubernatorial and the house of assembly primaries held nationwide
No fewer than 29 pro-Abe supporters were screened and cleared to participate in yesterday’s house of assembly primary election.
Coordinator of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Support (BATS) Vanguard in Rivers State, Tony Okocha, in a statement issued on behalf of the governorship aspirant and his supporters, said the process in the state was already skewed, biased, and prejudiced.
The statement reads in part: “I have been receiving a myriad of calls from our colleagues concerning the nationwide assembly and governorship candidates primaries of our darling party, APC.
“Please, kindly take this as an official statement that we are not participating in an already skewed, biased, and prejudiced process in Rivers.
“All our teeming supporters are advised not to dissipate scarce energies in a process that will not pass muster. Comfortably lounge in houses and homes and be exceedingly happy, with no interest in the usual charade of APC Rivers.
“However, we enjoin all to remain vigilant as we continue to bring you up to speed with unfolding events. More than resolutely keep faith with the struggle. He who laughs last laughs best.”
However, despite Abe’s withdrawal, former Transportation Rotimi Amaechi’s ally, Tonye Cole, won the APC governorship primaries in Rivers State
A business mogul, Cole, beat five other aspirants to emerge the winner with 986 votes.
His closest rival, Ojukaye Flag Amachree, a former state chairman of the APC, polled 190 votes to come second, while Sokonte Davies came third with 46 votes.
The same boycott scenario was activated in Abia State, where governorship aspirants faulted the primary election process.
No fewer than four governorship aspirants of the Abia State chapter of APC) protested against the primary election held in the state yesterday.
The aspirants include United State-based chartered accountant, Daniel Eke, and former minister of mines and steel development, Uche Ogah.
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The others are the Executive Secretary/Managing Director, National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA), Paul Ikonne, and former Abia State commissioner for finance, Obinna Oriaku.
Addressing newsmen in Umuahia on the development, Eke said he was not satisfied with the way the election was conducted in the state.
He said he was kept in the dark concerning the modalities, venue, time, and other relevant information concerning the exercise.
•Rejection of result
Following the incident, Mustapha rejected the outcome of the primary results in Lagos.
His Abdul-Ahmed Olorunfemi Mustapha Campaign Organisation has rejected the disqualification of the former permanent secretary, saying the disqualification did not follow due process and remained an assault on the fundamental human rights of Mustapha to vote and be voted for.
The organisation, in a press statement signed by the head of media and communication, Daniel Ajibade yesterday, said it is worrisome that there was no official communication regarding the purported disqualification of Mustapha, “and it is more shocking for the aspirant to learn of the development at the venue of the primary”.
Ajibade said his principal was turned back at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Arena, the venue of the primary after officials told him he could not be accredited because he was not cleared by the screening committee of the APC for the exercise.
