*Boycott, Parallel primary mar exercise in Ebonyi, Ogun, others
*DSP, Omo – Agege, wins in Delta, as Abia Court affirms Emenike’s suspension hours after winning party ticket
By Eze Eze and Angela Otaka
Incumbent Governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), on Thursday secured second term ticket of their party to seek re-election in the 203 general elections.
The Governors, who were declared winners of party’s governorship primary in their various states will therefore battle with their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterparts, and candidates from other political parties to secure the second term mandate from the electorates
Governors Dapo Abiodun, Babajide Sanwo – Olu, Abdulahi Sule and Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya of Ogun, Lagos, Nasarawa and Gombe states respectively on Thursday secured the tickets of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to seek a second term in office in the 2023 general elections
The APC conducted its governorship primaries across the country on Thursday amidst protest and condemnations in some quarters
Governor Dapo Abiodun emerged winner of the state governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress, which was conducted at the MKO International Stadium, Abeokuta, after polling 1, 168 delegate votes to defeat five other aspirants.
The aspirants include Olubiyi Otegbeye, Mrs Modele Sarafa- Yussuf, Mr Owodunni Opayemi, Remilekun Bakare and Abdukadir Akinlade.
The other five aspirants however boycotted the primary, it was only Abiodun that participated in the exercise
Declaring thje Governor winner of the primary, Chairman of the Ogun State APC Primary Election Committee, Chief Wale Ohu, disclosed that 1,180 delegates, from the 20 local governments, were accredited for the exercise, adding that Abiodun scored 1,168 votes, while other aapirants, did not secure any vote, as two votes were voided.
In his acceptance speech, Abiodun, who described the results of the exercise as overwhelming and Tsunami like, commended the delegates and party supporters, for their peaceful behaviour, during the event.
The governor, who promised to work more for the development of people and the state, said the reward for hard work, is more work, enjoined the people of the state and party supporters, to shun campaign of calumny and join hands for the development of the state.
Meanwhile both Akinlade and Otegbeye rejected the outcome of the primary, and passed a vote of no confidence on the Wale Ohu led 5-man election panel.
In a statement issued in Abeokuta and jointly signed by Akinlade and Otegbeye, they queried the credentials of Ohu to have earned him the chairmanship of the election committee, alleging that previous exercises which he handled for APC in the state still accounted for the prevailing disaffection among party members.
They alleged that the Ohu-led APC governorship election panel did not make available to them, the delegates form as stipulated in the guidelines for the conduct of the exercise, but made such available to Governor Dapo Abiodun.
The Electoral Committee for APC Governorship Primaries in Lagos State has revealed that only Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu was cleared to participate.
Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Adamu Yuguda, stated this to newsmen while reacting to allegations that the two other aspirants in the race were prevented from attending the primary election.
Yuguda said: “We are aware that three aspirants bought forms for Lagos state. Three accredited for the screening. One was cleared, and two were not cleared.
“So, as we speak, the other two aspirants have not been cleared by the screening committee and by the appeal committee.
“We are only attending to those that have been cleared, the aspirant that has been cleared by the two committees.”
The committee had earlier barred the two other aspirants, former Commissioner, Wale Olowu and former permanent secretary, Abdul Ahmed Mustapha from accessing the venue of the primary
Yuguda, a former deputy governor in Borno state said that since Lagos APC was one family, it had helped in the orderliness and peaceful conduct of delegates and leaders of the party in the state.
“The exercise is transparent and going on well. Everything is taking place the way we expect it to be,” he said.
Also it was an easy ride for Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, as he won the APC primaries to return as the flag bearer of the party in the 2023 general elections.He cleared all 735 votes to beat Dr Fatima Abdullahi, the ex wife of the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu.
All the delegates from the 147 wards in the 13 Local government voted for the incumbent governor to return him as the flag bearer of the party for the 2023 governorship elections in Nasarawa.
In the same vein, Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya emerged as the All Progressives Congress, APC flag bearer for the 2023 gubernatorial election in the State, after he was returned unopposed at the primary.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya who stood as a sole aspirant in the APC primary election received an overwhelming affirmation through a voice vote of 563 accredited State delegates.
The Chairman APC Governorship Primary Election Committee in charge of Gombe State, Dr. Danjuma Dabo presided over the exercise in the presence of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC led by the Gombe State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Umar Ibrahim.Dr. Danjuma Dabo observed that since Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya is the sole aspirant for the APC gubernatorial ticket in the State, it was needless to go through the rigours of balloting.In his acceptance speech, Governor Inuwa expressed gratitude to the Almighty Allah for giving him another opportunity to emerge as the APC flag bearer for the gubernatorial election in Gombe State and to continue to serve the people.
The Governor recalled that three and half years ago, an event in like manner was held where he was declared winner and subsequently received the cooperation and understanding of his fellow contestants, party leaders and supporters in the State.
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari, leader of the party, for “standing firm and for providing good leadership in Nigeria in this hard time that there is indeed a global challenge.”Governor Inuwa also thanked members of his team for supporting and working hard to produce results that have convinced the people of Gombe State, assuring that the confidence reposed in him through the affirmation would spur him to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people.
” I am convinced beyond any reasonable doubt that the people of Gombe State are really very supportive and are ready to go with us because we move hand in hand to achieve all that we have mentioned to you in our manifesto and we are working in accordance with the guidance and perseverance of the leadership of the people”. He said
In Abia state, it was mixed feelings as an Umuahia High Court in the state affirmed the suspension of Ikechi Emenike from the APC, few hours after he was declared winner of the party’s governorship primary in the state
The Court presided over by Hon. Justice A.O. Chijioke in the Judgment held that by the suspension of Emenike has denied him all membership privileges as provided by the APC Constitution.“The purport of this judgment is that Chief Ikechi Emenike is not fit to participate and/or contest in the ongoing primaries of the APC in Abia state until the judgment is set aside and/or upturned on Appeal”, the court ruled.
The court restrained Emenike from parading himself as a legitimate member of the APC.The suit marked HU/6/2022: Chinedum Nnoke& 2 Others. V. High Chief Ikechi Emenike & 3 Others, was filed by three members of the Abia State chapter of APC challenging the membership status being accorded to Chief Ikechi Emeinike, despite his subsisting suspension by the Nkwoegwu Ward of the APC, for anti–party activities.In Ebonyi state the APC governorship primary was marred by parallel primaries as a faction of the party led by Governor David Umahi conducted it’s election at the Pa Ngele Township Stadium, Abakaliki, while the other faction led by Elias Mbam, held its congress at the Campaign Office of the former Chairman, Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission, located at Mile 50 Abakaliki.
At Elias Mbam Campaign Office, the Returning Officer, Egwu Inya Akanu-Oti, said that the ex RMFAC Chairman, emerged winner with 741 votes, while the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Hon Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, got 3 votes with the former Senator for Ebonyi Central, Julius Ali Ucha, scoring 4 votes.
While at the Township Stadium, the Speaker of Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Honourable Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, emerged as the governorship candidate of APC in Ebonyi State.
Nwifuru scored a total of 743 to defeat four other Governorship Aspirants who stood for the election in the State.
Mrs Rosemary Ofoke Nwogbaga who emerged second got 63 votes, while Senator Julius Ali Ucha, who came third scored 22 votes.
Former RMFAC Chairman, Chief Mbam, scored 10 votes and Sir Edward Nkwegu got 8 votes, and a total of number of 8 votes were declared invalid.
A total of 855 delegates from the 171 electoral wards that make up the state participated in the exercise at Pa Oruta Ngele Township Stadium Abakaliki.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and security agencies were at the Pa Ngele Township Stadium, Abakaliki to monitor the exercise.
The Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Prof. Adebayo Emmanuel, who announced the results, expressed happiness over the peaceful conduct of the exercise.
Adebayo also commended all the participants in the primary election for showing high level of transparency and orderliness throughout the exercise
Also APC in Delta State returned the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege as the governorship candidate of the party for next year’s election.
Chairman of the electoral committee, Oyibo Nwaneri declared Omo-Agege who was the sole aspirant at the poll as the party’s candidate at the exercise which was conducted in Asaba, the state capital.
A total of 1,235 delegates from the 25 local government areas were accredited for the election that was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Monday Udoh-Tom.
Declaring the results, the returning officer, Oyibo Nwaneri noted that the election had one contestant, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege.
