Ahmed, Gaidam, Ajimobi, Ezea are APC candidates

Over 2,000 delegates converged yesterday on the Government House, Damaturu, Yobe State, to give the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam.

There was tight security at the venue; men and women delegates were searched with electronic scanners and manual screening before entering the venue.

The consensus endorsement was led by the Deputy Governor, Abubakar Aliyu, who was the first to cast his vote.

Other delegates include Senator Ahmed Lawan; Speaker of the House of Assembly Adamu Dala Dogo, lawmakers; Secretary to the State Government Babagoni Machina.

Chairman of the Electoral Committee Babagana Tijani Banki said the APC in Yobe and Borno are only going through the process to fulfill the requirements of the electoral law as the party has only one candidate each in the states.

In Kwara State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed promised to work harder to transform more lives and elevate the state.

Delegates, numbering 3,025 from the 193 wards in the 16 local government areas voted for the governor, who is APC’s sole candidate.

Announcing the result, the leader of the APC national delegation, Azu Uwandu, said the governor scored 3,016 votes. Nine of the votes were invalid.

Uwandu hailed the delegates for conducting themselves peacefully.

APC leader in the state and Senator representing Kwara Central Bukola Saraki alsopraised the delegates.

Okey Ezea has emerged the APC governorship candidate in Enugu State.

Ezea, a former Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, emerged unopposed at the primaries, which took place at the APC secretariat in Enugu.

In his acceptance speech, he pledged to provide free education, qualitative health care  and improved welfare scheme for the people.

He accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led federal and state governments of failure in the last 16 years.

The earlier endorsed APC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Dr. Dakuku Adol Peterside, was formally elected with 3,773 votes.

Peterside vowed to continue to depend on God, following the allegation by the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Felix Obuah, that he was a cultist.

He said: “I am humbled by this confidence you reposed in me and I accept this mandate with a keen sense of responsibility, knowing full well that I will be accountable to God, my people and our party.

“I have had the privilege of political tutelage under our leader, Amaechi, and I have seen his passion for excellence and a new and better Rivers State.

“I have been challenged by this passion and believe that a greater Rivers State is possible, if we all join hands.

“I will pursue the manifesto of our great party with  my youthful vigour, talent, your support and the guidance of our leaders.

“On my honour, I promise that I will not disappoint you. I believe in a united Rivers State and I will continue to work for that. In my charter of service, we are going to create opportunities for all.”

The primaries were held at the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre in Port Harcourt. The event was boycotted by another aspirant, Senator Magnus Abe, and his supporters.

The Chairman of the Governorship Primary Election Committee, Austin Eweka, said Amaechi and other party leaders had made their jobs easy.

Eweka said what they did was a new dimension in Nigeria’s political history, which he said would ensure peace and harmony among party members.

Amaechi earlier said: “Yesterday, we showed that there could be another party in Rivers State. Last time, they (President Goodluck Jonathan and his PDP) had 1.8 million votes in Rivers State, they should come and have it now. Those who make legitimate change impossible will make illegitimate change inevitable.

“This is an opportunity to ensure that we do not suffer anymore. Vote for all APC candidates next year.

 “Senator Magnus Abe is eminently qualified to be Rivers governor and I respect his intellect. He is a very intelligent man. There are two Nigerians I respect their intellect: Abe and Odein Ajumogobia (former Foreign Affairs minister, who is a PDP governorship aspirant in Rivers State), but they will not allow Ajumogobia to win.

“Deputy Governor Tele Ikuru is experienced, intelligent, loyal and eminently qualified to be governor. With Ikuru as my deputy, I never watched my back. Ikuru is a man of due process and will always return money after committees’ jobs.

“The Rivers West Senatorial District produced Dr. Peter Odili. I am from Rivers East. Equity demands that the governorship in 2015 should go to the Rivers Southeast .

“The caucus met and agreed that we should present Peterside. It does not mean that he is the most qualified.  Let us support Peterside.”

Olorogun Otega Emerhor was yesterday declared winner of the primaries in Delta State.

Aliu Yahaya Sa’ad declared Emerhor winner after he polled 3,584 votes to defeat Fidelis Tilije, who scored 195 votes and the only woman in the contest, Princess Nana Modupe Onwordi, who scored two votes.

Tilije left  the venue in anger after he accused Emerhor of breaching electoral laws by campaigning at the Oshimili South Arcade, venue of the event.

Emerhor said: “I can see the party‘s unity strengthened today. The election of a popular candidate has emerged. I thank God that this is the beginning of the end of PDP in Delta State.

“We are marching to the Government House. For 12 years, Delta has not experienced any form of development. It is, indeed, a new dawn for Deltans.”

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi won the governorship primaries with 4,662 votes.

Ajimobi defeated Ayobami Adesina, son of former governor Lam Adesina, who polled 22 votes.

The third aspirant, Adebayo Shittu, a former commissioner for Justice and attorney general,  petitioned the five-man electoral committee that he would not participate in the exercise.

Shittu was said to have filed a case at the Federal High Court about ward delegate congress and delegates, who voted during the exercise.

Accreditation began at 9:30am; voting at 3pm at the main bowl of the Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan.

Voting ended at 5:15p.m and the result announced at 7:45pm

Ajimobi, who arrived at the stadium at 2:30p.m, voted at 5:10p.m. He was part of the delegates from Ibadan South-West Local Government Area.

The Chairman of the five-member election primary committee, Lumumpa Adeh, said 4,776 delegates were accredited and voted.

Adeh said: “On Wednesday, we met with the aspirants but one of them, Adebayo Shittu, said he will not participate.

“He submitted a petition but that did not stop the exercise; and it is by way of information. His petition will be forwarded to the national secretariat.”

Shortly after the result was announced, Ajimobi said:” I have won before and now that I have won the primaries again, it will not be hard to defeat any other candidate from the opposition because I have beaten them before.”

Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun emerged the APC candidate yesterday.

Deputy  Governor Segun Adesegun   formally  announced that he has left the APC for the Social Democratic Party (SDP). He declared his intention to contest against Amosun if given the SDP ticket.

At the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta, Amosun  who was the lone aspirant, garnered 3,554 votes of the 3,681 delegates who voted. Sixteen votes were void.

Addressing party members and supporters after he was declared winner, Amosun said it is a call to “greater service for the people of the state.”

He said: “What happened today is a demonstration to what APC stand for, we must abide by the rule of the game which says that primaries must be conducted.

“It is a call for further service to the people of Ogun. They have given me the mandate to continue the service that we have been rendering to the people of Ogun.”

Adesegun said he has no regret serving under Amosun, adding that his decision to move to SDP is not to attack anybody but to protect his “followers from rotting and wasting away” politically.

He said his decision would not affect his office or role as deputy governor.

In Nasarawa State Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura has emerged the APC governorship candidate.

The governor scored 1,630 votes from the 2,543 delegates to defeat Reuben Audu and James Angbazo.

Audu scored 17 votes; Angbazo got 73 votes, five invalid votes were recorded.

Stanley Buba, the fourth candidate, did not show up to participate in the exercise.

The exercise, which started late, was carried out at the Lafia city hall after delegates were accredited at the Abacha Youth Centre and the Lafia stadium.

The primaries were supervised by Ike Chinwo, the chairman of the panel and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, headed by Ahmed Makama.

Mr. Al-Makura described the exercise as peaceful and thanked the delegates for giving him another opportunity.