FOR the All Progressives Congress the 2015
contests got underway on Thursday with
state chapters electing their governorship
candidates.
The APC governorship candidates for the
2015 polls, as they emerged on Thursday,
include Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto);
a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered
Accountants of Nigeria and public
administrator, Akinwunmi Abode(Lagos); a
former Minister of the Federal Capital
Territory, Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna); and
second-term-seeking governors, Ibikunle
Amosun (Ogun); Abdulfattah Ahmed (Kwara)
and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo).
Others are, a member representing Andoni/
Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency in the
House of Representatives, Mr. Dakuku
Peterside (Rivers); Olorogun O’tega Emerhor
(Delta); Chief Okey Ezea (Enugu); a former
Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State
Government, Mr. Umana Umana (Akwa
Ibom), Ibrahi Gaidam (Yobe), Umaru Al-
Makura (Nasarawa) and Abdulaziz Yari
(Zamfara).
For one, hardly was any of the outcome of the
state primaries a surprise as the candidates
that emerged in states like Lagos, Sokoto,
Kaduna and some others all match
predictions by pundits.
In Lagos State for instance, Akinwunmi
Ambode, who defeated 12 other aspirants,
had remained in public discourse as the
anointed candidate of Bola Tinubu, a former
governor of Lagos and a national leader and
financier of the APC.
Though he has worked for the state for
several years and in fact reputed to be the
brains behind the awesome internal revenue
being generated by the state today, Ambode
obviously lacks requisite political experience
to singly defeat some of his co-aspirants.
Those defeated by Ambode included the
Speaker of the Lagos State House of
Assembly for the past eight years, Adeyemi
Ikuforiji; and serving senator representing
Lagos West in the National Assembly, Ganiyu
Olanrewaju Solomon.
The other aspirants that lost to Ambode in
the high politics of Thursday at the Onikan
Stadium are: a former Attorney General and
Commissioner for Justice, Olasupo Sasore,
said to be a favourite of the outgoing
Governor Babatunde Fashola; a former
Commissioner for Health, Leke Pitan; an
incumbent Commissioner for Works, Obafemi
Hamzat; a former aide to Tinubu, Mr. Tayo
Ayinde; Mr. Adekunle Disu, Mr. Wahab
Tokunbo, Mr. Olanrewaju Ope and a former
Commissioner for Rural Affairs, Mr. Tola
Kasali.
Curiously, both Fashola and Tinubu were
absent at the Onikan primaries as of the time
of this report late Thursday though delegates
were still hopeful that Tinubu would still
appear at the venue.
Our correspondent saw the governor’s
convoy drove past the venue and ascend the
Third Mainland Bridge around 11am.
Sources told our correspondent that the
governor was not happy with the conduct of
the primaries.
One of the aspirants, who asked not to be
named, said, “The way things are going,
there may be mass defection from this party
as even the governor might leave soon.
Tinubu has emasculated all of us, including
Fashola who is not even being given a say.
“We planned to shun the primaries in protest
after the party refused to postpone it
following our request but we all agreed to
come so that we can observe it properly in
case the matter is taken to court. In any
case, the dubious manner in which the state
congress was carried out is already at a
Federal High Court so there is a high
possibility that the result of this event will be
nullified.
“Only Tinubu has the list of the delegates and
most of us were not able to reach out to
them. This is most unfortunate.”
Sokoto
In Sokoto, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal’s
defection from the Peoples Democratic Party
had apparently been negotiated and the APC
governorship ticket is the prize.
Tambuwal polled 3,466 votes to emerge tops
ahead of four other contenders.
Others with their respective votes include
Professor Lawal Bashir (0), Yusha’u Ahmed
Kebbe (13), Senator Umaru Dahiru
Tambawal (23) and Jibrin Bello Gada(0)
The primaries were held at the Giginya
Memorial Stadium with over 3,000 delegates
from across the 23 local governments and a
total of 244 wards.
Declaring the result before INEC officials,
delegates and agents of the aspirants,
Chairman of the four-man electoral panel,
Bolaji Khalil, said, having successfully
conducted the governorship primaries and by
the power conferred on him by the party’
headquarters, pronounced Tambuwal as the
winner.
A total of 10 invalid votes were recorded at
the exercise which lasted hours.
The Speaker attributed his victory to Allah
and commended the dedication and peaceful
conduct of the electoral panel under Bolaji
Khalil.
Enugu
Chairman of the Enugu APC, Dr. Ben Nwoye,
said the members unanimously adopted the
candidature of Ezea.
Nwoye said the emergence of the candidate
had thrown up a huge challenge to the ruling
PDP, adding the time was rife for the APC to
pick up the mantle of leadership in the state.
Addressing the delegates, Ezea said the
mandate was a collective one for all the
party members to persuade the people of
Enugu to vote for the party.
He reminded the party’s executives at the
ward level that it was their job to take the
campaign to the grass roots and convince
the people to vote it into power.
The candidate promised to introduce free
education in primary and secondary schools
while also providing free health care for the
aged, children and expectant mothers.
He called on the people of the state to give
the party a chance to correct the ‘‘misrule’’ in
the state in the past 16 years.
Ogun
In Ogun where Amosun was the sole
aspirant, it was a smooth ride for the
governor. His deputy, Prince Segun
Adesegun, has already run to the new Social
Democratic Party on the platform of which he
said he would also be contesting the
governorship next year.
The primaries, which held under tight
security, saw the governor securing 3,861
votes.
The event was supervised by state and
national representatives of the Independent
National Electoral Commission headed by
Kehinde Mustapha.
In an interview with journalists after casting
his vote, Amosun, who described the
exercise as peaceful, said the outcome was a
call on him to do more for the people of the
state.
However, Adesegun said he had put what
happened between him and the governor
behind him, and that he was concerned with
how to move the state forward.
He said, “I want to formally inform you today
that I have formally joined the Social
Democratic Party, where I will contest as one
of the governorship aspirants.
“Today I have with me some leaders of the
party. We have gone round the 20 local
governments in the state, and I am happy
with the response from the people; I believe
the party will move the state forward.”
Oyo
In Oyo, Governor Ajimobi defeated the son of
a former governor of the state, late Lam
Adesina, Dr. Ayobami Lam-Adesina, to
secure his second term ticket.
At the party’s primary conducted by
Lumumba Adeh-led five-man electoral
committee, Ajimobi polled 4,662 votes to
defeat his only challenger, who polled 22
votes. Ninety of the total votes were declared
invalid while 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 of the race on Wednesday when he
filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Ibadan,
asking the court to declare the congress
invalid and illegal in view of the manner the
delegates were selected.
Shittu, who is a former Commissioner for
Justice and Attorney General in the state,
had contested against Ajimobi in 2011 as a
candidate of the Congress for Progressive
Change. He shunned the Thursday congress.
Adeh, before the exercise commenced, said,
“We had three aspirants screened by the APC
Screening Committee and they are Barrister
Adebayo Shittu, Dr. Wasiu Abayomi Lam-
Adesina and Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
“Yesterday (Wednesday), we had interaction
with all the aspirants but one of the
aspirants, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, indicated
that he was not going to participate in the
exercise.
“He submitted a petition but that would not
stop the exercise; and it is by way of
information. His petition or letter will be
forwarded to the national secretariat of the
party.”
In his address after the victory, Ajimobi
expressed the optimism that having crossed
the first hurdle, it would be easy to
concentrate on the main election and win
again.
Rivers
THE Rivers South-East representative in the
National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, on
Thursday shunned the APC governorship
primary in the state.
Abe was a frontline aspirant before the
emergence of the member representing
Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency in
the House of Representatives, Mr. Dakuku
Peterside.
Though no reason was given for Abe
absence, sources said the senator, who had
already picked a senatorial nomination form,
might not be happy over the consensus
arrangement that produced Peterside.
The governorship primary, which was held at
the Alfred Diete-Spiff Civic Centre in Port
Harcourt, became a platform to formally
endorse Peterside as the party’s candidate.
But the Rivers State Governor Rotimi
Amaechi, who spoke at the event, defended
the choice of Peterside.
However, as soon as the governor
announced Peterside as the governorship
candidate, some aggrieved members of the
party immediately left the hall, apparently to
express their dissatisfaction with the process
that produced the candidate.
Amaechi maintained that the decision to pick
Peterside as the consensus candidate of the
party was in the best interest of the people of
the state.
He described Abe and the former Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Odien Ajumogobia, as two
Nigerians he held in high esteem.
He said, “The flag bearer, by God’s grace, is
Dakuku Adolphus Peterside because we sat
and agreed on that. That does not mean that
my bosom friend, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe,
was not qualified. I respect his intellect.
“There are two Nigerians I respect their
intellect. They are Senator Magnus Abe and
Odein Ajumogobia. This is the time for that
change. We will fight with everything we
have to deliver the state to the APC. This is
our opportunity to ensure we will not suffer
any more. This is the time to vote for our
party.”
Nasarawa
In Nasarawa, Governor Umaru Al-Makura
emerged the winner thus securing the tickt to
contest for a second term in office.
The governor scored 1,630 out of 2,543 votes
to defeat his rivals- Reuben Audu and James
Angbazo. The fourth aspirant, Stanley Buba,
was said to be absent during the exercise,
which held at the Lafia City Hall after
delegates had been accredited at the Abacha
Youth Centre and the Lafia stadium.
The primaries, supervised by Ike Chinwo, the
chairman of the state APC convention
committee and officials of the Independent
National Electoral Commission, held under
heavy security presence.
Al – Makura described the exercise as
peaceful, thanking the delegates for given
him the opportunity to seek re-election.
Zamfara
The delegates in Zamfara ratified the
candidature of Governor Abdulaziz Yari as
the APC candidate for the 2015 election. Yari
was unopposed at the primary election,
which held at the Trade fair Complex in
Gusau.
Yobe
The Yobe State delegates unanimously
endorsed Governor Ibrahim Gaidam as the
party’s candidate for the 2015 general
elections.
The decision was reached after an
unopposed primary election held in
Damaturu.
Addressing newsmen after the election, the
Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Malam
Babagana Tijjani, said the endorsement was
sequel to polling a total of 2,219 votes cast
to affirm his ticket.
Tijjani added that the ticket was a reward for
the governor’s performance in office, saying
Gaidam had transformed the state to an
enviable height in the country.

Just like expected. Imposition of candidates here and there. No surprises.

Lets wait for the ruling party's killer squad.

They have done well

Ok.






Signed: Extom
Virtual Secretary
Nairaland

imposition of candidates is another form of corruption

There is nothing like imposition of candidates. the few candidates that worked and are serious with their aspirations received the delegates blessing according to the amount of efforts they put into the race.

I can confirm reduction in Tinubu imposition by 20% balance % imposed.

Well done to APC for conducting fair primaries

what of Edo state?

Congratulans to Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode(Lagos) and my big brother from Bonny, Mr Dakuku Peterside(Rivers). I believe that the party will work hard to win the heart of the electorates so as to retain the states in our kitty and win more new states in 2015. Ultimately, I can't wait for the official announcement of General Muhammadu Buhari as APC Presidential Candidate.

jazinogold:
what of Edo state?

not only Edo, other states.
Get us news that befits the topic because all this cramp you wrote op i didnt see the whole state.

What of imo state,does is mean that rochas is contesting both president and governor at the same time

okeybig:
What of imo state,does is mean that rochas is contesting both president and governor at the same time

I wanted to ask same thing o! He knows he can only do that in Apc!