Dance of victories, moment of lamentation and conflict of interests Thursday signposted the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) conducted across the states. From the results released at the end of the contests, some of the primaries were keenly contested, characterised by intrigues, horse-trading and the usual power tussle that culminated in parallel congresses while in others it was like a walk over.
In most cases, the anointed candidates, expectedly, won the day and emerged choice candidates, while in other states, it was full of surprises as those being looked upon as dark horses emerged victorious.
Niger
As at the time of this report, the primary election was still on in Niger state where Blueprint’s Publisher Mohammed Idris Malagi and a federal lawmaker, Mohammed Bago were about the major contenders for the APC governorship ticket.
It was gathered that delegates from about 15 local government areas had voted, with Malagi coasting home to victory.
Some of the local government areas include Agaie, Agwara, Bida, Borgu, Edati, Chachanga, Bosso, Lavun, Gurara, Gbako and Kachia among others.
Although there were initial hiccups, these were however rectified with the arrival of Commissioner of Police Monday Kurya who deployed more police officers to the Legbo Kutigi Conference Centre venue of the exercise for proper supervision.
He assured all parties in the contest of a level playing field.
Zulum wins primaries
In Borno state, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum who was the sole APC aspirant, was declared winner ahead of the forthcoming general elections in 2023.
The primary election was held at the El-Kanemi Sports Centre in Maiduguri Thursday evening, and attended by key APC stakeholders, including former Governors Kashim Shettima, Ali Modu Sheriff, and Maina Ma’aji Lawan.
Minister of State for Agriculture Mustapha Baba Shehuri, serving and former National and State Assembly members, Nigerian Ambassador to China, Baba Ahmed Jidda, and many others also graced the occasion.
Uba Maigari Ahmadu, Chairman of the APC Governorship and House of Assembly primaries for Borno state, announced that Zulum won with 1,411 votes by delegates.
He explained that 1,560 voters were registered for the primaries, while 1,422 voters were accredited, out of which 1,411 votes were recorded with no record of invalid votes.
In his acceptance speech, Zulum thanked delegates and stakeholders, after which he revealed his position on the calls for him to become Vice President.
He said: “Let me reveal with apologies, that some close associates of key presidential aspirants have sent me offers for the position of running mate, as possible Vice President, depending on the outcome of the APC presidential primaries by the weekend.
“I have thought deeply about these offers because becoming Vice President is considered attractive. I have thought about all the powers and privileges of being VP. I can see the honour of presiding over meetings attended by Governors and ministers and the privilege of having a presidential Jet at one’s disposal. I can see the honour of presidential receptions within and outside Nigeria.
“However, I have asked myself, that should I get the opportunity to become VP and raise my political profile, what happens to all our ongoing works for the people of Borno State?
“We have built more than 10, 000 house and currently more of such and reconstructing existing ones, for ongoing resettlement of our people. We have resettled more than 20 communities so far.
“Yet, thousands of our fellow citizens are still homeless and in desperate need of food, water and healthcare.We have adopted a development plan that we are already implementing.
“I have asked myself, what happens to all these plans that I am central to, which are helping to fast track our recovery in Borno State?
“Ladies and gentlemen, the killings in Kala-Balge at the weekend made me more critical and the incident seriously reminded me of the challenges that are still ahead of us in Borno State.
“I came to the conclusion that while a chance to become Vice President could benefit my profile as an individual, becoming reelected as Governor of Borno State has the potential of more overall and more assurance of benefit to the good people of Borno State.
“I therefore say that while I thank those who may be considering me for the position of VP, I prefer to stay back and work drastically for the people of Borno State because for me as a citizen of Borno State, working with others to hastily rebuild Borno State is the most urgent need and it is beyond any aspiration.
“I profoundly thank everyone who thought of me worthy of any responsibility and I +pray that Allah helps us to work towards the full restoration of peace, the full recovery and growth of Borno State.”
Parallel primary in Ebonyi
But in Ebonyi state, there were parallel primaries, both of which produced their choice candidates.
The Governor David Umahi-led faction produced Speaker of Ebonyi state House of Assembly as its guber candidate with a total votes of 743, while the former Chairman Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission(RMAFC) Engineer Elias Mbam emerged governorship candidate of his faction with the total votes of 741 votes.
The government’s faction held its primary election at Pa Ngele Oruta Township stadium in Abakaliki with 5 aspirants contesting for governorship positions. They are Francis Nwifuru, Sen. Julius Ucha, Arc Edward Nkwegu, Rosemary Ofoke Nwogbaga, and Mbam.
While Nwifuru emerged with 743 votes, Rosemary Ofoke came second with 63 votes, Senator Ucha got 22 votes, Mbam got 10 votes, Nkwegu got 8 votes and 8 invalid votes.
And from the Mbam’s faction which had its primary election at his party office, Mile 50 Abakaliki, all the five contenders that participated in the government’s faction also featured on the list.
At the end of the contest, Mbam emerged victorious with 741 votes with Nwifuru as his close runner-up garnering 7 votes.
Declaring Nwifuru winner with 743 votes, the returning officer, Professor Emmanuel Adebayo Kehinde said the total votes cast were 846, while 8were invalid.
Also declaring Mbam winner, the returning officer, Mr. Egwu Inya Akanu-Otu said: “With this result Eng. Chief Elias Mbam scored the highest number of votes with 741, he is hereby elected as the gubernatorial candidate of APC of Ebonyi state. I, on this 26th day of May 2022 declare Elias Mbam as the elected person to represent APC in the gubernatorial election come 2023.”
The elections were held under tight security surveillance in both venues.
Inuwa gets return ticket in Gombe
In Gombe state, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya got a return ticket as the APC governorship candidate.
Announcing the result at Gombe International Hotel where the exercise held, chairman of the governorship primary committee, Dr Danjuma Dabo, said the governor emerged unopposed being the only aspirant that purchased the nomination Form and screened by the party.
Dabo said the 563 delegates out of 570 accredited for the exercise, affirmed the nomination through voice votes.
Governor Yahaya would slug it out with Muhammad Jibril Barde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other candidates to be fielded by the various political parties.
In his acceptance speech, Governor Yahaya thanked the delegates for finding him worthy to be the party’s flag-bearer for the 2023 governorship election.
He called on party stakeholders to work together to deliver the state to the APC in the 2023 elections, adding that: “our performance will speak for us; so there is no shaking.”
The governor 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.”
Yahaya also thanked members of his team for supporting and working hard to produce results that had convinced the people of Gombe state.
Barde won his party’s ticket Wednesday having polled 160 votes to defeat his closest rival, Alhaji Jamil Gwamna, who scored 119 votes.
Matawalle emerges in Zamfara
And from Zamfara state, Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle also got the nod of the delegates as the party’s flag bearer in next year’s election. Chairman APC governorship primary committee, Hon. Babagana Tijjani Banki, stated that the election was based on affirmation of the governor by the 735 delegates across the state, as the sole aspirant.
Blueprint gathered that an aspirant, Alhaji Abubakar Garba Gajam, withdrew from the race few hours before the contest in support of the governor.
In his acceptance speech, Governor Matawalle thanked the delegates and electoral committee for the peaceful conduct of the exercise.
Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle stated that if re-elected, he would focus on economic growth, human development and security.
Dapo Abiodun emerges amid protest
But in Ogun state, Governor Dapo Abiodun was elected as the APC flag bearer amidst protest by some aspirants.
At the party’s gubernatorial primary election held inside the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto Abeokuta, Thursday, Abiodun polled 1168 votes out of the 1170 total votes cast.
Declaring Abiodun winner of the election, the chairman of the electoral committee, Wale Ohu, noted that a total of 1180 delegates were accredited for the election, while 1170 votes were cast, with 1,168 valid votes, just as 2 votes were voided for irregularities in voting pattern.
The other aspirants, Abdulkabir Akinlade, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf, and Owodunni Opayemi who were conspicuously absent at the venue however scored zero votes.
It was, however, gathered that they had their agents present at the venue to monitor events.
Meanwhile, in a release signed by two aspirants, Abdulkabir Akinlade and Biyi Otegbeye, they cited the selection of the electoral committee chairman, Wale Ohu, and the non-inclusion in the process of delegates’ selection as reasons for their boycott.
They maintained that Ohu had been involved in about three controversial congresses that further deepened the cleavages within the state APC.
“It is noteworthy that the crisis emanating from the congresses featured prominently before the National Reconciliation Committee of the APC.
“The guidelines for the conduct of congresses in the APC stipulate that aspirants should pay a prescribed fee for delegates’ form, which we did but no forms were made available to us.
“Furthermore, only one aspirant collected all the delegate forms in the state, thus hedging the entire process in his favour,” the aggrieved aspirants stated.
Sanwo-Olu gets Lagos APC guber ticket
From Lagos state came the report that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu picked the party’s ticket.
Sanwo-Olu was the sole aspirant cleared by the party’s electoral committee.
The two others, Wale Oluwo and Abdul-Ahmed Mustapha were disqualified.
The governor polled 1,170 votes to emerge winner of the primaries held at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium in Onikan, Lagos.
