Fresh crises for parties as multiple candidates emerge

The staging of parallel primaries by factions has created fresh crises for leaders of the two major parties – the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The task before the parties is to reconcile aggrieved members and unite the factions ahead of next year’s general elections.

THESE are not the best of season for elective office-seeking politicians. Facing the shadow polls organised by the parties has been nightmarish for many as their constituents exercise power to decide who represent them.

But, it has been walkover for a few aspirants, who got the nod of their parties to be returned unopposed as compensation for their loyalty. In some constituencies, aspirants have been stepping down to have rancour-free primaries and to put their parties in good stead for the forthcoming general elections

The shadow polls have further widened the gulf between factions as multiple candidates emerge for parallel primaries. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are the worst hit by the incidence of parallel primaries.

PDP denies Bayelsa senators tickets

None of the three senators from Bayelsa State will be returning to the next session of the Senate next year, the results of Tuesday’s senatorial primary elections of the PDP, has shown.

Senators Ben Murray-Bruce (East) and Emmanuel Paulker (Central) did not participate in the shadow election.

It was learnt that Murray-Bruce was forced out of the contest following widespread rejections of his second term ambition. Not even the interventions of notable PDP leaders, including National Chairman Uche Secondus, could save the senator.

The senator, however, participated in the internal poll, which held in Brass Island, to pick his replacement.

Party leaders, including Deputy Governor Rear Admiral John Jonah and Information & Orientation Commissioner Daniel Iworiso-Markson, partook in the peaceful primary that elected Blessing Izagara as the replacement for Murray-Bruce.

Izagara, the immediate-past Science & Technology Commissioner, who polled 330 votes, defeated his closest rival, Senator Nimi Barigha Amange, who scored 62 votes. Darius Obiene and Ayibaesin Edoghotu, got two votes each and Biriyai Dambo (SAN), got only one vote.

In Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Senator Foster Ogola was beaten in the primary election, in which Governor Seriake Dickson voted as a delegate.

Ogola scored only two votes, losing the ticket to Works & Infrastructure Commissioner Lawrence Ewhrudjakpor, polled 247 votes.

In the Central Senatorial District, Senator Emmanuel Paulker did not apply for reelection, having represented the district for three terms. Paulker, who was said to be nursing a governorship ambition, voted as a delegate in the primary election that held at the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, Yenagoa.

Ajimobi clinches Oyo South ticket

Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has clinched the APC ticket for the Oyo South Senatorial District in the primary election conducted by the Prince Demola Seriki-led electoral panel. He defeated Dr. Fola Akinosun by 2,659 to 168 votes to seek a return to the Red Chamber, where he represented the state between 2003 and 2007 under the platform of the defunct Alliance for Democracy (AD).

Seriki said the exercise, which started around 6:30pm, was delayed due the late arrival of voting materials from the party’s national headquarters, Abuja.

The nine local government areas the senatorial district are: Ibarapa North, Ibarapa East, Ibarapa Central, Ido, Ibadan North, Ibadan Southeast, Ibadan Southwest, Ibadan Northeast and Ibadan Northeest.

The senator currently representing the district, Mr. Soji Akanbi, did not participate in the exercise for undisclosed reasons.

Lamido’s son picks Jigawa

PDP Senate ticket

Senator Ubali Shittu, who recently defected from the APC, yesterday picked the PDP ticket for Jigawa Northeast senatorial district.

The senator, who is the Northwest’s Saraki Presidential Campaign Coordinator, clinched the tickets unopposed as his challenger withdrew from the race for health reasons.

Two other contestants withdrew from the race ahead the yesterday’s primary at the official quarters of the Hadejia Local Government chairman.

Returning officer for the Northeast senatorial zone, Umar Hamza, said that Shitu emerged as the winner of the PDP senatorial election with after polling 821out of 829 accredited delegates.

The returning officer for the Jigawa Northcentral senatorial district, Nasiru Barau, announced Mustapha Sule Lamido, son of former Jigawa State governor as the PDP standard bearer after polling 4088 votes.

A former Finance commissioner Nasiru Umar Roni was returned as the candidate for Jigawa Northwest by the zone’s returning officer, Abdulaziz Usman.  Roni had 1, 121 votes.

Shekarau, Gaya, Jibril fly

APC tickets in Kano

With over a million votes in a direct primary, Senator Kabiru Gaya emerged as the APC flag bearer for the Kano South Senatorial District.

Announcing the results, returning officer Prof Balarabe Abubakar Jakada, said Gaya scored 1,35,57 votes  to defeat President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Adviser Kawu Sumaila, who garnered 309,209 votes.

In Kano Central, former Kano State Governor Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, clinched the senatorial ticket, with 973,485 votes, defeating Suleiman Halilu, who scored 104 votes and Laila Buhari, who scored 206 votes.

Senator Bashir Garba Lado had stepped down to pave the way for Malam Shekarau, who returned to the APC from the opposition PDP.

Senator Barau Jibril got the nod from constituents to return to the Red Chamber from the Kano North zone. His major opponent and former Kano deputy governor Tijjani Abdullahi Gwarzo, stepped down for him.

It’s Uba versus Uba in

Anambra South

Two brothers – Andy and Chris Uba will lock horns for the Anambra South senatorial seat. Senator Andy Uba has been given the nod by the APC to fly its flag in the National Assembly election next year. Chris Uba is the PDP candidate for the election.

Senator Victor Umeh will also fly the APGA flag in Anambra Central Senatorial Zone.

Chris Uba, who said he was tired playing the godfather’s role, declared that his sibling and the APGA candidate would bow for him during the election. The duo will contend with Nicholas Ukachukwu, who defeated the widow of the Ikemba of Nnewi, Dim Odumegwu Ojukwu , Bianca, to clinch the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)’s ticket for the zone.

After clinching the PDP ticket at the PDP primary at Ekwulobia Township Stadium with 931 votes on Tuesday night, Uba said the time was ripe for him to drop the tag  of ‘godfather ‘of Anambra politics without being at the top.

The APC National Working Committee has cleared widow of the former Senate President Chuka Okadigbo, Senator Magery Okadigbo to contest the party’s primaries for Anambra North Senatorial District.

PDP runs parallel primaries

in  Yobe south

• Gaidam, Lawan win APC tickets

Former Police Affairs Minister and Minister of State for Agriculture & Water Resources, Adamu Waziri and the senator representing Yobe South Senatorial Zone Mohammed Hassan, have emerged candidates of the PDP for the Zone B senatorial seat. The duo emerged from two parallel primaries held in Potiskum, Yobe State.

Governor Ibrahim Gaidam and the Senate Leader Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan emerged unopposed for the Yobe East and Yobe North primary elections of the APC. The PDP and APC primaries were held on Tuesday.

The chairman of the PDP electoral panel for the Yobe state senatorial primary election, Mohammed Yunusa, who declared Mohammed Hassan the winner of the election, told reporters that he was not aware that another primary election was also organised in Potiskum.

PDP gives tickets to Oboro, Manager

Delegates in the Delta Central and Delta South senatorial districts have picked the candidates to fly the PDP flag next year.

A serving House Representatives member, Evelyn Oboro, beat two contestants to clinch the ticket for the Delta Central Senatorial District. Senator James Manager beat two other aspirants to be returned as the party’s candidate for Delta South Senatorial District.

PDP announces three

candidates in Katsina

The Katsina State chapter of the PDP yesterday announced its standard bearers for the three senatorial zones.

State Chairman of the party Salisu Majigiri told reporters at the end of the party primaries that two of the candidates – Shehu Imam and Hamisu Katsina –  emerged candidates for the Katsina South Katsina Central zones. Both were returned unopposed.

Usman Nasarawa was announced as the flagbearer for the North Senatorial Zone after defeating other contestants.

Emerhor, Omo-Agege emerge from parallel Delta APC primaries

• Uduaghan gets ticket unopposed

Senator Ovie Omo-Agege emerged as the APC candidate Delta Central Senatorial District in a primary election that held at Ovwian, Udu Local Government Area.

Declaring the result, returning officer Gen. Lawrence Onoja said Omo-Agege polled 2,360 out of the 2,414 to beat his challenger O’tega Emerhor.

However, Emerhor, the party’s acclaimed leader in the state, emerged winner at another primary that held in Ughelli.

In the Delta South Senatorial District, former Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, being the only cleared aspirant, was returned unopposed by voice affirmation of the delegates from the eight council areas of the district.

The primary held in Oleh, headquarters of the Isoko South Local Government Area.

Laah claims Kaduna

South PDP ticket

Senator Danjuma Laah yesterday picked the PDP ticket to seek re-election to represent his Kaduna South Senatorial constituency.

Laah, the only PDP senator in the Northwest geo-political zone, polled 592 votes to defeat his only challenger and House of Representatives member Adams Jagaba, who got 353 votes in the election that recorded nine invalid votes.

Announcing the result of the election in Kafanchan, the returning officer, Balarabe Sani Garba, said that a total of 972 delegates were accredited for the election that started in the midnight.

If elected in February next year, Laah would be the first senator to be returned in the senatorial zone that had always presented a fresh face after every four years.

The zone, which elected Group Captain Haruna Aziz (rtd) in 1999, produced Isaiah Balat in 2003 and replaced him with Caleb Zagi in 2007.

Zagi was displaced by Senator Nenadi Usman in 2011 and Mrs. Usman gave way to Laah in 2015.

PDP senator, opponent

quarrel in Cross River

There was confusion yesterday in a hotel, venue of the Cross River South Senatorial District primary election in Calabar.  The senator representing the zone, Gershom Bassey, almost came to blows with his opponent, Ntufam Ekpo Okon.

Members of the party had besieged the hotel to find out from the Chairman of the Cross River State senatorial primary election committee, Col. Ahmadu Usman (rtd), why election materials were not made available for the delegates to cast their votes in the southern senatorial district.

The election is rescheduled for today.

PDP denies election of

Aidoko in Kogi East

The PDP yesterday denied the purported election of Senator Aidoko for the Kogi Eastern Senatorial District.

A statement in Lokoja, signed by the returning officer, Sam Abenemi, the State Secretary of the PDP, Faruk Yahaya and the State Publicity Secretary, Bode Ogunmola, said no primary was held to return a senatorial candidate for the Kogi Eastern district.

According to the party, after due consultations with the electoral officials from Abuja, the returning officer and state officials of the PDP, it was resolved that the MoU allegedly signed by the PDP with APC senators was not applicable in the Eastern Senatorial District.

Nnamani snatches PDP Enugu

East ticket from Nnaji

Senator Chimaroke Nnamani was yesterday declared winner of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election for Enugu East Senatorial District.

Nnamani, a former Enugu State governor, polled 601 votes to win the primaries election. He defeated Dr Chinedu Nneji (88 votes), Prof. David Nkwuo (74 votes) and incumbent Senator Gilbert Nnaji (69 votes).

Others are Gab Agu (eight votes), Lawrence Eze (25) and Chief Joshua Mba (four votes).

It’s Akume for Benue Northwest

Former Senate Minority Leader George Akume has won the APC Benue Northwest Senatorial District’s ticket.

APC’s Electoral Committee Chairman in the district Mutiu Are announced the result yesterday.

Akume, who is representing the district for the fourth time at the senate, was returned unopposed by affirmation vote.

In his acceptance speech, Akume, who is leader of the party in the state and a two-term Benue governor, commended his constituents for returning him unopposed.

He promised never to disappoint his supporters and urged them to unite for the battle ahead.