After weeks of political drama and campaigns, the All Progressives Congress held governorship primaries across states in the country.
The primaries which had its share of political drama with some aspirants walking out and some condemning the process have produced winners in several states from Lagos and Ogun states where incumbents Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Dapo Abiodun, respectively, secured tickets for their second term bids to Ebonyi and Abia where fresh candidates emerged.
Here are the details of the winners of the exercise.
Lagos landslide
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu won in Lagos State after two other aspirants – former Commissioner of Energy, Mr Wale Oluwo and former Permanent Secretary from the Ministry of Energy, Mr Mustapha Olorunfemi – were not cleared for the primary.
More than 1,225 delegates were expected to cast their votes in the exercise and 1,198 were accredited.
Of those accredited, 1,182 votes were cast with 12 regarded as invalid.
Ogun controversy
In Ogun State, Governor Dapo Abiodun won by 1,168 votes to defeat five other aspirants.
However, two of the aspirants, Adekunle Akinlade and Biyi Otegbeye, had rejected the chairmanship of the election committee and passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman of the governorship election primaries, Wale Ohu.
The aspirants, in a jointly signed press statement, also expressed reservations about the delegate list used for the exercise held at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abeokuta, the state capital
Emenike wins
Chief Ikechi Emenike emerged as the winner in Abia State.
Emenike, an economist, is the Chairman and Chief Executive of Development Resources Limited.
He polled 672 votes to defeat others in the race.
Ahead of the primaries, Emenike was jostling for the APC’s governorship ticket in the state with six other aspirants.
However, three of the aspirants walked out of the venue of the primaries on Thursday. They based their walkout on the decision to use an indirect process for the primary.
Buni triumphs
Former national caretaker of the APC, Mai Mala Buni, came up trumps in Yobe as he seeks re-election.
Buni was declared the winner of the primary after scoring 805 out of the total votes of 890.
The primary, which was held at an event centre in Damaturu, was contested solely by Buni, according to the Chairman of the election committee, Umar Lawan Kareto.
Nwifuru wins in Ebonyi
Honourable Ogbonna Nwifuru won the primary in Ebonyi State.
The Chairman of the Electoral Committee for the APC primary in the state declared him the winner after announcing that he polled 743 delegate votes to defeat other aspirants.
His closest rival in the race was Rosemary Okofe who got 63 votes.
Others were Ucha Ali Julius, Edward Nkwegu, and Elias Mbam.
The primary election was held at the Pa Oruta Ngele Township Stadium in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
Dominant Matawalle
Governor Bello Matawalle emerged as the governorship candidate in Zamfara State.
The Chairman Electoral Committee for the APC governorship primary election in the state, Babagana Tijani, announced that Matawalle polled 733 votes to emerge as the winner of the primary election.
The governor secured the ticket for his second term bid unopposed as other aspirants in the race withdrew from the contest as a result of the consensus arrangement which the APC in Zamfara State adopted as the mode of the exercise.
At the primary, 735 delegates voted with the governor getting 733 votes, while two votes were invalid.
Second Term for Inuwa
In Gombe State, Governor Inuwa Yahaya emerged as the APC flag bearer for the 2023 gubernatorial election in the State.
Yahaya who stood as a sole aspirant in the primary election received an overwhelming affirmation through a voice vote of 563 accredited State delegates.
The Chairman of APC Governorship Primary Election Committee in charge of Gombe State, Dr Danjuma Dabo presided over the exercise in the presence of INEC officials led by the Gombe State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Umar Ibrahim.
Omo-Agege wins
Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege clinched the ticket in Delta State.
The primary election, which was held at the Federal College of Education, Asaba, saw the Omo-Agege contest as the sole aspirant.
Announcing the results, the APC returning officer, Mrs Oyibo Nwaneri, declared Omo-Agege as the winner with a total of 1,190 votes.
Omo-Agege expressed joy over the smooth conduct of the primaries and thanked his supporters and the entire APC family in Delta.
He said the party is determined to seize power from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party.
Sani Gets Kaduna Ticket
Ïn Kaduna, Senator Uba Sani took a major step forward in his bid to succeed Governor Nasir El-Rufai by clinching the APC governorship ticket.
Sani, who represents Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, defeated two other aspirants in the contest to emerge victorious.
In announcing the result of the exercise, the Chairman of Kaduna APC Governorship primary election, Anachuna Izu, said Senator Sani polled a total of 1, 149 votes to clinch the governorship ticket, while the runner up, Bashir Abubakar, scored 37 votes. Sani Shaaban secured 10 votes to finish third.
1, 245 delegates were accredited for the exercise. The total votes cast stood at 1,235 with 1,196 of the votes valid and 39 votes invalid.
In his acceptance speech, Senator Sani described his emergence as a victory for all APC members and the entire people of Kaduna State.
He promised to build on the legacies of Governor Nasir El-Rufai if he finally gets elected as the Governor of the state in 2023.
Also, in his speech, he reached out to other aspirants, appealing to them to work with him in his effort to take Kaduna State to greater heights.
He said, “I, therefore, thank my co-contestants, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sha’aban and Alhaji Bashir Abubakar for their belief in the democratic process.
“I will reach out to these great politicians and strategists and extend my hand of fellowship to them. I would deeply appreciate it if they can work together with me to take Kaduna State to higher heights.
“This is your victory. This is your moment. This is the beginning of the journey of consolidation and continuity. We shall build on the wonderful legacies of our dear leader, the irrepressible Governor Nasir El-Rufai. Together we shall tackle our challenges and forge unity among our people.”
Dikko Radda Victorious In Buhari’s State
Dr Dikko Umaru Radda outpaced eight others in President Muhammadu Buhari’s state, Katsina, to claim the All Progressives Congress governorship primary ticket.
Radda secured 506 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa who got 442. Inuwa was followed closely by Abbas Umar Masanawa who scored 436 votes.
Senator Abubakar Yar’Adua got 32 votes; Faruk Lawal Jobe, 71; Abdulkarim Dauda Daura, 7; Umar Abdullahi Tsauri Tata, scored 8; Mannir Yakubu, 65 votes; and Architect Ahmed Dangiwa, 220.
The Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Kaka Shehu, who announced the result at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium, Katsina said out of the 1,805 delegates drawn from 361 Wards of the state, 1,801 were accredited with only four invalid votes noted at the end of voting.
Channels Television gathered that a total of nine Governorship aspirants in the State were in the race to succeed Governor Aminu Bello Masari.
The aspirants were a mix of former government officials and businessmen.
For instance, Radda who won the party’s ticket was the Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN). Inuwa who came second was a former Secretary to the State Government, while Masanawa who came third was the immediate past Managing Director of the Nigerian Security and Printing Company.
The state’s Deputy Governor, Manir Yakubu, was also in the race but finished outside the top three.
Others who jostled for the ticket are former Commissioner for Budget and Economic planning, Faruk Lawal Jobe; the immediate past Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria, Architect Ahmed Dangiwa; a Kaduna State-based businessman, Senator Abubakar Yar’adua; Umar Abdullahi Tsauri Tata and as well as the former Chief Personal Security Officer to the President, Abdulkarim Dauda Daura.
