APC: Abiodun, Sanwo-Olu, Emenike win primaries

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.

In Lagos 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.

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 on the delegate list used for the exercise held at the Moshood Abiola stadium in Abeokuta, the state capital

Chief Ikechi Emenike emerged 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 indirect process for the primary.

Former national caretaker of the APC, Mai Mala Buni, came up trumps in Yobe as he seeks re-election. Buni was declared winner of the primary after scoring 805 out of the total votes of 890. The primary, which held at an event centre in Damaturu, was contested solely by Buni, according to Chairman of the election committee, Umar Lawan Kareto.

In Cross River, Senator Sandy Onor was declared winner. Senator Onor polled 236 votes defeating his closet opponent Senator Gershom Bassey with 175 votes to become the party’s flag-bearer for the 2023 general elections.

Honourable Ogbonna Nwifuru won the primary in Ebonyi State. 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.

Governor Bello Matawalle emerged 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.