Apart from initial hitches leading to late commencement in most states and boycotts by aggrieved aspirants in a couple of states, the governorship primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lived up to the billing, yesterday.

The exercises produced shocking results in some states. Most of the out-going governors such as Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State, Theodore Orji of Abia, Babangida Aliyu of Niger and Sule Lamido of Adamawa ‘delivered’ their favoured aspirants as candidates just as former Minister of State (Education), Mr. Nyesom Wike came out tops in Rivers in spite of pre-primaries opposition from some PDP elders and stakeholders in the state, while Mr. Jimi Agbaje emerged winner in Lagos.

After last-minute high-wire battle for delegates’ votes in which some aspirants offered mouth-watering sums of money and got delegates to swear. Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, yesterday, emerged PDP governorship candidate for Delta.

He polled 406 votes. Olorogun David Edevbie, the consensus candidate of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), who also reportedly got the backing of the state government, scored 299 votes to come second.

Other results as announced by Sunday Kareem, the returning officer were as follows:  Victor Ochei (185 votes), Ndudi Elumelu (50 votes), Godsday Orubebe (49) and Godswill Obielum (22). Sylvester Monye, Ovie Omo-Agege and Sam Obi got 10 votes each;  Peter Okocha had six votes, Tony Obuh (five), Charles Emetulu (four), Kenneth Gbagi (two) and Mike Uwaka (one vote). One vote was voided.

Agents of some governorship aspirants in Delta State openly shared money to delegates, yesterday, at the venue of the primary, giving them Bible and oil to swear that they would not vote for another candidate.

Vanguard witnessed a case at about 4.00 pm when a delegate was offered N500,000 and there was a heated debate before he finally swore and collected his cash.

Some aspirants offered delegates N1million each to vote for them and one reportedly gave 10,000 dollars each.

One of the aspirants confirmed that he was aware other aspirants were bribing delegates, but he urged those who collected money to vote for him because he is the right candidate.

Governorship aspirants present were Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Olorogun David Edevbie, Hon. Victor Ochei, Mr Tony Obuh, Elder Godsday Orubebe, Chief Peter Okocha, Prof Sylvester Monye, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Olorogun Kenneth Gbagi, Hon. Sam Obi, Charles Emetulu, Clement Ofuani, Mrs Esther Udueh, Barr. Nyesom Wike  Mrs Ngozi Olejeme, Dr Festus Okubor, Chief Mike Uwaka, Ovie Omo-Agege and Dr John Akwara.

It’s a sham, say 17 aggrieved aspirants

In spite of heated opposition from some leading politicians and  PDP stakeholders in his state,Wike, won the Rivers State governorship primaries  with a landslide.  He scored 1,083 votes out of a total of 1,108 delegates’ votes.

An elated Wike said: “My victory is victory for democracy. I will reclaim the stolen mandate of the PDP and recover what is rightly ours in Rivers State. The era of rascality and impunity has caused Rivers State dearly. Today, the state enjoys a pariah status.”

However, 17 aggrieved aspirants in the state described the primaries as a sham. The aspirants, who shunned the exercise, said the whole process that led to the primaries had been skewed to produce Wike as candidate of the party.  According to the aspirants who spoke at the campaign office of Major Lancelot Anyaya (rtd), in new GRA area of Port Harcourt, what happened as governorship primaries was a charade because “due process was not followed. So real election did not take place. What you saw as election was a tragic comedy of wickedness by a few persons to enslave Rivers people.”

Continuing they said they had presented their complaints to the national leadership of the party, adding that they would wait for its response.

Present at the briefing were Prof. Don Baridom, Mrs. Biobele Odesola, Barr. Dumo Lulu-Briggs, Hon. Oseleye Dennis Ojuka, Alabo Paworiso Samuel-Horsfall, Hon. Gabriel Pidomson, Engr. Samson Ngerebara, Hon. Bernard Mikko, Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack, Hon. Odein Ajumogobia (SAN),  Engr. Bekinbo Dagogo-Jack, Chief Atamuno Atamuno, Hon. Tamunosisi Gogo-Jack, Chief Fafaa Dan Princewill, Hon. Tonye Princewill and Hon. Silva Opusunju.

Governor Godswill Akpabio’s favoured aspirant and immediate past Secretary to the State Government, Udom Emmanuel, won the PDP governorship ticket in Akwa Ibom, in a contest that saw 21 other aspirants walking out in protest. There were 24 aspirants in the race.

Mr. Emmanuel polled 1,201 votes and was declared winner by the chairman of the Election Panel, Bola Oyebowale.

Held at the Uyo International Stadium, the 21 aspirants alleged massive irregularities and lack of transparency in the exercise and walked out a few minutes to the commencement of voting.

The protesting aspirants included former deputy governor, Mr. Nsima Ekere; former Nigerian Ambassador to Russia and the Belarus, Chief Assam E. Assam (SAN); Engineer Larry Esin; former Commissioner for Rural Development, Barrister Bassey Dan-Abia; and former Attorney-General and Justice Commissioner, Ekpenyong Ntekim.

The aggrieved aspirants said they had no confidence in the process leading to the primary election, alleging that there was no proper accreditation of delegates even as they said that delegates in the election were ‘fake’.

On their next move, Chief Assam said all the protesting aspirants would meet to discuss how to pass on their grievances to the appropriate quarters just as he stressed the need for the entire exercise to be cancelled.

In Abia, the leading names that started the race were nowhere to be seen at the finishing line as Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu claimed an easy victory.

Ikpeazu scored a total of 487 of 640 valid votes to beat other aspirants. There were nine invalid votes, making a total of 649 votes cast at the election.

Dr. Uche Sampson Ogah, President of Masters Energy Group came a distant second with 103 votes and he was followed by the immediate past Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu who polled 33 votes.

Chief Friday Nwosu got five votes; Chief Marc Wabara had three votes, the immediate past Nigeria Consul-General to South Africa, Ambassador Okay Emuchay also got three votes while Chief Iheanacho Orji scored only one vote.

The returning officer, Dr. Angela Mbah declared Ikpeazu the winner of the election and issued him with the certificate to fly PDP ticket in the 2015 election.

In Enugu, there were three parallel primaries. The Senator Ayogu Eze’s faction of the party moved away from the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium to conduct a separate primary at Filbon Hotel, Enugu, following reports that the list of delegates approved by the National Working Committee of the party had been changed by the Ikeje Asogwa’s faction. The group led by a transport mogul, Evang. Samuel Onyishi, boycotted the primaries over the illegality of the delegates list.

The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odo who also aspired showed up at the Nnamdi Azikwe Stadium, an indication that he has aligned with the Governor Sullivan Chime’s faction.

Senator Eze won at a parallel primary conducted at Fibon with 530 votes out of 614 votes cast.

Both Onwuegbu and Onu who are close allies of Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu, withdrew for Hon Ugwuanyi on the prodding of Ekweremadu.

Ugwuanyi, House Committee Chairman on Maritime is the anointed candidate of Governor Chime.

However, going by the outcome of the delegate’s election conducted by Elder David Aja, on November 1, 2014, which was boycotted by the Chime’s group led by Mr Ikeje Asogwa, Ekweremadu produced majority of the delegates from Enugu West Senatorial District, while Eze produced most of those from Enugu North Senatorial Zone.

However, the delegates from the Enugu East Senatorial zone owe their victories to the former Minister of Information, Mr Frank Nweke Jnr and his group including Senator Gil Nnaji.

At news briefing presided over by the Chairman of the PDP electoral panel in charge of the primary in Enugu state, King Asarah A. Asarah, Onyishi raised concerns over the genuineness of the delegates list used in yesterday’s exercise.

Ayogu also lent credence to the illegality of the delegates list insisting that the list the electoral panel brought was different from the one the court had upheld as valid delegates from the November ward congresses in the state.

Senator Ben Ayade defeated five other aspirants to clinch the PDP ticket in Cross River State.

In what could be described as a landslide, Senator Ayade trounced other contestants who included former NNPC General Manager, Crude Oil Marketing, Mr Goddy Jedy Agba; Rev. Father Francis Eworo, Dr Peter Oti, pioneer PDP National Publicity Secretary, Emmanuel Ibeshi and Mr. Joe Agi.

Four other aspirants had earlier withdrawn from the primaries, and declared their support for Ayade. They included Executive Secretary, National Planning Commission, Ntufam Fidelis Ugbo, immediate past Secretary to the Government, Barrister Mike Ania, immediate past Commissioner for Works, Barrister Legor Idagbo and Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Larry Odey. According to the result as announced by the Chairman of the electoral panel and Returning Officer, Chief Olusola Akanmode, Senator Ayade scored 752 out of 782 votes cast.

Ayade, a serving Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District, is the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology.

The Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Engr. Dave Umahi beat seven other aspirants to win the ticket at the primaries held at the Abakaliki Township Stadium.

The other contenders were Engr. Paul Okorie, Dr. Aja Nwachkwu, Chief Hycinth Ikpo, Senator Paulinus Igwe Nwagu, Chief Michael Ude Udumanta, Senator Offia Nwali and Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu (absent).

Announcing the results of the peaceful primaries that had 592 delegates, chairman of the governorship primary panel and Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose declared Umahi, who polled 541 votes as the winner and the party’s candidate in the 2015 governorship election.

Former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has picked the PDP governorship ticket for Adamawa State.

To win the ticket, he polled 688 votes at the the primaries held at the Old Parade Ground, Abuja, which was shunned by Governor James Bala Ngilari and four other aspirants.

Conducted by the Chairman of PDP electoral Committee, Senator Rufai Sani Hangai, others who did not show up at venue of the primaries were former Executive Secretary, Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, Dr. Ahmed Modibbo; son of former Chairman of PDP, Awwal Bamanga Tukur; Engr. Marcus Gundiri and General Aliyu Kama, rtd.

Announcing the results, Hangai declared that governor Bala Ngilari polled 26 votes; Modibbo got 30 votes; Marcus, 33 votes; Tukur, 25 votes and Kama three votes. There were two invalid votes.

Despite the fact that the governor and others were absent, their names were on the ballot papers, which necessitated delegates voting for them.

In his acceptance speech, Ribadu, who was the 2011 Presidential candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, noted that he was humbled and challenged. He offered the olive branch to other aspirants, stressing the need for all hands to be on deck in the task of building Adamawa State.

Incumbent Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Mukhtar Ramalan Yero secured a landslide victory at the PDP’s primaries  in Kaduna, polling d 970 votes out of the 972 total votes cast, while Senator Haruna Zego Azeez, his opponent scored one vote.

Earlier on, three of the five aspirants sent in their letters of withdrawal from the contest to the Chairman, Committee for Gubernatorial Primary, Dr. Steve Onu, who later read them out to the delegates including Vice President Namadi Sambo and officials.

Air Commodore John Bako (rtd), Alhaji Yakawada Lawal Samaila and Hon. Felix Hyat withdrew from the contest leaving the incumbent Yero and Senator Haruna Azeez to slug it out.

Air Commodore John Bako (rtd) opted out for Governor Yero, while the others withdrew on personal grounds.

Former chief of staff to Governor Sule Lamido, Alhaji Aminu Ibrahim Ringim, is the winner in Jigawa State.

He won the contest between him and Alhaji Abba Anas Adamu who requested to withdraw in absentia.

Shortly before the commencement of the exercise held at the party’s headquarters in Dutse, one of the aspirants, Arch Aminu Kane met the party leadership and formally announced his decision to step down for  Ringim. In like manner, Adamu also decided to step down but his request was rejected because he did not come in person.

While rejecting the request, the chairman electoral panel, Alhaji Kaulaha Aliyu ordered the 1,025 delegates to vote for any of the two aspirants.

At the end Ringim polled 1020 votes while Adamu had none and six votes were invalid.

Alhaji Umar Nasko, former Chief of Staff to Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu,  won the PDP ticket in Niger State

With 908 votes, he defeated eight other aspirants including the incumbent Deputy Governor of the state, Alhaji Ahmed Musa Ibeto who got 34 votes. There were 1,023 delegates at the primaries.

Others who contested the election included  former Governor of Kano State, Col Aminu Isa Kontagora and Alhaji Sahabi Darangi. AIG Senator Nuhu Aliyu withdrew from the race at the last minute.

The other Aspirants who lost out at the primaries have rejected the result describing it as a sham unacceptable.

Former, Senate Leader, Teslim Kolawole Folarin and former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Ladoja have emerged as governorship candidates of the PDP and Accord respectively.

While Ladoja, who is the national leader and governorship aspirant of his party was elected unopposed with 1, 692 votes, it was a tug of war in the PDP as some leading contenders, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, Seyi Makinde, Femi Babalola and Isaac Owolabi boycotted the election.

While declaring the results at the end of the election, the electoral committee chairman, Abba Aji disclosed that Folarin won with 167 votes, Alao-Akala polled two votes; Soji Adejumo, four; Azeez Adeduntan, three and Gbolarumi, 12 votes. Other governorship aspirants in attendance were Taoheed Adedoja, Soji Adejumo, Azeem Gbolarumi, Ayoade Adeseun and Azeez Adeduntan.

At the Accord Party election, five delegates each from the 351 wards voted peacefully to choose Ladoja and the exercise was witnessed by a representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

National Organising Secretary of the party and returning officer for its governorship primaries, Alhaji Kawu Idris, announced Ladoja as Accord’s governorship candidate.

The national leadership of the PDP yesterday announced the cancellation of the primaries in Ogun state.

In a statement by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, the party said, “for the avoidance of doubt, the NWC hereby states that it did not authorize any governorship primary in Ogun State. Consequently, any such exercise held in Ogun State is hereby declared null and void and of no effect. A new date will be communicated for the primaries.’’

However, in spite cancellation, the Ogun PDP elected Gboyega Isiaka as its 2015 governorship candidate

Mr. Isiaka, who recently defected to the party from the Labour Party, LP, scored 705 votes to beat his major opponent, Kayode Amusan, who got 150 votes.

There was pandemonium at the Yard 158 Event Centre on Oregun Road, venue of the governorship primaries of the PDP in Lagos State as political thugs loyal to aspirants clashed.

Policemen shot several canisters of tear gas into the air to disperse the warring groups, while sniffer

Dogs were unleashed to bring the situation under control.

Trouble started when some supporters of one of the aspirants arrived the venue chanting solidarity slogans in favour of the aspirant.

Not long after, supporters of another aspirant arrived the scene and a confrontation ensued leading to a clash.

Guns, knives, bottles were deployed for the battle of supremacy.

Two persons including a reporter of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Chioma Ugboma were injured, while two other persons were arrested by security operatives.

Agbaje, who had over 400 votes edged out his closest challenger, Musliu Obanikoro who got 346 votes and staged a walk-out in the closing stages of the primaries over disparity in the number of delegates.

    Source: Vanguard