Reports from some states disclose instances of defeated aspirants protesting and alleging irregularities in the exercise. Some delegates and even aspirants who believed the process was skewed in favour of others abandoned the exercise midway.
At the guber primaries in Kaduna, former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Mallam Nasir El Rufai emerged winner to fly APC’s flag in the 2015 elections. He humbled three other aspirants including Shamsuddi Abdullahi Ango and Salihu Mohammed Lukman.
In Lagos state, Chief Akinwunmi Ambode emerged winner, having trounced 12 other aspiring candidates seeking the governorship ticket of the party. However, State Commissioner for Works, Mr. Femi Hamzat came second; Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Speaker of the Lagos State Assembly came third. But 10 aspirants reportedly left the venue of the event in subtle protest, accusing national leader of the APC, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu of manipulating the primaries to favour Ambode, his anointed candidate.
But in a public statement in Lagos in reaction to the grievances, Tinubu pleaded with aspirants to accept the outcome of the exercise, saying: “Please reflect on what is good for Lagos. Our enemy is lying in wait, expecting us to fall apart and come against each other. You are 12 aspirants and like the 12 tribes of Israel you have some differences but you must remain one and united.”
In Akwa Ibom State, the guber primaries which held at the Old Uyo Stadium, saw the emergence of former secretary to the Akwa Ibom government, Mr. Umana Okon Umana as the party’s flag-bearer. He defected from the PDP to the opposition APC barely a week ago, when it became clear that he could not grab the governorship ticket. Although two other governorship aspirants who vied with him, Mr. Emmanuel Ekpeyong and retired Group Captain Sam Iwang stepped down at the last minute, Umana trashed out a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Senator James John Udoedeghe to grab the ticket.
The APC in Nasarawa State returned the incumbent governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura to fly its flag. He defeated other candidates like Engr. Reuben Audu, and Dr. James Angbazo who contested against him. But from a total of 2,304 delegates accredited for the exercise which took place in Lafia, about 583 delegates surprisingly boycotted the exercise. This was even after they had been accredited to vote.
From Oyo State, incumbent governor Abiola Ajimobi has clinched the APC’s ticket to run for a second term after he humbled his only challenger, Mr. Ayo Lam-Adesina.
Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal also picked the APC governorship ticket for Sokoto State after defeating Senator Umaru Dahiru and Yusha’u Kebbe in the race, which observers say was keenly contested.
For Rivers State, Hon. Dakuku Peterside, who was earlier endorsed by Governor Rotimi Amaechi and the party leadership in the state, legitimated the process, even as sole candidate. Days earlier an APC governorship aspirants coupled with youths in the state protested his adoption as the sole candidate of the party.
Mr. Olorogun Ortega Emerhor emerged the APC flag-bearer for Delta State. But his only challenger, Mr. Fidelis Tilije abandoned the venue of the exercise in protest, describing the process as “undemocratic.”
Jigawa State has Barrister Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia as a consensus candidate of the APC guber primaries, while in Taraba State, Senator Aisha Alhassan emerged winner but three aspirants, Dr. Suleiman Julde, Alhaji Tumba Ibrahim and Barrister Yusufu Akirikwen staged a protest alleging exclusion.
Also in Abia State, Dr. Nyere Anyim emerged as the APC consensus candidate after the voluntary withdrawal of Barr. Nans Ikeocha from the race. In Adamawa State, Senator Muhammad Jibrilla Bindo defeated Ibrahim Mijinyawa, the anointed candidate of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and two others to fly the party’s flag. Bindo also won the APC guber ticket for the aborted October 10, 2014 bye-election, occasioned by the impeachment of former governor Murtala Nyako.
Senator Chris Ngige was chosen as the APC consensus candidate in Anambra State, while Barrister Mohammed Abubakar defeated former Minister of Police Affairs, Dr Ibrahim Yakubu Lame, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Engr. Sadiq Mahmood and Ibrahim Zailani.
In Borno State, like in most other APC-controlled states, incumbent governor Kashim Shettima was returned like his colleague in Kwara State, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed; governors Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe) and governor Ibikunle Amosun (Osun), among others, returned unopposed.
Enugu State has Hon. Okey Ezea as the APC standard bearer, while Gombe State is fielding Mr. Inuwa Yahaya, but the APC guber ticket in Kano State went to the deputy governor Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje. Niger State has Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello and Plateau State has Simon Lalong.
But reacting to APC guber congresses, former vice president and APC presidential aspirant, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar congratulated all aspirants who took part in the party’s governorship primaries nationwide. In a statement, he advised all the aspirants to see the outcome of the election as a victory for the party and not a particular individual, as the party and its interest is bigger than any person or group.
As at press time, APC guber primaries were still on-going in a few states, including Katsina.
