Reports of governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have continued to trickle in since the exercise ended Friday night with some of the aspirants springing surprises by defeating formidable contenders.
Adamawa
Senator Aisha Dahiru Ahmed Binani has clinched the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in Adamawa State.
- FG closes Lokoja-Obajana-Kabba road 7 weeks for repairs
- It’s unfortunate Kannywood is portrayed negatively – Rabi’atu Gombe
Announcing the results in Yola, the election committee chairman, Malam Gambo, said Binani scored the highest number of votes in the election, which was contested by some heavyweights in the state.
Binani scores 430 votes while Nuhu Ribadu, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), trailed with 288 votes.
A former governor of the state, Muhammadu Jibrilla Bindow, came third with 103 votes, Abdurrazaq Namda polled 94 votes while Wafari Theman got 39 votes.
Binani, the senator representing Adamawa Central zone had previously served as member House of Representatives for Yola North/Yola South/Girei Federal Constituency.
Niger
Member representing Chanchaga constituency of Niger State in the House of Representatives, Mohammed Umar Bago, has won the APC governorship ticket for the 2023 poll.
Bago scored 540 votes to floor his rivals, the Blue Print Publisher, Mohammed Idris Malagi and former Minister of Sports, Engr Sani Ndanusa, who scored 386 votes and 84 votes respectively.
The incumbent Deputy Governor, Mohammed Ahmed Ketso, however, scored 17 votes while 11 invalid votes were recorded.
Announcing the results at the Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi International Conference Centre, Minna, the venue of the exercise, the Niger State APC governorship primaries committee Chairman, Barrister Nasiru Ibrahim Jindu, said 1, 049 votes were cast.
He said 10 aspirants participated in the primaries, with some of them scoring zero votes.
Katsina
Former Director General of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Dr. Dikko Umar Radda, has won the Katsina State governorship ticket of the APC.
Announcing the results, the Chairman Election Planning Committee, Barr. Kaka Shehu Lawan, said Radda scored 506 votes out of 1,805 delegates who cast their ballots in Thursday’s primary elections held at the Muhammad Dikko Stadium, Katsina.
Other candidates who participated in the APC primaries were former Secretary to the Government of Katsina State, Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa, who scored 442 votes and former MD Nigerian Security Minting and Printing Company, Abbas Umar Masanawa, who scored 436 votes.
Also in the contest were former Katsina State budget commissioner Faruq Lawal Jobe who got 71 votes; Senator Abubakar Sadiq Yar’adua with 32 votes; retired AIG Abdulkarim Dauda Daura, 7 votes; Umar Abdullahi Tata 8; Deputy Governor QS Mannir Yakubu, 65 and Ahmad Musa Dangiwa, former Mortgage Bank MD scored 220 votes.
Jigawa
The deputy governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Umar Namadi, has clinched the governorship ticket of the APC in the state. In the keenly contested primary, Namadi floored 8 other contestants to win the ticket.
Kano
The deputy governor of Kano State, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, whom Gov Ganduje named as his preferred choice has emerged victorious in the governorship primary poll of the APC held on Thursday.
Gawuna, who contested alongside the member representing Kano Municipal in the House of Representatives, Sha’aban Ibrahim, scored 2, 289 votes, while Sha’aban scored 30 votes.
The primary election which was scheduled to commence Thursday morning started around 11.30pm and had a total of 2, 420 votes. While the total valid votes were 2, 339, there were 20 invalid votes which makes the total reduce to 2, 319.
Announcing the results, the returning officer, Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura, said “On behalf of our party the APC, I wish to declare that Nasir Yusuf Gawuna, having scored 2, 289 votes against Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada who scored 30 votes is hereby returned elected as the gubernatorial candidate of the party.”
Plateau
In Plateau, a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dr Nentawe Yilwada, won the APC ticket.
Dr. Nentawe was elected midnight, at the party’s primary held at Landfield Hotel, Jos South Local Government Area of the state.
Announcing the results, the chairman of the exercise, Hon Habu Isa Ajiya, said Yilwada, polled 803 ahead of Dr. Patrick Dakum, who scored 70 votes.
According to the chairman, nine aspirants were in the race but before the commencement of the exercise, five aspirants sent in their letters of withdrawal.
They are Sunday Garba Biggs; Dr. Sarpiya Danyaro; Sen. Hezekiah Dimka; Dr. Patrick Dakum and Arch. Fitka.
Kaduna
The Senator representing Kaduna Central, Uba Sani, has emerged winner of the APC gubernatorial primary election in Kaduna State.
Sani, who is Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s anointed candidate, defeated a former Assistant Controller of Customs, Bashir Abubakar with 1,149 votes against 37 votes and former rep member, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Sha’aban, who scored 10 votes.
Daily Trust Saturday reports that the primary election which came to an end at the Umaru Yar’Adua hall of the Murtala Square at 2.15am, had 39 invalid votes.
Announcing the result, the chairman of the APC electoral committee, Anachuna Henry, declared Uba Sani as the winner, saying there were 1,275 delegates but only 1,245 were accredited while 1,196 cast their votes.
Taraba
Senator Emmanuel Bwacha has won the ticket of the APC to contest the 2023 governorship election in Taraba State.
Declaring Bwacha winner at a press briefing in Jalingo Friday morning, chairman of the APC governorship primary election for Taraba State, Chief Lawrence Onuchukwu, said Bwacha defeated eight aspirants to emerge winner of the primary poll.
Onuchukwu however told newsmen that he and other members of the committee were earlier on Thursday held hostage and made to declare at gun point that election did not hold in the state.
“What happened yesterday (Thursday) was very unfortunate. Myself and the other members of the committee were held hostage at gunpoint and forced to announce that the APC governorship primary election did not hold in Taraba.
“It is only a foolish man that would at that point resist to do their bidding. We were highly brutalized but we have forgiven them because we are all members of the same family.
“I am here today, along with other members of the committee standing here with me to declared Senator Emmanuel Bwacha as the winner of the primary election,” he said.
Abia
In Abia State, High Chief Ikechi Emenike clinched the party’s ticket with 672 votes, defeating his closest rival, Hon Emeka Atuma who polled 150 votes.
The primaries which took place at the Chidiebere Motor Park, Umuahia, was done amidst tight security, with aspirants protesting against the indirect mode of primary adopted by the Electoral Committee.
The situation became uncontrollable when the aspirants stormed the Chidiebere Motor Park, with their supporters, insisting the Electoral Committee adopt direct primary as earlier resolved.
After a prolonged wrangling without any head way, the aspirants including Dr Uche Ogah, Prince Paul Ikonne, Hon Emeka Atuma, Hon Obinna Oriaku, angrily left the venue of the primary poll while Chief Dan Ekeh, Dr Alex Otti withdrew from the race.
Declaring the result of the election, the Electoral Committee chairman for Abia, Chief Tonie Obiefuna, disclosed that Hon Uche Ogah polled 6 votes, Dan Ekeh 16 votes, Dr Alex Otti 14 votes and Hon Emeka Atuma 150 votes.
Others are Hon Obinna Oriaku who got 12 votes, Prince Paul Ikonne 22 votes while Ikechi Emenike polled 672 votes.
By Saawua Terzungwe (Abuja), Magaji lsa Hunkuyi (Jalingo), Kabiru Anwar, Amina Abdullahi (Yola), Linus Effiong (Umuahia), Abubakar Akote (Minna), Zahraddeen Yakubu Shuaibu (Kano), Lami Sadiq (Kaduna), Ado Abubakar Musa (Jos) & Tijjani Ibrahim (Katsina)
