The primary elections held for candidates that will represent the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 governorship election have ended in some states in Nigeria, with a former Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, Teslim Folarin, Umur Nasko and others emerging as candidates.
Mr Wike emerged as the PDP governorship candidate in Rivers State at the party’s primary election held in Port Harcourt, the state’s capital.
The event was conducted under tight security, but 17 aspirants from the party, however, stayed away.
In what looked like a done deal, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Etife Bekeakpa, wasted no time to announce the results.
Meanwhile, the 17 aggrieved aspirants are certainly not on the same page with the party leadership in the state.
The leader of the coalition, Major Lancelot Anyanya (rtd), told reporters at a press briefing that the primary was a sham that would be rejected using all options available to them.
In Oyo State, former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, emerged as the PDP governorship candidate.
Some aspirants boycotted the event, claiming “it is illegal”.
Out of the seven aspirants who attended the primaries, only three contested against Senator Folarin, who won with 167 votes while two others abstained.
Some of the main contenders like the former Oyo State Governor, Adebayo Alao Akala and Seyi Makinde were absent from the primaries.
In the PDP primary election in Niger State, Umar Nasko, emerged the Governorship flag bearer.
The former Chief of Staff of the Government House pulled 908 votes out of the 1023 votes cast to emerge victorious at the primaries which held in Minna, the Niger State capital.
In an acceptance speech, Umar Nasko promised to take the state to a greater level if given the opportunity by the people of the state.
In a keenly contested primary election held at Umuahia Township Stadium in Abia State, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu clinched the governorship ticket.
Dr Ikpeazu had about 480 votes to beat Uche Ogah, former Minister of Labour, Emeka Nwogu and a former Ambassador of Nigeria to South Africa, Okey Emuchay, the other contestants.
In the election, Mr Ogah pulled 103 votes, Mr Nwogu got 33 votes and Okey Emuchay got three votes.
Another candidate, Ayogu Eze, emerged in Enugu State as the candidate of the PDP in the 2015 governorship election.
Before Mr Eze was declared winner, the exercise took a dramatic turn when two governorship aspirants out of the seven contestants conducted parallel primaries at different locations within the state
The trouble started in the morning when some of the aspirants had a disagreement over the authentic list of delegates which are to participate in the elections.
Front-liner in the contest, Senator Ayogu Eze’s primary election was conducted at a location along New Haven Avenue within the State capital while House of Representatives member, Ifeanyi Uguwanyi’s primary was at the same time held at the Nnamdi Azikwe Sports Stadium.
In the election conducted at New Haven Avenue, Senator Eze emerged winner beating six other contestants with 530 votes. He promised to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of Enugu State if finally elected Governor in 2015.
In Kaduna State, the incumbent Governor, Mukhtar Yero, emerged the governorship candidate of the PDP for the February 2015 elections, in a peaceful primary election conducted at the indoor sports hall of Murtala Mohammed Square in the state capital.
Mr Yero polled 970 votes to defeat his only challenger, Senator Zego Aziz, who got only one vote while only one vote was declared invalid.
Before the commencement of the election, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee and Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Steve Oru, announced the withdrawal of three aspirants from the election, leaving the contest between the incumbent governor, Mukhtar Yero and Senator Zego Aziz.
He gave the names of the three aspirants who withdrew from the contest as Air Commodore John Ajei, Lawal Yakawada and Felix Hassan Hyat, but did not give any reason for their withdrawal.
The Kaduna PDP governorship primaries was conducted amidst heavy security presence as operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security Service and Civil Defence Corps were on ground to maintain law and order.
Speaking after the election, the visibly elated Yero thanked all delegates and members of the party for their votes and support and assured them that his administration will consolidate on the achievements recorded so far if he gets re-elected for another term.
In Akwa-Ibom State, even before the official announcement of the governorship primary, supporters of the former Executive Director of the Zenith Bank, Udom Emmanuel, were already celebrating his victory.
The immediate past Secretary to the State Government won an apparent landslide, clinching victory with majority votes from 30 out of 31 Local Government Councils of the state.
Mr Emmanuel was congratulated by Governor Godswill Akpabio, who witnessed the event from the very beginning till the conclusion.
In Cross River State, a serving Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District and the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Professor Ben Ayade, emerged as the PDP governorship candidate ahead of the 2015 governorship election.
The returning officer, Olushola Akamode, who made the declaration shortly after counting the votes, declared Ayade the winner with 752 votes, as against Jeddy Agba with five votes and Joe Agi with 11 and Francis Eworo with five votes.
The governorship primary held at the UJ Esuiene Stadium in Calabar, the State capital was described as transparent, peaceful and rancor free.
Although 10 aspirants picked nomination forms to contest for the ticket, four of the contestants formally withdrew from the race shortly before the elections.
They are the Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Mr Larry Odey, former Executive Secretary, National Planning Commission, Ntufam Fidelis Ugboh, the immediate past Secretary to the State Government, Mr Mike Aniah and the immediate past Commissioner for Works, Mr Legor Idagbo.
Prominent politicians who participated in the elections included, the State Governor, Liyel Imoke and his deputy Efiok Cobham, the Party Chairman John Okon, Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma Egba, other Senator and members of the State and Assembly.
After the exercise, the governorship flag bearer thanked delegates for their confidence in him to fly the party’s flag as the governorship candidate.
