APC Picks Governorship Candidates Nationwide

The All Progressives Congress, APC, is currently conducting its primary election nationwide to elect the party’s governorship candidates in the 2015 election.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that, the fate of Governors Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun state, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, and Tanko Almakura of Nasarawa and Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara state are already known as they are reported to be sole candidates of the party in their states.

The primary election in those states is expected to be mere formality.

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It is a different scenario in Lagos state where there are 12 candidates contesting to be selected as the party’s flag bearers. Premium Times reporting from Onikan Stadium, venue of the primary elections say all the candidates are already at the venue and the election might commence anytime soon.

Updates From Across The State

In Kaduna, feelers suggest former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nasir El-Rufai may emerge the APC candidate. He however needs to beat Salihu Lukman, Haruna Kajuru, Shamsuddeen Abdullahi and Isah Ashiru in the election starting any moment from now at the trade fair complex.

In Kano, Umar Ganduje, the deputy to Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, is expected to emerge after being anointed by the caucus of the party. Nevertheless, Mr. Ganduje will slug it out with Senator Ibrahim Gaya, Rep. Kawu Sumaila, Salisu Takai, Abba Yusuf and Rabiu Bichi.

However in Kano out the venue of the primary election is not yet known.

In Sokoto, the odds are in favour of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, who is facing Bello Gada, Lawal Bashir and Yushau Kebbi.

From Adamawa state,the delegates are presently filing into Lamido Cinema the venue of the election in a long que. The party’s flag bearer in the cancelled Adamawa bye election, Senator Mohammed Jibrilla and his major contender, Ibrahim Mijinyawa are present at the venue.

Premium Times currently reports that, in Kwara, the election is going smoothly so far. Incumbent governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, is expected to emerge.

In Kano the election will hold at the Sani Abacha Stadium at about 6pm. A total of 7,500 delegates will participate in the election.

There are indications that one of the aspirants, Suleman Kawu, will withdraw from the governorship race in Kano any moment from now. Mr. Kawu, who is the Deputy Minority leader in the House of Representatives, is negotiating his withdrawal from the race with some APC chiefs in the state.

If he finally withdraws, the ticket will be contested for by three others namely, the Deputy Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, former military governor of Kaduna State, Jafaru Isa, and Usman Alhaji, a former finance commissioner in the state. Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso has since endorsed his deputy.

In Kwara, Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has been declared winner of the governorship primary. He was sole candidate at the primary, and the election was mere formality.

In Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the accreditation of delegates has just commended at the Township Stadium along Udo Umana Street.

The contest in Akwa Ibom is between four aspirants: Mr. Udoedehe, who had contested the governorship of the state on the party’s platform in 2011, former Military Administrator of Rivers State and a guber candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Mr. Umana, the former SSG and an APC member of the House of Representatives, Emmanuel Ekpenyong.

In Sokoto, over 4000 APC delegates from the 23 LGAs of the state are now fully seated at the Shehu Kangiwa Memorial Stadium venue of the APC guber primaries. Binji LG has concluded voting. Next is Bodinga and Dange Shuni LGs. Then Gada and Goronyo LGs will vote.

In Nasarawa, late arrival of materials is delaying the governorship primaries

A cross section of the delagates who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES complained that they arrived Lafia as early as 7.30a.m believing that accreditation would commence at 8.30am as scheduled.

In Enugu State, the state chapter of the party has adopted Okey Ezea as its consensus governorship candidate for the 2015 election, party chairman Ben Nwoye says, Premium Times reports.

In Benue, the spokesperson to one of the frontline aspirants, Prof. Steve Ugbah, has issued a statement debunking speculations that he has stepped down from the race.