The son of former military Head of State, Late General Sani Abacha; and that of former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido have emerged as governorship candidates of the Peoples Democractic Party (PDP)
In Lagos, the lead visioner of the Lagos4Lagos Movement, Dr Olajide Adediran also won on the party’s platform.
The Governors of Adamawa and Oyo States were also endorsed by party delegates to run for a second term, while the primary was postponed in Niger State.
In Kano State, Mohammed Abacha won a parallel primary election with the Returning Officer, Amina Garba declaring Abacha the winner after polling 736 votes to defeat Jafar Sani-Bello, who scored 710 votes.
Another parallel primary was however held at the Sani Abacha Youth Centre.
Mustafa Lamido, son of Alhaji Sule Lamido, who was Governor of Jigawa State between 2007 and 2015, was elected as the state’s PDP governorship candidate.
The Returning Officer, Isah Ahmed announced that Mustafa scored 829 out of the 832 votes, while Saleh Shehu had no vote.
One of the aspirants, Adamu Bashir announced his withdrawal a few hours before the commencement of the primary.
In Lagos State, Adediran (well known as Jandor) polled 679 votes to beat David Kolawole Vaughan after four other aspirants had pulled out of the race. Vanghan had 20 votes.
The Returning Officer, Emmanuel Ogidi said 775 ad hoc delegates were scheduled to participate in the primary, but 709 were accredited.
Jandor joined the PDP in January from the All Progressives Congress (APC) but some leaders in his Lagos4Lagos Movement, including the Chairman, Sunday Ajayi returned to the APC last month.
Adamawa State PDP delegates returned Governor Ahmadu Fintiri who had no challenger. He secured the party’s ticket after polling 663 votes to bid for a second term in office.
Fintiri’s counterpart in Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde also got the mandate of his party as he got 1,040 votes to beat Hazeem Gbolarumi at the election held at the Lekan Salami Sports Complex, Adamasingba, Ibadan.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that that Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Mutiu Agboke; and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) administrative secretary, Abiodun Onigate-Amosun witnessed the primary.
In Benue State, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Titus Uba defeated Deputy Governor Benson Abounu to win the party ticket.
Uba polled 731 votes as against Abounu”s 81.
The Speaker won 21 out of the 23 Local Government Areas in the state.
A shift of political power appeared to have been witnessed in Delta State, where the aspirant of the sitting governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa defeated that of former Governor James Ibori.
The Speaker of the state’s House of Assembly, Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori polled 590 votes to beat his closest rival, Dr David Edevbie, who was Finance Commissioner during the Ibori administration. Edevbie, Ibori’s anointed, got 113 votes.
Other governorship hopefuls and their vote counts include Senator James Manager (83); current Deputy Governor, Barrister Kingsley Otuaro (nine); Former Attorney General of the state, Barrister Peter Mrakpor (nine); Fred Majemite (six); Ejaife Odebala (three); Bright Onajefe-Gift (three); Abel Esievo (two); Braduce Angozi (two); Lucky Idike (one); while Chris Iyowaye and Land Ikie Agbarianovwe had no vote.
The anointed aspirant of Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel won the state primary.
Pastor Umo Eno secured 993 votes from 1,018 delegates to beat a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Onofiok Luke, who had two votes; and Senator Bassey Albert who scored a vote.
Deputy Governor of Edo State, Comrade Philip Shuaibu, who Chairman of the primary election committee, declared Eno the winner of the exercise, which was held at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium.
In Abia State, former Vice Chancellor of the Abia State University, Prof. Uche Ikonne won the PDP primary, in which many aspirants had backed out, alleging manipulation by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu. The protesting aspirants included Senate Minority Leader and former Deputy Governor, Enyinnaya Abaribe, and the current Deputy Governor, Dr Ude Oko-Chukwu.
Ikonne polled 468 votes to defeat five other contestants.
Lucky Igbokwe came a distant second with 45 votes, while the only female contestant, Ngozi Merenge scored five votes.
Spokesman of the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation in 2019, Mr Segun Sowunmi won the parallel primary of the PDP in Ogun State.
Sowunmi polled 554 votes to defeat his closest rival, Jimi Lawal, who scored 30 votes, while Ladi Adebutu polled 15 votes.
Chairman of the Electoral Committee, Abayomi Daniel said 778 delegates were accredited, 702 votes were ratified while three votes were voided.
The election was monitored by INEC officials and members of the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria.
In Gombe State, the Returning Officer, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe declared Jibrin Barde as the winner of the governorship primary.
He said Barde got 160 votes to defeat five other aspirants — Jamil Gwamna (119 votes), Ali Gombe (17), Adamu Suleiman (18), Gimba Ya’u (one), and Babayo Ardo (13).
Barde, who was an aspirant in the 2019 governorship primary, decamped to the PDP in February 2021.
A former member of the House of Representatives, David Ombugadu is the governorship candidate of the PDP in Nasarawa State.
The Chairman of the party’s electoral committee in the state, Bature Musa said Ombugadu polled 247 votes to defeat Nuhu Angbazo, who scored 203 votes.
In Borno State, Mohammed Jajari was elected as the governorship candidate of the PDP.
He polled 487 votes to defeat Mohammed Imam, who secured 362 votes.
The PDP will be presenting the same candidate it had in 2019 in Kaduna State. He is a former federal and state lawmaker, Isah Ashiru.
He polled 414 votes to defeat his closest opponent, former Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency, Sani Sidi who scored 260 votes.
Former Kaduna State Governor Ramalan Yero scored 28 votes, Sani Abbas had 15, Haruna Saeed got 11, while Senator Shehu Sani had two votes.
The primary was however postponed till today in Niger State, following protests by four of the five aspirants.
The aspirants — Sani Kutigi, Sidi Abdul, Abdulrahman Gimba and Abubakar Jankara — insisted that delegates must identify themselves properly before they could be accredited.
A total of 800 delegates are expected to elect the party’s governorship candidate.
Jankara, who spoke on behalf of the aggrieved aspirants, said the decision was conveyed to the Chairman of the electoral panel, who is also the Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo
The aspirants insisted that delegates must present a means of identification, which should be a national driver’s licence, a national identity card or an international passport.
Efforts by Ewhrudjakpo to get the aspirants to agree that the delegates be identified by the chairpersons of their respective local governments failed.
He later informed journalists that he had directed the delegates to get means of identification.
