The State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Collins Opuozor, made this known to newsmen in Owerri.

Just as the State Leadership of the Labour Party, LP, under Festus Onyekwulisi, on Tuesday, announced that the LP, governorship primary will take place this week Saturday.

According to PDP, “The 2023 Imo State Governorship Primary Election of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which holds follow shows:

“Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Venue: Imo PDP Secretariat, 98 Okigwe Road, Owerri, Time: 9 am.”

For the LP, the preparation said: “Dear party faithful, be notified that the National Executive Council (NEC) of the f Labour Party has postponed the Ward Congress and Gubernatorial Primary Election scheduled to be held on April 11 and 13, 2023 respectively.”

“The new dates are fixed for the 13th and 15th of April 2023, respectively. While we regret the inconvenience the development will cause, be informed that arrangements we have made as regards the congress and election remain unchanged,” LP said.

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A statement by APC spokesman, Lanre Issa-Onilu, on Saturday morning said the APC took the decision to postpone the primary after a stakeholders meeting in Yenagoa on Friday night.

“In deference to a court order, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has shifted the date for the Bayelsa governorship primary to Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4, September, 2019,” Issa-Onilu said.

Some members of APC in Bayelsa under the auspices of Concerned APC Stakeholders had gone to court to oppose the use of direct primary to elect the standard bearer of the party in the Nov.16 guber election.

They secured an interim order on Thursday restraining the use of direct primary.

Messrs Japan Christopher, Evinson Olotu, Oddu Onyimiebi and Onyimiebi Isaih took the National Chairman of APC and 23 members of his executive and Bayelsa chapter executives to court over the decision to use direct primary, pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The judge, E.G Umokoro, also ordered an accelerated hearing of the substantive suit and abridged the time frame for the respondents to file their response and counter affidavit to seven days given the timeliness of the matter.

The party had on Wednesday postponed the governorship primary from the initial Aug. 29 to Aug. 31.

It had cleared six of its seven governorship aspirants.

The cleared aspirants are Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, immediate past Minister of State for Agriculture, Aganaba Steven, Ebitimi Amgbare, Diseye Poweigha, Lyon Pereworimini and Ongoebi Etebu.

A former Cross River Resident Electoral Commissioner, Briyai Frankland, was disqualified.

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Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP spokesman, announced this in a statement on Saturday. The party’s primary election was due to hold on Sunday.

Ologbondiyan said while those of Lagos, Kano and Imo have been postponed, the exercise would go on as planned in other states.

The statement read: “The attention of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has just been drawn to rumour making the rounds that the PDP scheduled gubernatorial primary has been postponed.

“The PDP wishes to inform all delegates, members of our great party and aspirants for the gubernatorial election that the scheduled date for the primary remains Sunday, September 30, 2018.

“The rumour about the postponement should therefore be disregarded completely. However, the gubernatorial primary election dates for Lagos, Kano and Imo states would be announced soon.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) had earlier postponed its governorship primary election in Lagos and Imo as well.

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Fayemi, who is also a former governor of the state, defeated thirty one other aspirants in the primary conducted at Damlek Event Centre, Oke-Ila, Ado-Ekiti,the state capital.

With the victory, Fayemi will be the party’s flag bearer at the July 14 governorship election.

The minister polled a total number of 941 votes to beat another former governor, Chief Segun Oni, to the second position in a shadow poll that arguably has the highest number of contestants in Nigeria in recent times.

The runner-up, Oni, who is also a former APC Deputy National Chairman (South), had 481 votes while Engr. Kayode Ojo received 281 votes to place third.

Votes polled by other aspirants are Femi Bamisile (179), Dr. Wole Oluyede (121), Senator Gbenga Aluko (86), Chief Sesan Fatoba (43), Bimbo Daramola (28), Bamidele Faparusi (23), Victor Kolade (16), Kola Alabi (14), Tosin Olofinluyi (14) and Senator Babafemi Ojudu (10).

Others are Otunba Yinka Akerele (11), Opeyemi Bamidele (11), Yinka Akerele (11), Chief Bisi Aloba (7), Dr.Wole Oluleye (6), Dr. Mojisola Yaya-Kolade (4), Bodunde Adeyanju (3), Dr. Bayo Orire (3), Senator Ayo Arise (2) and Muyiwa Olumilua (2), Ajayi Olowo (2), Muyiwa Coker (2),

Oladipo Ogunkoyode, Mrs. Elizabeth Matesun, Debo Ajayi, all got one votes each while the remaining aspirants failed to score any
vote.

Total number of invalid votes was 11.

As soon as the counting was concluded and it was obvious that Fayemi won, other aspirants moved to his direction to congratulate him at about 10.50 pm.

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Direct primary election is when members of the party vote for a candidate as against when delegates choose a candidate at a convention.

The APC scheduled a fresh election for Friday following the violence which marred the one held on Saturday.

In a statement on Wednesday, stakeholders of the party under the platform of Concerned APC Ekiti Chieftains said the wish of leaders in the south-west and majority of the aspirants must be respected.

Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the party; Segun Osoba, former governor of Ogun; and Bisi Akande, former governor of Osun, were among party leaders who met with aspirants in Abuja on Tuesday.

The statement said 17 out of the 24 aspirants who attended Tuesday’s meeting opted for direct primary, wondering why the national working committee is not reasoning along that line.

“It may interest you to note that Ekiti Progressives in the APC are one, and are united in ensuring the basic tenets of democracy are upheld in our party despite the embarrassing and terrible situation we all witnessed at the attempted delegate primary held last Saturday in Ado Ekiti,” the statement read.

“We note with dismay the irregularities that preceded that exercise including shoddy arrangements by the organising committee, lack of clear guidelines by the primary committee, the conflict of interest of its members, use of levers of violence and security agencies at the primary grounds and violation of secret ballot rules including evidence of primary delegates compromised by bribes, threats and intimidation.

“We also note with dismay the incoherent response of the NWC of the party, which seem to be acting at cross purposes with the state executives who had their offices invaded by thugs as well as statements issued seemingly in coordination with one particular candidate to the detriment of others.

“We also note that one or two NWC members have since claimed no meetings to discuss Ekiti post primary has been held which further puts to test the claim of NWC’s impartiality and ability to constitute an even handed primary committee now and in the future.

“It is for this reason we commend the intervention of the Southwest Nigeria leaders on the instruction of Mr President on the brewing crisis in Ekiti.

“We note the democratic fashion of SW Leaders’ intervention and the vote of aspirants taken which allowed all in attendance to weigh in on the three options available: direct primaries, indirect primaries and consensus. Indeed, it was not surprising that direct primaries was selected as the preferred method by 17 of 24 Aspirants in attendance.

“Direct primaries indeed should be the preferred method for democratic leaning institutions like our party, for the following reasons.”

The stakeholders warned that delegate primary may produce the result of the last one and plunge the party into another crisis.

“The demand of Ekiti is direct primary as evidenced by the way the aspirants voted at the SW leaders caucus meeting,” he said.

“Any other plan implemented will be unsafe and dangerous even for our party officials. We must be cautious. The situation is tense in Ekiti today and no security guarantees can be provided to any position that counters the position of our elders and the candidates that met them.

“We enjoin the NWC to do the right thing and tow the path of honour and respect Ekiti for the collective benefit of our party. They cannot love Ekiti better than Ekitians and their regional leaders.

“We plead for the voice of reason. We enjoin that our President and voices of our National Leader must be respected and not embarrassed. Let us make Ekiti State APC stronger not weaker.”

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Obaze polled 672 votes to defeated Chief Alex Obiogbolu, who secured 190 votes to come second and Dr Ifeanyi Uba with 94 votes, for third place.

Four aspirants participated in the primary election held at Prof. Dora Akunyili Women Development Centre, Awka, which began at about 9 a.m.

Four other aspirants – Chief John Emeka, Afodike Akaolisa, Sen. Stella Oduah and Ms Linda Ikpeazu – withdrew from the race over allegations of irregularities in the list of delegates.

Chief Dave Umahi, Chairman of the Anambra Governorship Primary Election Committee, who announced the result of the poll, said that 958 delegates participated in the election.

Umahi, who is the governor of Ebonyi, said in the votes cast, 956 were valid while two votes were invalid.

He explained that the delegates list used in the conduct of the exercise was officially given to the committee by the national leadership of the party.

Reacting to the outcome of the election, Dr Ifeanyi Uba, said that he was not happy with the way it was conducted.

“Ordinarily, the list of the delegate ought to have been made available to aspirants four weeks before today (Monday) in line with PDP Constitution, but regrettably, we only saw the list about three days ago.

“It was because of these flaws that some of the aspirants approached a court against this primary and I am sure that the court served the panel that is conducting this exercise,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some uproar followed Uba’s speech, forcing the session to end abruptly at about 7 p.m., without Obaze making his acceptance speech.

Obaze was Secretary to State Government (SSG) of Anambra from June 12, 2012 to June 8, 2015, under former Gov. Peter Obi, whose tenure ended on May 29, 2015, and briefly with incumbent governor, Willie Obiano.

Before his appointment as SSG, Obaze was in Nigeria’s diplomatic service and later, the United Nations, jobs that ran from 1982 to 2012.

In 2013, he was a governorship aspirant under the platform of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

A native of Ochuche Umuodu in Ogbaru Local Government Area, the PDP candidate was born on April 9, 1955 in Ogidi, also in Anambra.

He attended Christ the King College, Onitsha between 1967 and 1973 and Dennis Momerial Grammar School, Onitsha from 1973 to 1974.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and a Master of Arts in the same course from Nebraska Wesley University, Lincoln, U.S.

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Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, APC National Publicity Secretary, made this known in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

“The attention of the NWC of the APC has been drawn to a report that the party has zoned the governorship ticket in Anambra State to a particular part of the state. This report is false, the party has not taken any such decision,” Abdullahi said.

He added that the party was committed to providing equal opportunity to all aspirants to compete freely and democratically at the primary.

The APC spokesman stressed that all aspirants cleared to contest in the coming primary should ignore the misleading report.

Twelve aspirants including 11 male and one female were cleared to contest in the primary later in the week.

The aspirants are George Moghalu, Sen. Andy Uba, Paul Chukwuma, Madu Nonso, Bart Nwibe Bart and Patrick Nwike.

Others are Tony Nwoye, Chike Obidigbo, Johnbosco Onunkwo, Adaobi Uchegbu, and Uzoh Obinna.

Sen. Osita Izunaso, the party’s National Organising Secretary, had expressed optimism that the party would emerge victorious at the Anambra Governorship election slated for Nov. 18.

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Audu emerged in the early hours of Sunday after a not-so-keenly contested election, scoring 1,109 votes to be his closest rival, Yahaya Bello who had 701 votes.

Coming a distant third was a former Senator, Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman, who polled 400 votes.

A lot of drama had characterised the rundown to the primaries as there were allegations and counter-allegations of candidates buying the APC membership cards meant for the primaries.

Below is the full result of the election:
1. Alhaji Yahaya Bello – 701
2. Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane – 8
3. Haliru Sani Shaibu – 1
4. Hon. Suleiman Baba Ali – 28
5. AVM Saliu Atawodi – 183
6. Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed – 11
7. Prince Abubakar Audu – 1,109
8. Senator Nurudeen Abatemi – 400
9. Hadiza Ibrahim – 0
10. Alhaji Yakubu Mohammed – 4
11. Rt. Hon. Clarence Olafemi – 7
12. DCP Abutu Ejeh (rtd) – 2
13. Engr. Sunday Ejigbo – 1
14. Colonel Ahmed Usman (rtd). – 6
15. Dr. Tim Nda Diche – 13
16. Dr. Hakeem Habib – 8
17. Prince Rotimi Obadofin – 16
18. Barrister Babatunde Iruekera – 0
19. Olusula George Olumoroti – 58
20. Enejo James Ocholi (SAN) – 90
21. Ojo Onukaba Adinoyi – 2
22. Pharmacist Aliyu Zakari Jiya – 0
23. Senator Alex Kadiri – 1
24. Alhaji Sadiq Adabara – 0
25. Hussein Idris Kazim – 0
26. Alhaji Sanusi Abubakar – 309
27. Edris Danjuma – 5
28. Edris Maiyanga – 2
29. Invalid votes – 29.

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Gbadamosi, while addressing journalists at the venue, said he wore the vest in order to protect himself from being hit by a stray bullet following the violence that erupted earlier in the day.

Although the party leadership had said the violence was caused by thugs loyal to the opposition party, Gbadamosi said the real perpetrators of the violence were from within the PDP.

Gbadamosi said the violence was part of a ploy to intimidate the almost 1000 delegates that have converged on the venue.

“I am wearing the bulletproof vest because I am afraid of being shot at but I am urging all my supporters to come and should not be intimidated.

”There is fear of intimidation and some people in the party want to intimidate the delegates but we will ensure that everyone will vote fearlessly and as it pleases them.”

He said it was unfortunate that the party leadership was supporting an aspirant (Jimi Agbaje).

When asked if he was confident of winning, he said, “Would I have paid over N11m to purchase the form if I was not confident?”

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The party in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in Abuja on Monday morning, said that the primary was not authorised.

He said that a new date would be announced later for the conduct of the primary election.

Metuh said, “For the avoidance of doubt, the NWC hereby states that it did not authorise any governorship primary in Ogun state.

“Consequently, any such exercise held in Ogun state is hereby declared null and void and of no effect. A new date will be communicated for the primary.”

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