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Tag: Consensus Candidate

  • APC picks outgoing Polaris Bank MD as consensus candidate for Lagos East senatorial by-election

    APC picks outgoing Polaris Bank MD as consensus candidate for Lagos East senatorial by-election

    National leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the Lagos State Chapter of the party have endorsed the candidacy of former Commissioner for Finance in the state, Tokunbo Abiru for the forthcoming Lagos East Senatorial by-election.

    The party’s state Assistant Publicity Secretary, Mr Abiodun Salami, gave the confirmation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos .

    He said the choice of Abiru whose second term tenure as CEO of Polaris Bank expires August 31, was agreed upon by party elders, including the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

    Salami said Abiru had been successfully screened at the party secretariat,adding that all the other aspirants had stepped down for him in agreement with the party.

    “Mr Abiru is the consensus candidate of the party; it is confirmed.

    “The elders, under the platform of Governor’s Advisory Council, met and consulted widely and they resolved on the choice of Abiru as the consensus candidate.

    “The choice has been endorsed by the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; all the other aspirants have stepped down in agreement, it was a unanimous decision, “he said.

    Salami said the party would, notwithstanding, still follow the process of affirmation to validate the choice of Abiru as the APC flag bearer for Lagos East Senatorial District.

    On Kosofe 2 state constituency bye-election which will also hold on Oct. 31, Salami said the party’s candidate would soon emerge.

    He said a lot of work was going on to produce an acceptable flagbearer for the state constituency election.

    Salami described APC as the party of the people, saying the party will win both the senatorial and state constituency bye-elections.

    The Lagos East Senatorial District became vacant following the death of Sen. Bayo Osinowo, representing the area, on June 15.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) also declared the Kosofe 2 state constituency seat vacant following the death of Mr Tunde Braimoh, lawmaker representing the area, on July 10.

  • Edo guber: PDP confirms Obaseki as consensus candidate

    Edo guber: PDP confirms Obaseki as consensus candidate

    Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Edo State, Dr. Anthony Aziegbemi, has confirmed that three of the four aspirants of the party have stepped down for Governor Godwin Obaseki.

    This is even as prominent members of the party have thrown their weight behind the re-election of Obaseki, in the 19 September gubernatorial election.

    Aziegbemi, who gave this indication on Thursday evening at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, venue of the party’s primary election, added that “Governor [Obaseki] is now the consensus governorship candidate of the party.”

    The aspirants are Hon. Omoregie Ogbeide-Ihama, Engr. Gideon Ikhine and Barr. Kenneth Imasuagbon.

    Imasuagbon, who had earlier insisted the primary election must go on as scheduled, reportedly embraced peace only a few hours to the commencement of the primaries.

    Aziegbemi, however, said the most important thing was that aspirants stepped down and that it did not matter when they stepped down.

    “It is doesn’t matter whether aspirants stepped down, two weeks ago, yesterday, this morning, afternoon or not.

    “But what I just told you is that all the aspirants have stepped down. We now have the governor, the only aspirant,” Aziegbemi said.

    The Edo PDP Chairman, however, said delegates of the party from the 192 wards in the state must still participate in the voting process, to satisfy the requirements of country’s electoral act.

    “What we are going to do here now is that in accordance with the electoral act there must be a voting process again. With the act, we must still go to the voting process.”

    Speaking on the likely outcome of the governorship election, a former member of the House of Representatives, Omosede Igbinedion, said she “believe that the people of Edo will return Governor Godwin Obaseki for a second term.

    “Edo people will come out en-mass and vote for Obaseki, the people are strongly behind him.

    “I am sure that 90 per cent of Edo people will vote him in the September 19 governorship election.”

    Also speaking, Mr. Mike Oghiadome, a former a Chief of Staff to former President Goodluck Jonathan, said that the coming of Governor Obaseki would further strengthen the PDP.

    “Before now, the PDP has two Senatorial seats and the All Progressives Congress (APC) has only one. This is an indication that the PDP is even stronger now with Obaseki,” he said.

    On her part, the chairman of Etsako East local government area, Mrs. Ebuehi Benedicta, noted that Obaseki’s popularity among the people would win him a second term.

    “No doubt that PDP will return him, he is loved by the people, he has worked for us as Edo people.”

  • Ekiti 2018: Angry youths oppose adoption of Fayose’s deputy as consensus candidate

    Some youths in Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State have said they will resist the alleged imposition of deputy governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, on the electorate.

    Rising from a meeting on Saturday at Omuo-Ekiti, headquarters of the local government area, the youth condemned the adoption of Olusola as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) “sole candidate”.

    They said the plan was masterminded by Governor Ayodele Fayose.

    Acting under the aegis of Ekiti East Youth Forum (EEYF), the group called for the conduct of a free, fair and transparent primary in which all aspirants would participate and eligible delegates allowed to elect a candidate of their choice.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Ekiti East is the home base of another PDP governorship aspirant and Senate Deputy Minority Whip Biodun Olujimi.

    The senator has fallen out of favours with Fayose over her governorship ambition.

    In a statement after the meeting, EEYF President Joel Rotimi and its Secretary, Oluwatimilehin Stephen, said the decision by a section of the PDP to adopt Olusola among several other aspirants was against the principle of fairness and justice.

    The statement urged the national leadership of the PDP to intervene in the matter.

    It said the crisis thrown up by the “surreptitious adoption” was capable of damaging the chances of the party in the 2018 governorship poll.

    The statement reads: “The purported adoption of Olusola, even before the party releases its guidelines and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifts the ban on political campaign, was a pure charade and illegal. It will not stand.

    “The action was masterminded by Governor Fayose to cover up his illegalities. It is a ploy to continue to rule Ekiti because he knows that the deputy governor is weak.

    “It was unfortunate that Governor Fayose, who singlehandedly fought against consensus, is now imposing a candidate.

    “We commend leaders, like Senator (Biodun) Olujimi, representing Ekiti South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, for opposing the move and we urge her to take steps to stop the illegal action.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the adopted sole candidate, Prof. Olusola, has said he was not afraid of going into a primary election with other aspirants, expressing confidence of winning the party’s ticket at a shadow poll.

  • Ekiti 2018: Fayose’s deputy, Olusola Eleka emerges PDP consensus governorship candidate

    Deputy Governor of Ekiti State, Prof. Olusola Eleka on Wednesday emerged the consensus candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the forthcoming coming gubernatorial election scheduled to hold in 2018.

    Olusola emerged from the list of strong contenders for the governorship ticket as the “most preferred candidate” at a meeting held by party faithfuls in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the meeting was attended by serving and former members of the PDP State Working Committee, members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, chieftains of the party at the 16 local governments and 177 wards, as well as chairmen and members of Boards and Parastatals, among others.

    This was revealed in communique issued at the end of the meeting read, “After due consultation, without prejudice to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), we formally endorse His Excellency, Prof. Kolapo Olusola (the current deputy governor), from Ekiti South Senatorial District, as our preferred aspirant/candidate.”

    Olusola, an indigene of Ikere Ekiti, which is the second largest town in Ekiti, was adopted before the commencement of a retreat organised for members to sensitise them ahead of the 2018 election.

    Those who signed the communique are Anifowose Mustapha for councillors; Alhaji Amuda Sunmonu for Ward chairmen; Mr. Femi Bamisile for Local Government Party Chairmen; Dapo Olagunju for Association of Local Government Chairmen; Senator Bode Ola for Chairmen of Boards and Parastatals; Dr. Modupe Alade (Secretary to the State Government) for State Executive Council; Speaker Kolawole Oluwawole for EKHA and the State Chairman of the party, Chief Gboyega Oguntuase.

    Speaking with journalists after the adoption, Oguntuase said the party organs would abide by the decision taken by the stakeholders in the overall interest of the party and the entire people of Ekiti State.

    He, however, said the adoption would not preclude any member of the party who is interested in the governorship ticket from contesting.

    He added that open and transparent primary election would be held in accordance with the rules of the party.

    Eleka who recently became a professor was an accomplished teacher in the Department of Building, Obafemi Awolowo University, for the over twenty-three (23) years before his sojourn into partisan politics in 2014.

    While in the academia, Eleka has successfully supervised two PhD, two M.Phil and nine M.Sc. students all in the field of Building Structures.

    He has severally served as External examiner in many universities within the country.

    His research interests are mainly in the field of Alternative Building Materials Development for Housing Construction, Construction Technology and Structural Mechanics.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Fayose has repeatedly assured Ekiti people of picking a popular candidate that will be bold in carrying on with his reform agenda in the state.