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Tag: Gubernatorial Race

  • Benue’s Deputy Governor joins gubernatorial race

    Benue’s Deputy Governor joins gubernatorial race

    The deputy governor of Benue State Benson Abounu, has purchased his expression of interest and nomination forms to run for governor on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Abounu shortly after purchasing the forms in Abuja on Friday said he was in the best position to succeed the incumbent governor.

    Speaking with newsmen after he secured the forms, he said: “Between me and my governor, in nearly seven years, we have not had one single quarrel. My governor understands me and I understand him. We are together in virtually everything we do.

    “He trusts me so much to the extent that he sends me on errand to the Governors’ Forum meeting, to the National Economic Council meeting, to even the Council of States that is presided over by the president himself, I represent him there”.

    On security, the deputy governor said besides Benue, the entire country was in a terrible state of insecurity. He said he had learnt so much from the governor who had taken on the agents of insecurity in the state.

    “I am going to transform the agricultural business of Benue State. I will be setting up what is called Produce Stock Exchange just the same manner that you have the Nigerian Stock Exchange and it works this way,” Abounu added.

  • MASSOB declares stand on Anambra guber race, says it must hold

    MASSOB declares stand on Anambra guber race, says it must hold

    The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State Of Biafra, MASSOB, has declared that the scheduled Anambra guber race must hold on November 6.

    The group assured residents that the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State must hold despite contrary stand by IPOB.

    MASSOB also encouraged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to go ahead without distraction in conducting the governorship election, come weekend.

    The pro-Biafra group disclosed this in a statement by its Director of Information, Edeson Samuel, on Monday.

    This is coming a few days after the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in the Southeast declared a seven-day sit-at-home protest in the South-East starting from November 5, if Nnamdi Kanu is not released.

    The sit-at-home is expected to start on the eve of the Anambra State governorship election.

    The statement read, “The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) under the leadership of Comrade Uchenna Madu after our National meeting presided by our leader have declared as follows:

    “That the Anambra State governorship election must be peaceful and, credible as MASSOB has issued out instructions to our 21 LGA coordinators, 3 senatorial zonal leaders, 310 provincial administrators and all MASSOB securities to assist in effecting a peaceful and credible election in Anambra State.

    “That MASSOB has encouraged the Independent Electoral Commission to go ahead without distraction in conducting the governorship election this weekend.

    That MASSOB advised the people of Anambra State and other residents in Anambra to exercise their fundamental and constitutional rights of electing their next governor because Anambra political space will never be in vacuum.

  • Bayelsa guber: Deputy gov., SSG, chief of staff join race

    Bayelsa Deputy Governor, John Jonah, the Secretary to the State Government, Kemela Okara, and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Talford Ongolo, have joined the race for the state governorship election.
    The three cabinet members of the incumbent administration of Gov. Seriake Dickson on Thursday obtained their expression of interest and nomination forms at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national headquarters in Abuja.
    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three aspirants were also members of the Bayelsa Restoration Government, a political movement led by Dickson.
    Jonah speaking with newsmen after obtaining his forms, denied the insinuation that there was crack in the group.
    He said the group and the PDP in Bayelsa were ever united, saying the movement actually opened the race to whoever that was interested.
    “There is no crack, if there is anything there is cohesion within the restoration family.
    “People were expecting that by this time the governor will bring one candidate and say this is my candidate.
    “In fact they are speculating that others will not be allowed to show interest and they will be forced to just withdraw.
    “That can bring cracks, but in the thinking of the administration collectively we have to note that it is not just the governor.
    “We felt that those that have interest and with capacity to administer the state should show interest and we proceed from there.
    “Other modalities will be worked out and at the end we go for primary.
    ” It is the primary that will decide who becomes the candidate. All we are doing is to show that we are interested so there are no cracks,” he said.
    Jonah said that his driving force was his passion for service to the people and to delivering development to the state.
    Jonah, who said that Dickson, in line with the vision of the restoration government had developed the state, pledged to improve on the achievements of the incumbent, if elected.
    “If you love the state you will not change the vision; we will develop infrastructure; we have set all the basic foundation there; all we will do is to start building from there.
    “We will go to the critical mass, health, ensure no civil servant pays for treatment, the health insurance scheme, other states are going to study it.
    “You go to schools, public schools, there is free accommodation, free feeding. These are two critical areas if you want to develop your state,” he said.
    Ongolo and Okara also affirmed that obtaining nomination forms by other members of the movement was not an indication of a crack, saying they were united.
    Ongolo said it was a party affair, adding that only PDP had the capacity to deliver Bayelsa in November.
    “Bayelsa is a PDP state, and we are stronger than ever before,” he added.