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Tag: primaries

  • Lagos APC primaries: Consensus candidates emerge for 4 LGs

    Lagos APC primaries: Consensus candidates emerge for 4 LGs

    Chairmanship candidates for four local council areas have emerged at the ongoing  Local Government primaries of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State.

    Mr Isa Jubril emerged candidate for Iba LCDA, Mrs Motunrayo Gbadebo for Ijede LCDA, Mr Rasaq Kasali emerged for Lekki LCDA and Mr Azeez Kareem  emerged as Otto Awori LCDA candidate.

    NAN reports all the candidates emerged via consensus and were affirmed by the delegates of each of the council areas.

    Voting to pick candidates for other  other council areas was still ongoing as at the time of filing this report.

    Deputy governor of the state, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, while addressing   delegates before voting, urged them to be peaceful and orderly, saying that the whole country was watching.

    Hazmat said: “We take this exercise very serious. Our president who is our leader and father, is monitoring us from Abuja.

    “This is his state and you know he takes the people at the grassroots very seriously. That is why all of us must be patient.

    “LASIEC is here to observe the process. This is a peaceful process. Let us do it peacefully and quickly and go. Let us be calm and be patient. Let us do it well.

    “In Lagos, it is APC that is still  existing, the umbrella (of PDP) is torn, so we should not play into the hands of  outsiders (opposition).”

    Reeling out voting modalities earlier,  Chairman, Lagos APC Electoral Committee, Mr Babatunde Ogala ,said  delegates of the local governments with consensus candidates would be allowed to affirm their candidates before delegates of councils with competing aspirants.

    Noting that the accreditation had been well done, Ogala said that some local  delegates had resolved and agreed to present their consensus candidates.

    “Some Local Governments seem to have done their process at home, we will take them first so that they affirm and depart.”, he said shortly before the emergence of the four consensus candidates.

    Stating that aspirants who wanted to withdraw were at liberty to do so, Ogala urged delegates to leave the venue after voting to decongest the venue.

  • PDP fixes date for Edo guber primaries

    PDP fixes date for Edo guber primaries

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has slated Feb.22 for the conduct of its Edo governorship primaries.

    The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba, said this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

    Ologunagba said that the date was approved by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party, adding that the committee also approved the delegate list for the primaries.

    He said that the primaries would be held at the Lawn Tennis Court of the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin.

    He advised delegates, aspirants, leaders and party stakeholders to note the official date and venue and be guided accordingly.

  • APC denies involvement in nullification of Zamfara PDP governorship primaries

    APC denies involvement in nullification of Zamfara PDP governorship primaries

    The Zamfara chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) says it has no hand in the nullification of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election.

    This is contained in a statement issued in Gusau on Friday by the state APC Publicity Secretary, Malam Yusuf Idris.

    The Federal High Court sitting in Gusau on Tuesday nullified the primaries held on Sept. 23 that produced Dr. Dauda Lawal-Dare as PDP governorship candidate in the state.

    The same court had earlier on Sept 16, nullified the first exercise, following alleged irregularities in the governorship primaries conducted on May 25.

    According to Idris, the court cancelled the first and second governorship primary elections in the state for violating the 2022 Electoral Act as Amended and the Constitution of the party.

    Idris said: “The APC closely watched the scenario until the court finally ruled that the primary election has been nullified and the party should not present any candidate for the 2023 governorship election in the state.

    “The PDP accused the court which is a Federal Government institution and both the APC and Zamfara government for its misery.”

    According to him, the most disheartening was the reference to the APC as being behind an internal matter of the PDP and also the underlying attack on the APC.

    He cautioned PDP against such unwholesome statements against APC, adding that the party will not condone such in the future.

    “The PDP should go home and lick its wounds or take further legal action against its members that went to court seeking redress and stop joining issues with the APC.

    “The APC under the able leadership of Gov. Matawalle had continued to enjoy patronage from the electorate in the state especially from the PDP members that have been defecting to the APC in their thousands including its leaders”, he added.

  • Again court nullifies Zamfara PDP Governorship Primaries

    Again court nullifies Zamfara PDP Governorship Primaries

    A Federal High Court sitting in Gusau on Tuesday nullified the Governorship Primaries of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Zamfara state for the second time.

    Justice Aminu Bappa-Aliyu nullified the Governorship Primaries that produced Dr Dauda Lawal-Dare as the PDP candidate in the 2023 general elections.

    Delivering judgment, Bappa-Aliyu held that the PDP lost the opportunity to field a candidate in the 2023 polls for failing to conduct Primaries in line with the guidelines of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended.

    The same court had earlier on Sept 16, nullified the first exercise, following alleged irregularities in the Governorship primaries conducted on May 25.

    Two governorship aspirants, Dr. Ibrahim Shehu-Bakauye and Hafiz Muhammad had after the second exercise approached the court seeking nullification of the second primaries conducted on Sept. 23.

    The aspirants had prayed to the court to declare the exercise null and void and to no effect for failing to meet the conditions as stipulated in Section 82 (1 and 5) of the electoral act 2022 as amended.

    The plaintiffs in their suit included the  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Chairman of the governorship primary election committee, Mr. Felix Hyat, State PDP Chairman, Alhaji Ahmed Sani (Now Late), State PDP Governorship candidates, Dr. Dauda Lawal and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as defendants.

    However, Bappa-Aliyu in a judgment held that the primaries conducted by the PDP was unlawful as the primaries did not follow the guidelines of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended.

    Bappa-Aliyu said the PDP and other defendants have failed to comply with Section 82 Subsection 1 and 5 of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended, the PDP was no longer qualified to field a governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections in the state.

    Counsel to the plaintiffs, Malam Ibrahim Aliyu told NAN in Gusau after the judgment that the Electoral Act 2022, for a political party to conduct a congress, executives conference, or a convention shall give 21 days notice before conducting such exercise.

  • Ebonyi PDP: Factional group says they wont be part of rescheduled primaries

    Ebonyi PDP: Factional group says they wont be part of rescheduled primaries

    Candidates of factional PDP, elected in the party’s primary elections between May 28 and 29 from Mr Silas Onu-led side, said they would not be part of any fresh primaries in Ebonyi.

    The group made their position known at a news conference on Thursday in Abakaliki.

    They, therefore, appealed to the relevant organs of the party including the National Executive Committee (NEC), National Working Committee (NWC) and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the party’s Presidential flagbearer, to intervene to save the party from looming crisis.

    Mr Lazarus Ogbe, spokesperson for the group and senatorial candidate for the Ebonyi Central, noted that participating in any rescheduled party primaries in Ebonyi meant encouraging illegality and unconstitutionality.

    He said under the law, political parties were not allowed to produce two candidates for a particular elective position in a given constituency.

    According to the group, the PDP primary elections conducted in Ebonyi that produced the state House of Assembly, House of Representatives, senatorial and governorship candidates met all requirements of the Electoral Act and party guidelines for the primaries.

    He said that the the primary elections were credible, transparent, free, fair and remained authentic since the exercises were monitored and observed by relevant authorities, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the media.

    The group which vowed to boycott any other rescheduled party primaries, said their participation would amount to breaking the law .

    “If you see your brother or leader breaking the law will you join him to break the law too?

     

  • Primaries: What I told Atiku when he visited me – Wike

    Primaries: What I told Atiku when he visited me – Wike

    Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has opened up after losing the PDP primaries to Atiku Abubakar on Saturday saying, Atiku Abubakar should be wary of those running around with him as they have no votes to offer him.

    He said, Sokoto Governor, Aminu Tambuwal ought to have not spoken twice as it was a clear violation of the primaries guidelines.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports the PDP presidential aspirant disclosed this while appearing on a national television program on Monday.

    He said: “Tambuwal should not have spoken twice. He should have spoken when all aspirants were given an opportunity to speak.

    ” Speaking twice and campaigning for an aspirant violated the guidelines and procedures of convention but I have taken it as God’swill. I will not fight PDP”

    “I told Atiku when he came to see me this morning that some of the people following him do not have votes or followership in their states. It is not by these people following you up and down. When the time comes, they should deliver”

    “I saw a sitting Governor dancing after the declaration of results. He was dancing but could not bring one delegate to the convention”

    “I have never seen how people can violate procedure and guidelines. Apart from when we were given the opportunity to speak, no aspirant was supposed to campaign on that ground. This our party shouldn’t be destroyed.”

    “In 2019, I was the only Governor in the South-South that did not negotiate with the APC government. The President got 25% in all South-South States except Rivers.”

    “Leave history for those betrayals of their people, history will judge them.”

    “Before they underrated us, now they won’t underrate us again. We used this one to tell them that enough is enough. We made them not to sleep, we made them not to eat. We made them to know that we are somebody.”

    “I cannot be a second-class citizen in my own country. I dare not. Some of them their in-laws are Governors in the opposition party. Why must you control me? They were looking for who to control and I said No”

  • Actor Desmond Elliot wins APC ticket for 3rd term

    Mr Desmond Elliot, representing Surulere Constituency I in  Lagos State House of Assembly, has won the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket  for a third term.

    The primary election took place on Friday at Akerele Primary Health Centre, Surulere, amid tight security provided by the police and other  agencies.

    The primary election  was also conducted under the watch of the officials of Independent National Electoral Commission. (INEC).

    Newsmen reports that  electoral officers for Surulere Constituency I arrived at 1. 55 p.m., while accreditation started at 2.11 p.m.

    Thirty ad-hoc delegates drawn from nine wards in the constituency started voting at 2.45 p.m.

    Votes were counted at 2:49 p.m.

    Announcing the result at 3.00 p.m., the returning officer, Mr Demola Omotosho, declared  Elliot the winner.

    He said that Elliot polled 30 votes as the sole contestant for the ticket.

    The supervising officer from APC Headquarters,  Abuja, Amb. Paul Oyiborume, was on ground during the election.

    In his acceptance speech, Elliot thanked God for his victory. “I feel excited, and I am happy.

    “The people should be expecting more dividends of democracy. “This is just the party ticket, this is not the general election.

    “A lot of work still needs to be done, and we are ready to embark on it,” he said.

    Newsmen reports  that Elliot contested and won the Surulere Constituency  1 seat on the April 11, 2015, general elections.

    His nomination by APC for a second term  came unopposed as well as the third.

    Party members, family and friends besieged the venue of the primaries to congratulate the APC candidate.

    APC is holding House of Assembly and House of Representatives primaries across the 40 Lagos State constituencies and 24 federal constituencies in the state.

  • INEC warns parties on Section 84 (1), insists only supervised primaries will be recognised

    INEC warns parties on Section 84 (1), insists only supervised primaries will be recognised

    Apparently sensing the danger ahead, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Thursday warned political parties to adhere to the provision of Section 84(1) of the Electoral Act.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports this was contained in a letter addressed to political parties and signed by Secretary to the Commission, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.

    In the letter, the commission stated unequivocally that: “A political party seeking to nominate candidates for elections under this Act shall recognize delegates that emerge from Congresses duly monitored by the Commission.

    TNG recalls that in some states like Edo, Ogun and a few others in the country, parallel primaries were held without the supervision of the apex electoral body within this week.

  • Tonye Cole emerges Rivers APC governorship flag bearer

    Tonye Cole emerges Rivers APC governorship flag bearer

    The Rivers chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gave its governorship ticket to Mr Tonye Cole in Port Harcourt on Thursday.

    Cole polled 986 votes to win the ticket at the party’s primary election, having defeated Mr Ojukai Flagamakere, who placed second with 190 votes and Mr Sukonte Davids who got 49 votes.

    Mr Larry Ode, the Returning Officer at the election declared Cole the winner and said other contestants, Mr Michael West got 43 votes, while Mr Benald Miku got two votes and Sen. Magnus Abe, one vote.

    In his acceptance speech, Cole expressed gratitude to Mr Chibuike Amaechi, the former Minister of Transportation, for believing that he had the capacity to give good governance to the people of Rivers.

    He also thanked all the delegates who also believed in his capacity.

    Cole called on Sen. Abe and other former aspirants to join hands and work with him to deliver Rivers to the APC at the 2023 general elections.

    Earlier, Sen. Abe said he did not withdraw from the contest as earlier rumoured, but decided not to participate because the indirect primary election option chosen did not meet the standard of the process.

  • BREAKING: Sanwo-Olu wins Lagos APC ticket

    BREAKING: Sanwo-Olu wins Lagos APC ticket

    Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has clinched the APC ticket to run for second term in the 2023 governorship election in the state.

    Sanwo-Olu, a sole aspirant at the primaries held on Thursday at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, was endorsed via voting by delegates at the conference.

    Announcing the result of the election, the Chairman of the APC Electoral Committee/Returning Officer, Alhaji Adamu Yuguda said Sanwo-Olu scored 1,170 votes to emerge winner of the primaries.

    He said 1,225 ad hoc delegates were expected at the special state congress to choose the party’s governorship candidate for the 2023 election while 1, 198 delegates were accredited across the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.

    Yuguda said: “For those who have been murmuring , we have three aspirants that purchased forms in Abuja. Three of them went for screening, one was cleared and two were disqualified.

    “The total number of voters are 1, 225; total number of accredited votes – 1,198; the total votes cast – 1,182, the total number of valid votes -1,170 while the invalid votes are 12.

    “So, the candidate with the highest number of votes is Gov. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu who scored 1,170 votes.

    “I, Alhaji Adamu Shettima Yuguda, the Chairman, governorship primary committee in the 2023 APC primary in Lagos state, hereby declare Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu the winner, haven scored the highest number of votes.”

    Earlier, Yuguda revealed that only Sanwo-Olu was cleared to participate in Thursday’s special state congress by the party’s screening committee and the appeal committee.

    According to reports, the other two aspirants for the topmost seat that were not cleared according to Yuguda, were a former commissioner, Mr Wale Oluwo, and a former permanent secretary, Abdul-Ahmed Mustapha.

    In his acceptance speech, Sanwo-Olu appreciated the electoral committee, supporting staff and all delegates for finding him worthy to be the party’s flag bearer.

    The governor applauded the Lagos State Executive of the APC -led by Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, all cabinet members, party faithful and observers for their efforts and support.

    “Our delegates have defied the rain. They have spoken and they have spoken well.

    “This is affirmation that you want us to continue and we will not disappoint you.

    “In all facet, Lagos residents should expect a lot more from us. We will not disappoint or betray the confidence reposed in us.

    “I want to say that indeed, this is the beginning of bigger work that we have for Lagos,” Sanwo-Olu said.

    The event was conducted under heavy security presence and the watch of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).