TheNewsGuru

Tag: Primary Elections

  • BREAKING: Anakwenze Nwachukwu withdraws from PDP presidential race

    Dr Anakwenze Nwachukwu has withdrawn from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential race.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Dr Nwachukwu rather endorsed the presidential aspiration of Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State.

    He said his decision to withdraw was based on the inability of the PDP to stand by its zoning principle as enshrined in the party’s constitution.

    “I have consulted widely with my people, elders and followers across the country and in the diaspora to arrive at this unpleasant decision to pull out of the race. I felt if you change the rules at the middle of the game, no decent competitor would stand a chance to compete fairly.

    “My attempt to work with the Igbo Aspirants of South East Zone to forge a consensus which would give my people a renewed sense of belonging and hope to lead to the emergence of the party’s flag bearer could not be achieved by this abuse of the zoning principle.

    “My interest was to bring quality leadership to the country, foster unity and restore the hope of young people and the women as have shown in my campaign manifesto.

    “My decision to run for the office of the President with the great support of Nigerians in the diaspora was to bring in quality leadership that has eluded us as a nation for decades now, but this has been dashed.

    “Many things have happened in the last few weeks that showed certain persons don’t stand a chance to compete favourably; so it is on this premise that I, painfully withdraw from the contest today 28th May, 2022 in full support of a Southern candidate which is largely the wishes of Igbo Elders, the Diasporas and the voice of the people,” Nwachukwu said.

    He said the People of Southeast wants the Presidency zoned to them and fully supported by other regions as the Igbos have always done.

    “I am therefore constrained to withdraw from the race in full support of Nyesom Wike, the Governor of Rivers State,” he said.

  • EFCC officials storm venue of PDP presidential primary election

    Personnel of the Economy and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) on Saturday stormed the venue of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention holding in Abuja.

    The officers who were in red jackets with the “EFCC” crested at the back were seen in their numbers walking around and inside the venue.

    Our correspondents covering the convention report that the anti-graft officers whose purpose of presence was still unknown declined to speak with the media.

     

    Details later…

  • BREAKING: Ede Dafinone wins APC Senatorial ticket in Delta

    Chief Ede Dafinone has won the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for Delta Central Senatorial District to contest in the 2023 general election.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the win draws Dafinone against Chief Ighoyota Amori, who had earlier won the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the Senatorial District.

    The renowned accountant and industrialist, who was unopposed in the primary election conducted by the APC, polled 383 votes to emerge as the candidate of the party for the senatorial election.

    A total of 387 delegates were accredited for the primary election held at the Ughelli Kingdom Hall in Ughelli, Delta State.

     

    Details shortly…

  • UPDATE: Atiku storms out of venue of PDP primary

    Former Vice President and presidential hopeful, Atiku Abubakar and his entourage have stepped out of the venue of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary election.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Atiku had barely arrived at the Velodrome, located inside the M. K. O. Abiola National Stadium, Abuja, venue of the PDP presidential primary before he stormed out with his entourage.

    It was unclear, at the time of filing this report, why the former Vice President had to leave the venue.

    The presidential primary of the PDP is currently ongoing as the party holds the special national convention.

     

    Details shortly… 

  • BREAKING: Hayatu-Deen withdraws from PDP presidential race

    Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, a former managing director of the now-defunct FSB International Bank has withdrawn from the presidential race of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Hayatu-Deen, announced his withdrawal from the PDP presidential primary election in a statement released on Friday night, revealing that the process has been obscenely monetized.

    The statement reads: “I have been a keen observer of Nigerian politics for so many decades, but have not been opportuned to actively participate in party politics due to my engagements in managing critical public and private institutions, among others.

    “I have observed with great concern and sorrow the recent rapid deterioration of all aspects of our national life characterised by increasing poverty, religious intolerance, banditry and kidnapping, monumental oil theft, corruption, mismanagement of national assets, communal and religious strifes and near collapse of public services and public institutions.

    “During my recent nationwide trips, I came face to face with angry and hungry youths, children, boys and girls abandoned by their states who ought to provide them with education and vocational training. These had become the recruiting grounds of criminals, religious and political extremists.

    “I planned to ensure that the great potential that had become the hallmark of Nigeria’s development paradigm, should be actualized during our presidency. We planned to make Nigeria the continental economic powerhouse which would guarantee high quality of life to the vast majority of our citizens:

    “I planned to provide peace by ending insurgency of all types occasioned by the absence of a robust and coherent plan and lack of engagements with those involved and by improving the capacity of our intelligence services, the armed forces, the police and paramilitary services.

    “I planned to put a final stop to the incessant closure of our universities and other public institutions due to strikes. As we speak, another round of strikes is going on and nobody knows when our public universities would be opened.

    “It is because of the foregoing that I found it morally compelling to introduce myself into the political space in order to provide tangible solutions to these problems. I was driven by passion and commitment to the cause of salvaging our country which is on the verge of collapse.

    “My exposure locally and internationally and contributions to the nation’s economic and political-well being positioned me to take up the challenges facing our dear nation and the courage to participate in this grueling exercise which most of our elites have shunned away from. Regrettably the political system has proved to be acrimonious, corrupt and self-serving.

    “For the past three months had the privilege of intensively interacting with Nigerians from all walks of life. This reinforces my resolve that Nigeria MUST BE saved, otherwise our future is doomed.

    “I joined the contest as a democrat, with an open mind to keenly contest and accept the result of a process that is fair, credible and transparent.

    “We have endeavoured to forge a consensus which would have facilitated a seamless emergence of a candidate which unfortunately could not be achieved.

    “I wish to reiterate that did not join party politics and to contest for the presidency because of personal gains and inordinate ambition, but in order to serve our country.

    “It is therefore based on personal principles and with great humility that I have decided after wide consultations to withdraw from this contest which has been obscenely monetized.

    “I wish to thank all my supporters, especially those from my state, well-wishers, friends, family, the extraordinary hardworking young men and women of our campaign organization, the party leadership and members for their tremendous support which enabled us to contribute within this short period towards changing the character and direction of the Nigerian political landscape.

    “Finally, as a very loyal party member and believer in the democratic process, I will continue to avail myself and my teeming supporters at all times to ensure victory of our great party. Thank You and God Bless”.

  • Folarin emerges Oyo APC governorship candidate

    Folarin emerges Oyo APC governorship candidate

    Sen. Teslim Folarin (APC-Oyo Central), has emerged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State.

    Folarin emerged candidate after polling 954 votes in the primaries held at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium on Thursday in Ibadan.

    Folarin, a former Senate leader, is the current Chairman, Senate Committee on Local Content.

    The governorship primary in the state, conducted by the Sen. Tokunbo Afikuyomi-led Committee, had six other aspirants – Chief Adebayo Adelabu, Mr Akeem Agbaje, Mr Akeem Alao, Mr Akeem Agbaje, Dr Azeez Adeduntan and Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN).

    Folarin polled 954 votes, Aďelabu 327, Agbaje 15, Alao six, Adeduntan two votes while Akintola had no vote. There were 11 invalid votes.

    Dr Abdullahi Kuso, the Secretary of the committee, who doubled as the returning officer, declared Folarin winner of the primary, having polled the highest number of votes.

    Folarin, in his acceptance speech, expressed undiluted resolve to rescue Oyo State from what he called “maladministration of the PDP-led government”.

    “I wholeheartedly accept my nomination as Oyo State Governorship Candidate of the APC for the 2023 general elections.

    “First of all, I solemnly give glory to Almighty Allah for His Divine Grace that catapulted me from being an aspirant to the 2023 governorship candidate of our great party.

    “My most sincere gratitude to the 1,755 delegates that participated in the primary elections. I pledge never to let them down,” he said.

    He said that with their continuous cooperation, understanding and support, “we shall return Oyo APC to winning ways in 2023.

    According to him, “my nomination by majority of our party delegates has further reinforced my conviction that God and the good people of Oyo State are indeed behind my 2023 Rescue Mission.

    “I want to state that there is no victor, no vanquished in the contest for the 2023 governorship ticket of our great party,” the other aspirants are also eminently qualified to govern our dear state.”

    “Let’s come together as family members to build a formidable and indivisible Oyo APC that is capable of ensuring electoral victories in 2023,” he said.

  • APC primaries: Election cancelled, party chairman arrested in Lagos

    APC primaries: Election cancelled, party chairman arrested in Lagos

    Mr Olaibi Blaize, Head, APC Electoral Committee, Somolu Constituency 1, Lagos State, on Friday ordered the arrest of the chairman of the party in the constituency for alleged unlawful distribution of primary election materials.

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

    A correspondents, who covered the elections, report that Blaize also cancelled the party’s  primary election in the constituency.

    Yomi Olubamido, APC  Chairman in the constituency, was consequently arrested for alleged unlawful distribution of delegates’ tags and accreditation materials.

    Blaize, who addressed delegates, said: “I cannot conduct the elections under this atmosphere because the materials meant for the elections were cited with some delegates.

    ”I was told from the APC Secretariat in ACME that the election materials have been sent to the local government, but when I got here, l asked Olubamido about the materials and he denied receiving anything from the state secretariat.

    ”I was surprised when l saw the delegates’ tags and other election materials with party members and delegates.

    ”On this note, l decided to cancel the process  here and l told a police officer to arrest Olubamido for illegal possession of election materials.”

    Blaize said that the process had been compromised.

    He said that the tags and other election materials ought to have been strictly kept in the hands of electoral officers and not party members or delegates.

    Reacting, the Chairman of Somolu Local Government, Mr Abdul-Ahmed Salawu, told NAN that he was disappointed at the alleged action of  Olubamido.

    He alleged: “We have a sole aspirant for House of Representatives and 11 aspirants for House of Assembly, and some materials were given to Olubamido since yesterday for the elections but he refused to hand them over.

    ”He was supposed to hand over all the materials to me, but he went ahead to distribute them himself and when the electoral officer came, l was asked about the materials and I said l was not aware of any.

    ”When l called him to explain about the materials, he could not explain.”

    As at 10:15 p.m.,  APC members were still moving around the venue in the hope that the elections would still hold.

    Somolu Constituency 1 has 30 ad-hoc delegates drawn from six wards.

  • 2023: Buhari’s ex-media aide, Bashir Ahmad loses House of Reps ticket

    Mr Bashir Ahmad, former media aide to President Muhammadu Buhari has lost out in the primary election conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Gaya, Ajingi and Albasu Federal Constituency in Kano State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Ahmad lost the primary election after polling 16 votes from delegates to lose to Abdullahi Mahmud Gaya, the member currently representing the Federal Constituency, who got 106 votes.

    Recall that Ahmad fled the venue where the APC conducted the primary election for the Gaya, Ajingi and Albasu Federal Constituency citing security reasons.

    He recently resigned his appointment under President Buhari to contest the APC ticket for the Gaya, Ajingi and Albasu Federal Constituency.

     

     

  • Anyim writes Ayu again as Ebonyi delegates list crisis gets messier

    Anyim writes Ayu again as Ebonyi delegates list crisis gets messier

    PDP frontline presidential aspirant, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim has written a second open letter to the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Iyorchia Ayu complaining about the manipulation of the delegates list for Ebonyi State.

    The second letter which came less than ten hours after the first, complained that the authentic list of delegates from the state had been changed and replaced with people who were not elected as delegates.

    In the first letter, the former President of the Senate had complained that Ebonyi delegates names were completely missing from the PDP’s national delegates list.

    The second letter was also copied to Sen. David Mark, Chairman of the 2022 PDP Special Convention.

    Titled: “Re: Open Letter on the Absence of Ebonyi State Delegates List”, the letter reads, “The Chairman may refer to my earlier letter of today the 27th day of May 2022 and captioned as above.

    “I am to observe that shortly after my letter, I noticed in an official publication by the party, list of Ebonyi State Delegates alongside other states.

    “It is disheartening that by 6pm today, the Ebonyi State Delegates List has changed from what was officially published.

    “There is no doubt that the aim of this gamble with Ebonyi State Delegates List is to disenfranchise duly elected delegates from Ebonyi State from participating in the presidential primary election.

    “Let it be on record that anybody not on the list originally published by the party, is certainly not a delegate from Ebonyi State”, Anyim cautioned.

  • BREAKING: INEC extends timeline for party primaries

    BREAKING: INEC extends timeline for party primaries

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the timeline for political parties to conduct and conclude their primary elections ahead of the 2023 General Election.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Festus Okoye, Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee made this known in a statement on Friday.

    According to the statement, political parties were allowed to use the 6-day period between 4th and 9th June 2022 to conclude outstanding primaries and prepare to upload the list of candidates and their affidavits on the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal.

    The Commission clarified that it had not scheduled any specific activity during this period and that the six-day period does not conflict with the next scheduled activity or any of the subsequent timelines.

    The statement reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) met with the leadership of political parties today Friday 27th May 2022. Once again, the political parties requested the Commission to review the timelines for political party primaries provided in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the conduct of the 2023 General Election released on Saturday 26th February 2022.

    “Earlier, the political parties had requested for 37 – 60 days extension of the timeline for primaries and the nomination of candidates. The Commission was emphatic that this request could not be granted because it would disrupt other scheduled activities on the Timetable. This position of the Commission has not changed.

    “However, based on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election, the parties have now pleaded with the Commission to use the 6-day period between 4th and 9th June 2022 to conclude outstanding primaries and prepare to upload the list of candidates and their affidavits on the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal. The Commission did not schedule any specific activity during this period.

    “The idea is to simply give parties time to compile the list and personal particulars of their nominated candidates before uploading same to the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal from 10th – 17th June 2022.

    “The Commission has decided to allow the request of the political parties since the six-day period does not conflict with the next scheduled activity which is the submission of the list of nominated candidates or any of the subsequent timelines which remain sacrosanct.

    “However, this request is granted in respect of outstanding primaries only without prejudice to those already concluded by political parties. The Commission will not monitor already concluded primaries”.

    On the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal, the statement reads: “After the conduct of primaries, the next critical activity for political parties is the online submission of the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor which shall be accompanied by an affidavit sworn to by the candidates indicating that they fulfilled all the constitutional requirements for election into the various  offices via the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal.

    “In addition, the Commission, based on past experience, has decided to train the political party officials to make efficient and effective use of the portal. The Commission will train four officials from each of the 18 political parties, making a total of 72 in all.

    “Unfortunately, some of the political parties are still yet to submit their nominees for the training. The Commission hereby reminds such parties to do so immediately. The Commission wishes to reiterate that only electronically submitted nominations will be processed.

    “Political parties are therefore advised to ensure that their primaries are free of rancour in order to meet the timelines for the remaining activities embodied in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election”.