Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Ogun, Kwara, Gombe, Yobe, Nasarawa and Borno counterparts – Dapo Abiodun, AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, Yahaya Inuwa, Abdullahi Sule, Mai Mala Buni and Babangana Zulum – yesterday got the nod for re-election.
In Lagos, 1,170 delegates defied the heavy downpour to elect Sanwo-Olu as candidate at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.
He triumphed over his two opponents, Wale Oluwo and Femi Mustapha.
No fewer than 961 delegates voted for the Kwara governor to run for second term at a primary where he re-enacted the ‘o toge’ slogan that heralded his ascension to power in 2019.
The exercise was full of drama, suspense and surprises across the states.
In Oyo State, the primary was postponed following allegation of lopsidedness and bias.
However, Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, Ikechi Emenike, Tonye Cole, and Uchechukwu Nnaji were elected in Delta, Abia, Rivers and Enugu states.
In Kebbi, a retired teacher, Dr. Nasir Idris, got the ticket to run.
In Ogun , supporters of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who were rooting for an aspirant, Adekunle Akinlade, boycotted the exercise.
There was controversy over the Sokoto State primary. Two aspirants – Senator Abubakar Gada and Abdullahi Salame – who opposed the consensus option, said they will only participate in a direct primary.
Delegates in Ebonyi elected ex-Speaker Francis Nwifuru. However, former Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) Chairman, Elias Mbam, got the ticket at a parallel primary.
Senator Julius Ucha rejected the outcome of the Ebonyi primary won by Nwifuru.
In Rivers, Senator Magnus Abe protested the choice of Tonye Cole by the camp of Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi.
He said he will not be bound by the outcome of the primary.
There was tension in Plateau State as a House of Assembly aspirant, N’aayil Dakogol, was kidnapped by unknown persons. She was contesting for a seat in Quaan Pan South Constituency.
In Nasarawa, Dr. Fatima Abdullahi, former wife of the APC National Chairman, Ahmed Abdullahi, was defeated by Sule.
In Osun State, supporters of Interior Minister Rauf Aregbesola kicked against direct primary for choosing House of Assembly candidates.
In Taraba, the exercise was deadlocked over the mode of primary.
Voting were still ongoing in Kaduna and Plateau states as of last night.
source: The Nation
