{"id":3619,"date":"2014-12-09T08:01:30","date_gmt":"2014-12-09T08:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=3619"},"modified":"2014-12-09T08:01:30","modified_gmt":"2014-12-09T08:01:30","slug":"pdp-gov-primaries-agbaje-floors-obanikoro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/?p=3619","title":{"rendered":"PDP gov primaries: Agbaje floors Obanikoro"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Agbaje<\/a>
Agbaje and Obanikoro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Barely four months after joining the Peoples Democratic Party, a pharmacist and an entrepreneur, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, on Monday emerged as the PDP governorship candidate for Lagos State.<\/p>\n

He defeated a former Minister of State for Defence and Nigeria\u2019s ex-High Commissioner to Ghana, Musiliu Obanikoro,who was touted as the leading contestant in the primary.<\/p>\n

Agbaje scored 432 votes as against the 346 by Obanikoro. The other aspirants, Babatunde Gbadamosi got 21 votes;\u00a0\u00a0 Tokunbo Kamson,\u00a0\u00a0 46 votes and\u00a0\u00a0 Adedeji Doherty, 21 votes.<\/p>\n

The exercise was nearly marred by\u00a0\u00a0 violence following a controversy which surrounded the number of votes cast by the delegates.<\/p>\n

When the voting started, the Chairman of the electoral committee, Senator Shehu Kumo, announced that there were 806 delegates.<\/p>\n

But when votes were being sorted, it was discovered that the number of votes cast were 863.<\/p>\n

All efforts to get the number of votes and the number of delegates to tally proved abortive but Kumo insisted that the exercise should continue.<\/p>\n

Amid the resistance by supporters of some of the aspirants, about 60 armed policemen formed a barricade around the ballot boxes and ensured that the counting continued.<\/p>\n

When tables and chairs were overturned at the centre, Obanikoro immediately stormed out.<\/p>\n

Immediately after the announcement, Agbaje commended the committee and promised to work with other aspirants.<\/p>\n

As the tension heightened, about 200 policemen and operatives of the Department of State Service stormed the venue. Agbaje was whisked away before policemen\u00a0\u00a0 began firing gunshots into the air.<\/p>\n

It was however victory galore for many of the PDP governors\u00a0\u00a0 as most of their preferred candidates triumphed during\u00a0\u00a0 the race in their\u00a0\u00a0 states.<\/p>\n

But the Acting Governor of Adamawa State, Bala Ngilari, had a shocker as he was beaten by a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu,\u00a0\u00a0 at the old Parade Ground,\u00a0\u00a0 Abuja where the exercise for the state took place.<\/p>\n

There were however boycotts and protests by many aspirants in states like Rivers, Akwa Ibom,\u00a0\u00a0 Ogun and Oyo.<\/p>\n

Kaduna<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before the accreditation of delegates, the Electoral Committee Chairman announced that three aspirants \u2013 Lawal Abdullahi Yakawada,\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Felix Hassan Hyat and\u00a0\u00a0 John Ajei \u2013 withdrew from the race.<\/p>\n

Yero polled 970 out of the 1,072 votes to beat his only contender, Haruna Zego, who scored one vote.<\/p>\n

Abia <\/strong><\/p>\n

Okezie Ikpeazu polled 487 votes to clinch the\u00a0\u00a0 ticket while his closest rival,\u00a0\u00a0 Uche Ogah, came second with 103 votes.\u00a0\u00a0 The immediate past Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu,\u00a0\u00a0 came third with 33 votes.<\/p>\n

A two-time Deputy Governor of the state, Acho Nwakanma, and Friday Nwosu secured five votes each. A former Managing Director of the defunct Hallmark Bank, Marc Wabara and Okey Emuchay got three votes respectively.<\/p>\n

The state former Commissioner for Housing, Iheanacho Okezie \u2013 Orji, came last with a single vote. Nine votes cast were voided.<\/p>\n

Enugu<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Ayogu Eze,\u00a0\u00a0 emerged as the winner of a parallel primary held at the Filbon Hotel in Enugu.<\/p>\n

Eze scored about 530 votes to defeat the other aspirants, who were absent at the event.<\/p>\n

It was gathered that the electoral panel, headed by King Asara A. Asara, initially tried to get the aspirants to participate in a unified primary, but Eze reportedly backed out following disagreements over the delegates list.<\/p>\n

Two other aspirants \u2013 Chinedu Onu and Anayo Onwuegbu \u2013 had earlier on Sunday stepped down for the PDP consensus candidate and a member of the House of Representatives, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.<\/p>\n

But another primary supervised by an electoral panel from Abuja and attended by Governor Sullivan Chime, the Deputy Senate President,\u00a0\u00a0 Ike Ekweremadu, and members of the\u00a0\u00a0 the state leadership of the party, was\u00a0\u00a0 ongoing as of press time at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium.<\/p>\n

Ugwuanyi is expected to emerge as the party\u2019s flag bearer from this.<\/p>\n

Niger<\/strong><\/p>\n

A former Chief of Staff to Governor Babangida Aliyu, Alhaji Umar\u00a0\u00a0 Nasko, garnered 908 votes to clinch the party\u2019s sole ticket.<\/p>\n

The returning officer, Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye ,\u00a0\u00a0 declared Nasko winner. The Deputy Governor, Ahmed Ibeto, had 34 votes; Sahabu Darangi,\u00a0\u00a0 11 votes;\u00a0\u00a0 Mustapha Bello, 11 votes; and Hanafi Sudan, 57 votes.<\/p>\n

Garba Dukku and Isah Kotangora had no votes.\u00a0\u00a0 Senator Nuhu Aliyu withdrew on the day of the election.<\/p>\n

Delta<\/strong><\/p>\n

Senator Ifeanyi Okowa was declared the winner of the primary held at the Events Centre, Asaba.<\/p>\n

Okowa scored 406 votes to beat his closest rival, Mr. David Edevbie, who scored 299 votes. The immediate-past Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Mr. Victor Ochei, came third with 185 votes.<\/p>\n

Ndudi Elumelu had 58 votes; Godsday Orubebe, 49 votes;\u00a0\u00a0 Sylvester Ofuani, 10 votes; . Ovie Omo-Agege, 10 votes;\u00a0\u00a0 Sam Obi, 10 votes; Clement Ofuani, seven votes; Godwill Obielum, 22 votes;\u00a0\u00a0 Ngozi Olejeme, 11 votes; Peter Okocha, six votes;\u00a0\u00a0 Festus Okubor, five votes; Clement Uwaka, one vote;\u00a0\u00a0 Charles Emetulu, four votes, Kenneth Gbagi, two votes;\u00a0\u00a0 Gabriel Oyibode, two votes;\u00a0\u00a0 and Omene, zero vote.<\/p>\n

Tony Obuh, who was one of the leading aspirants, had withdrawn shortly before the exercise after his political godfather, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, switched loyalty to Edevbie.<\/p>\n

Oyo<\/strong><\/p>\n

A former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin, emerged as the party\u2019s candidate for Oyo State.<\/p>\n

The outcome of the primary which was conducted through the use of statutory delegates is being contested by another aspirant, Seyi Makinde, who stayed away from the venue.<\/p>\n

The statutory delegates used comprised members of the state executive and the\u00a0\u00a0 Board of Trustees\u00a0\u00a0 in the state, the National Assembly members elected from the state, their counterparts in the\u00a0\u00a0 House of Assembly and five delegates from all the 33 councils in the state.<\/p>\n

A total of 211 delegates voted in the primary with Folarin having 167 votes.<\/p>\n

Former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, who also stayed away from the exercise, had two votes while a former Deputy Governor to Alao-Akala, Mr. Hazeem Gbolarumi, had 12 votes.<\/p>\n

However, Alao-Akala, who addressed\u00a0\u00a0 his supporters in Ogbomoso while the primary was going on in Ibadan, said he was still in the race for the governorship election. He added\u00a0\u00a0 that he would announce his next political move soon.<\/p>\n

The ex-governor said, \u201cWe cannot but experience such travail as we are going through at this time but we should be conscious of what moves we make because it\u2019s not a personal decision; people have been involved and they shall be duly involved in making any further decision.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith your support, I am still in the race and we are going to participate and win the 2015 election by God\u2019s grace. There\u00a0\u00a0 is no cause to panic or worry about anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Makinde also protested the outcome of the primary in\u00a0\u00a0 a letter addressed to the National Chairman of the PDP, Adamu Mu\u2019azu. The letter which was copied to the Presidency was signed by his lawyer, Ikechukwu Ezechukwu.<\/p>\n

Makinde warned that if the PDP decided to wave aside the ruling of a Federal High Court in Abuja on the suit instituted by Mr. Adelowo Aremu, which recognised delegates that were produced in the rescheduled ward congress, it (PDP) might not field a candidate for 2015 elections in the state.<\/p>\n

The letter read in part, \u201cThe terms of the said judgment are clear and unequivocal that no primary elections of PDP in Oyo State will be valid unless and except the delegates, who voted at the said primary are those who were elected at the various wards in the state during the November ward delegates congress.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe court further ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission not to accept, recognise or deal with any candidate whose nomination was derived from party primary in Oyo State based on the votes of delegates other than those elected at the ward congress as such primary stood null and void and of no effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Akwa Ibom<\/strong><\/p>\n

Twenty members of Forum of Akwa Ibom State PDP Governorship Aspirants\u00a0\u00a0 boycotted the primary won by immediate past Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Mr. Udom Emmanuel.<\/p>\n

Emmanuel scored\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 1,201 votes while Okpolum Etteh had\u00a0\u00a0 38 votes and Helen Esuene , 12 votes.<\/p>\n

Effiong Abia scored four votes; Nsima Ekere, four votes; Larry Esin, two votes; Benjamin Okoko, one vote\u00a0\u00a0 and Isangedighi Jerome, one vote.<\/p>\n

The 22 aspirants\u00a0\u00a0 protested against the conduct of the primaries and stayed away from the venue in Uyo.<\/p>\n

Rivers<\/strong><\/p>\n

A former Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, beat 23 other aspirants to emerge victorious\u00a0\u00a0 in Port Harcourt<\/p>\n

Seventeen out of the 24 aspirants boycotted the exercise which was held under the watchful eyes of\u00a0\u00a0 operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Service and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad.<\/p>\n

Wike appealed to those who lost to accept defeat in good faith and work towards the success of the party in the forth coming polls.<\/p>\n

He said, \u201cI offer the olive branch to all combatants in the struggle to recover for the PDP and indeed all Rivers people, the stolen mandate currently in the hands of the All Progressives Congress. We shall and we should work together to recover what is rightly ours. \u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the Rivers Mainstream Coalition has rejected the conduct of the governorship primary in the state, describing it as a show of shame.<\/p>\n

The group, in a statement\u00a0\u00a0 by its spokesman, Mr. Sotonye Ijuye-Dagogo, urged all coalition partners to wait for its next action.<\/p>\n

Ogun<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Ogun State chapter of the party allegedly ignored a directive from the National Working Committee, not to hold the exercise.<\/p>\n

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Olisa Metuh,\u00a0\u00a0 had in a statement on Monday,\u00a0\u00a0 indicated that the NWC had cancelled the primary.<\/p>\n

The statement read in part, \u201cFor the avoidance of doubt, the NWC hereby states that it did not authorise any governorship primary in Ogun State. Consequently, any such exercise held in the state is hereby declared null and void and of no effect.\u201d<\/p>\n

The statement added that a new date would be communicated for the primary.<\/p>\n

However, at the end of the primary held at the party\u2019s secretariat in Abeokuta, Gboyega Isiaka\u00a0\u00a0 clinched the\u00a0\u00a0 ticket. He polled 705 votes while Kayode Amusan and\u00a0\u00a0 Segun Adewale polled 151 and 0 votes respectively.<\/p>\n

Isiaka was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Party of Nigeria in the 2011 election.<\/p>\n

The nine others who boycotted the exercise are Tony Ojesina\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yanju Lipede,\u00a0\u00a0 Remilekun Bakare, Sarafa Ishola, Yomi Majekodunmi\u00a0\u00a0 and the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole.<\/p>\n

Others are David Bamgbose,\u00a0\u00a0 Isiaq Akinlade and\u00a0\u00a0 Rafiu Ogunleye.<\/p>\n

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former governor of the state,\u00a0\u00a0 Gbenga Daniel, whose names were on the delegates list were absent.<\/p>\n

The state chairman of PDP, Mr. Adebayo Dayo, told journalists that he had yet to receive any contrary instruction or directive from the NWC that the primary should not hold.<\/p>\n

He said, \u201cI am not in a position to confirm or deny what the national secretariat in Abuja has said. At the National Executive Council meeting we held last month or thereabout, we were given the guidelines and the timetable for the primaries.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd today(Monday) happens to be the governorship primary, in all the PDP-controlled states, and Ogun State cannot be different. Moreover, the court\u2019s judgment we got last week was clear on this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Isiaka, however, said his victory was for all, and \u201c a challenge that he is well prepared for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adamawa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ribadu garnered 688 delegate votes to beat\u00a0\u00a0 Ngilari.<\/p>\n

Others who lost were Auwal, the son of the former National Chairman of the PDP, Bamanga Tukur and Markus Gundiri.<\/p>\n

Auwal got 33 votes; Gundiri, 30 votes; and Ngilari,\u00a0\u00a0 25 votes.<\/p>\n

The PDP electoral officer, Senator Rufai Hanger announced the results of the primary held\u00a0\u00a0 at the old Parade Ground in Abuja.<\/p>\n

.In his acceptance speech, Ribadu said, \u201cMy brothers and sisters, the true representatives of the people of Adamawa State, I am burdened by your choice this evening. I am challenged by it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI extend my hand of friendship to all those who aspired for this ticket. I believe in our collective desire to make Adamawa peaceful and a prosperous place to proudly call home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cross River<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Senator representing Cross River North Senatorial District, Ben Ayade, on Monday clinched the\u00a0\u00a0 ticket\u00a0\u00a0 in the state.<\/p>\n

Ayade polled 752 votes while\u00a0\u00a0 Joe Agi (SAN), secured 11 votes.\u00a0\u00a0 Francis Eworo had five votes while\u00a0\u00a0 Peter Otti and\u00a0\u00a0 Emma Ibeshi scored no votes.<\/p>\n

One of the contenders for the race, Mr. Goddy Jedy-Agba, pulled out at the last minute, alleging that the delegates\u2019 congress list was fraught with irregularities.<\/p>\n

Gombe<\/strong><\/p>\n

Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo received 492 votes to clinch the ticket of the PDP. The governor, who was\u00a0\u00a0 unopposed, promised to consolidate on his achievements if given the mandate a second time.<\/p>\n

Plateau<\/strong><\/p>\n

Senator Gyang Pwajok\u00a0\u00a0 polled 435 votes to defeat the other 16 candidates.<\/p>\n

His closes rival, Mr. Ignatius Longjan, who is also the deputy governor, got 163 votes. He was followed by Senator Victor Lar, who got 109 votes.<\/p>\n

Others are former Governor Fidelis Tapgun, one vote; \u00a0ex- chairman of the PDP in the state, Dr. Haruna Dabin, 16 votes; and the former Vice Chancellor of University of Jos, Prof. Sonny Tyoden, seven votes.<\/p>\n

A total of 818 voters were accredited while 799 voted. There were five invalid votes.<\/p>\n

Imo<\/strong><\/p>\n

In Owerri, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, defeated Ifeanyi Araraume and former Governor Ikehim Ohakim to pick the ticket.<\/p>\n

He polled 246 votes while Araraume had 236 votes. Ohakim\u00a0\u00a0 scored 213 votes and Senator . Chris Anyanwu, 10 votes.<\/p>\n

In his acceptance speech, Ihedioha said, \u201cBy giving me the governorship ticket of the PDP, the good Lord has used you to anoint me to lead the charge to reclaim our dear state from the shackles of bad governance. I am humbled. I heed this call with immense sense of responsibility. To my brothers and sisters in the contest, we are all winners. To the delegates, you have made Imo proud. I thank you all. God bless our dear Imo State.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nasarawa<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alhaji Yusuf Agabi handed a crushing defeat to a former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku and six others.<\/p>\n

Agabi scored 214 votes as against 160 votes by Maku.<\/p>\n

Kwara <\/strong><\/p>\n

The exercise was postponed in the state.<\/p>\n

The state Chairman of the PDP,\u00a0\u00a0 Iyiola Oyedepo, had while the delegates were waiting for the commencement of voting at the Arca Santa Hall in Ilorin,\u00a0\u00a0 called\u00a0\u00a0 the aspirants to a meeting in a room within the arena where he informed them that the\u00a0\u00a0 exercise had been postponed. No new date was announced for a new primary.<\/p>\n

One of our correspondents gathered that over 700 delegates were accredited for the voting exercise.<\/p>\n

Oyedepo had while addressing journalists, said there would be no manipulation of the primary.<\/p>\n

Earlier in the day, there was rumour of an attempt to hold a parallel congress.<\/p>\n

But the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Salihu Garab, assured the aspirants that nothing like that.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople should be orderly and see themselves as leaders. Somebody who wants to govern the state would not encourage thuggery, they should not encourage rancour. The state is bigger than individuals,\u201d he said .<\/p>\n

Benue <\/strong><\/p>\n

Three people were shot and killed on Monday night by security operatives manning the entrance to the Aper Aku stadium venue of the\u00a0\u00a0 primary\u00a0\u00a0 in Makurdi.<\/p>\n

It was gathered that the youth who were shot wanted to forcefully enter the venue when\u00a0\u00a0 security operatives shot them.<\/p>\n

Election was yet to commence as of the time of filling in this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Barely four months after joining the Peoples Democratic Party, a pharmacist and an entrepreneur, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, on Monday emerged as the PDP governorship candidate for Lagos State. He defeated a former Minister of State for Defence and Nigeria\u2019s ex-High Commissioner to Ghana, Musiliu Obanikoro,who was touted as the leading contestant in the primary. Agbaje […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3620,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[6,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3619","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","category-state"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Agbaje-and-Obanikoro-360x225.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4oswh-Wn","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3619","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3619"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3619\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3621,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3619\/revisions\/3621"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3619"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3619"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/newsroom247.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3619"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}