•Ojudu, Bamidele, Bode Ola’s names missing

DESPITE a Federal High Court ruling  last week, restraining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kogi State,  Jubrin Isah,  as the party’s flag bearer in the Confluence State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday included his  name on the list sent to the North-Central state.

But, in Ekiti Central Senatorial District, the names of Babafemi Ojudu, Opeyemi Bamidele and Senator Bode Ola were conspicuously missing.

Among those who made the list in the state are former Governor Ayo Fayose, Senator Ayo Arise and others.

In Kogi, Isah’s runner-up, Abdulrazak Kutepa,  had filed a suit  that  the court should compel the PDP  to do  a rerun exercise in the state as ordered by the National Working Committee  (NWC) of the PDP.

The Federal High Court, in its ruling, ordered both INEC and  the PDP to appear before it within 72 hours. Judgement in the case is reserved till today.

A former governor of the state, Prince Abubakar Audu, and Rev. Yusuf Obaje, also made the list as governorship candidates of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) respectively, while the name of Senator Smart Adeyemi was also  conspicuously displayed  as the senatorial candidate for Kogi West.

The name of Nurudeen Abatemi, son of former deputy governor of old Kwara State and an aide to Speaker Dimeji Bankole was, however, substituted with that of Saliu Ogembe, who was defeated in the primary, inspite of the court order upholding his election.

 

Dino Melaye, representing Kabba Bunu /Ijumu Federal Constituency, is  the ANPP candidate .

In Akwa Ibom, at least 21 political parties have fielded candidates for  the April general elections.

However, from this number, only 10 political parties have presented candidates for the position of governorship among which are the PDP, ACN, ANPP, Congress for Progressive Change(CPC), African Renaissance Party (ARP) and the  All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA).

Other parties which fielded governorship candidates include the Hope Democratic Party (HDP), Progressive Action Congress (PAC), Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP) and the  Progressive Peoples Party (PPA).

According to the list submitted by  INEC and publicly displayed yesterday at the Akwa Ibom State Headquarters of the electoral commission in Uyo, the state capital, Governor Godswill Akpabio is the governorship candidate of the PDP while his running mate is Mr. Nsima Udo Ekere.

The former Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, is the governorship candidate of the ACN while a former PDP chieftain and multi-millionaire businessman, Chief Ime Sampson Umanah, is his running mate.

For the ANPP is former military administrator of Ogun and Rivers State, Group Captain Sampson Ewang (rtd), who has not yet named his running mate while Comrade David Ekanem and Nkereuwem Peter are the governorship and deputy governorship candidates respectively for APGA.

The African Renaissance Party (ARP) governorship and deputy governorship candidates respectively in the April elections are Emmanuel Asuquo Nkereuwem and Nathaniel Otio while the PPA governorship candidate is Edet Inwang Udoh who is yet to name is deputy.

The HDP is fielding Akpan Okon and Okon Udor as governorship and deputy governorship candidates; the HD has Professor Asukwo Ekanem and Edet Akaiso Otong as governorship and deputy respectively while the SDMP presented Bassey Effiong Ikotosin as governorship candidate.

Speaking to journalists yesterday soon after the display of the list of candidates, the  Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Maria Owi, promised to ensure that all candidates in the forthcoming elections are given a level playing ground.

After a surfeit of anxiety over who would be listed as the governorship candidate of the PDP in Enugu State, Governor Sullivan Chime made the list yesterday, leading to a mixed reactions as supporters of his arch rival in the ruling party, Anayo Onwuegbu, expressed shock over the development.

But the candidate of the fledgling People for Democratic Change (PDC), Dr. Dan Shere, an ally of Chime’s predecessor and estranged political godfather, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani, also made the list as his party’s governorship candidate and he is seen as a growing force to reckon with in the April contest.

Loyalists of Onwuegbu who got a court injunction to retrain INEC from publishing the name of Chime as the party’s candidate wore long faces when they got hint of the development because they had thought that the court order would prevent the electoral umpire from favouring Chime.

But it was celebration galore for the camp of the governor yesterday as he made the list just as INEC also published the name of Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, as running mate to the governor.

Again, Okey Ezea who had contested against Chime in 2007 was listed yesterday as the candidate for the Labour Party, an option he took following the big confusion in the state chapter of the PDP where he had sought to run for the plum position.
Other governorship candidates who made the list were Pastor Ikechukwu Venatuis Omenkeukwu ACN,  Mrs Nkechi Ofor, Africa Liberation Party, Ichie Paul Okafor, ANPP  and Chinonyelu Odumejemba, National Conscience Party.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Chief Josiah Uwazuruonye,  said the idea of making the list public was to enable successful candidates to know those they are to contend with.

On the court order restraining PDP and INEC from submitting and publishing Chime’s name as the party’s flag bearer for the April polls, he said the list, which came from the INEC headquarters, was provisional.

He explained further that the court has the final say on the matter. The list of candidates for the All Progressives Grand Alliance was  not released.
In Kano, Mohammed Abacha, son of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha,  emerged as the governorship flag bearer of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), amidst jubilation galore by his supporters.

Mohammed’s name and that of his running mate, Alhaji Hussaini Abdullahi Garba, were among other  contestants displayed at the INEC office in Kano.

Other candidates, who made list, include Dr Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso (PDP) with Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as his running mate, while the incumbent Deputy Governor of Kano State, Abdullahi Tijjani Gwarzo is now the governorship flag bearer of ACN, with Alhaji Muhammad Nasir Muktar as his running mate.

The rest are, Malam Salihu Sagir Takai of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), with Dr Bashir Shehu Galadanchi as his running mate.

In a press conference, shortly after the list was displayed at its head office in Kano yesterday, the Director-General of the Mohammed Abacha Campaign Organisation, Alhaji Sulaiman Mohammed Mambo, thanked INEC for its steadfastness in the rule of law and internal democracy by declaring Mohammed Abacha as the winner of the governorship primaries of the party conducted last month.

Mambo, who expressed appreciation to Kano people on behalf of Abacha for the confidence they reposed on them during their trying period, called on other aspirants, who lost the elections to bury the hatchet and rally round Abacha, so as to emerge victorious in April.

According to him, this is not the time to apportion blames on anybody but to be united in the task of winning the governorship seat of Kano, which is more important than anything else at this point in time.

“It is only God who gives power to whom He wishes and takes it away when He so wishes, so we are not proud, not the strongest, not the most capable, but it is the will of God that the  good people of Kano State gave the mandate to Mohammed Abacha.”

He, therefore, sought the total support of the entire Kano people, so as to actualise Abacha’s dream of occupying the exalted office, which will afford him the opportunity of taking Kano State to another level of development.

In Ekiti, the names of Babafemi Ojudu, Opeyemi Bamidele and Senator Bode Ola were conspicuously missing from the list displayed in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
In Ekiti North, the list has Olubunmi Adetunbi, ACN, Ayo Arise, PDP,  Agunloye Bayode, ANPP and Kayode Olajide, AD.

The list from Ekiti South Senatorial District includes Anthony Adeniyi, ACN, Olusola Akinyede, PDP and Agbajeola Owoyemi, ANPP.

From Ekiti Central Senatorial District are Senator Kolawole Olagunju, ACN, Adeago Julius, ANPP and Oluwakayode Akinyemi Alufa, PDP and Ayo Fayose, Labour Party.

By Oyewale Adebayo, Lokoja, Bassey Anthony, Uyo Uwakwe Abugu, Enugu Ted Odogwu, Kano Raphael Ogbonnaiye, Ado-Ekiti