Uzodimma wins Imo APC ticket, Bello’s ally favoured in Kogi

The Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the state’s forthcoming election.

Uzodimma was declared as the party’s candidate for the November 11 exercise by the Chairman of the Imo State Governorship Primary Election Committee, Rear Admiral William Koyoda (retd.).

The declaration, according to TheCable, was made following the party’s primary election held at Ndubuisi Kanu Square in Owerri, the state capital, where he polled 63,619 votes after the direct primary adopted by the party.

In his acceptance speech, Uzodinma who is seeking a second term in office, promised that if elected, his efforts would be redoubled in tackling insecurity and delivering good governance to the people of the state.

He also pledged not to disappoint the people of the state if elected, expressing optimism about winning the forthcoming governorship race in November.

Meanwhile, in the governorship primary in Kogi State held on Friday, the anointed candidate of the governor, Ahmed Usman-Ododo, who is the Auditor-General, is said to be favoured to win the primary.

Meanwhile, one of the governorship aspirants, Dr Sanusi Ohiare, expressed dissatisfaction over the conduct of the primary.

Ohiare, who was among the few aspirants who did not withdraw from the governorship race, said there were no primary elections in any part of the state.

He disclosed this while addressing journalists in Okene, Central Senatorial District of Kogi State.

Ohiare said, “It’s unfortunate because I didn’t take part in any elections. The idea was for us to come out today and vote for an aspirant that will become the candidate that will represent our party in the November election.

“It was meant to be a delegate election and we have gone round to the 21 local government areas of Kogi State and we have sought the support of the delegates.

“Because of the challenges we had during the congresses, which is exactly what we are having now, that election was annulled in the court and the delegates were null and void. The same thing is happening now, we are supposed to have a direct primary election with party members coming to vote with their membership cards.”

Ohiare also accused the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, of conniving with party leadership in the state to perpetrate what he termed as evil and injustice, adding that he had written a letter of complaint to the Matawalle-led primary election committee and that if there was no response, he would write to the leadership of the party.

However, Governor Yahaya Bello described the primary election of the APC for the governorship in the state as peaceful and successful.

Bello said this in a statement by his Chief Press secretary, Onogwu Mohammed, shortly after the election.

The governor said, “We are so glad that we haven’t received any report of violence or any crisis from Kogi East, Kogi Central and Kogi West Senatorial Districts.

“This has been our prayer from day one that the primary election of our great party this time be devoid of any crisis or violence to reflect the people’s will and aspiration.”

Meanwhile, the APC, on Friday, commenced the conduct of its primary election to select the party’s candidate for the November 11 Bayelsa State governorship poll.

Six aspirants were cleared to contest for the governorship ticket of the APC.

They include the immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva; former governor-elect on the platform of the party, David Lyon; Prof Angoebi Etebu; a former militant leader, Joshua Macaiver; Festus Daumiebi; and Isikima Johnson.

The chairman of the APC National Committee in charge of the Bayelsa primaries, Major General A. T Jibrin, told journalists in Yenagoa that the exercise would take place in the 105 political wards of the state.

Jibrin said, “The exercise will be conducted with the Option A4 method whereby voters will queue up behind aspirants of their choice or his representative in the presence of INEC and security officials, agents of the aspirants and other officials.”

According to him, the primaries would be concluded on Saturday in Yenagoa with an affirmation exercise involving five registered party members from each of the wards.

Jibrin assured all the aspirants, members and stakeholders of the party of a credible election by his committee.

He added that the panel had held consultative meetings with all the security agencies as well as INEC to ensure a hitch-free primaries.

“We are also going to have an affirmation exercise on Saturday whereby five members from each of the 105 wards will come and affirm the election that we are going to do.”