Governorship: Aspirants Intensify Ticket Chase

• Lagos PDP: Dosumu,Doherty, three others in race
• Benue PDP: Dep. governor to battle Speaker
• Akpanudoedehe seeks Akwa Ibom APC ticket
• Abe joins Rivers race
• NIMASA DG begins consultation in Kaduna

Governorship aspirants seeking tickets on the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platforms are intensifying their push.

Many of them threw their hats into the ring for slots in Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Benue states.

The PDP has extended the sale of nomination and expression of interest forms till tomorrow and submission till Wednesday.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC has scheduled the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for Wednesday to take a decision on the party’s timetable and guidelines for its primaries.

In Lagos, six aspirants are battling for the PDP ticket.

They are: Shamusideen Ade-Dosumu; Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour; Jide Adediran; Jim-Kamal Olarenwaju; Adedeji Doherty and David Vaughan.

Ade-Dosumu, who was the PDP governorship candidate in 2011, was defeated by the then Governor Babatunde Fashola.

Deputy governor versus speaker in Benue

In Benue, the 14 Tiv-speaking local government areas adopted House Speaker Titus Uba as their consensus aspirant for PDP governorship slot.

Uba, who hails from Vandeikya Local Government Area in Benue Northeast Senatorial District, will square up with Deputy Governor Benson Abounu at the PDP primary.

The deputy governor is from Benue South Senatorial zone

There is no aspirant for Governor Samuel Ortom’s senatorial zone.

The decision to adopt Uba was taken yesterday at the Government House in Makurdi by all the political blocs from the affected councils.

Abe declares to run in Rivers

Senator Magnus Abe, who declared his interest to contest the governorship election in Rivers State, promised to support whoever emerges the APC candidate in a free and fair primary.

The one-time senator’s declaration was made yesterday in his Bera country home in Gokana Local Government Area.

He also used the event to inaugurate the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Vanguard (BAT-V) for Ward 4, 5 and 6 in the council.

Abe said that only a free, fair and equitable contest would earn his support or make him to support the APC governorship candidate. He warned that anything short of that would be resisted.

He said: “I have not said and I will not say that Sen Abe must be the candidate of APC in Rivers State. I have always said that if we have a fair, free, transparent, inclusive and equitable contest and somebody emerges from that process, as a democrat, I will support whoever emerges in that contest and the person will win.

“But, if you go and cook up a process to exclude me, it will not work. They cannot decide for Rivers people, Rivers people will decide for themselves.

“We don’t need a riverine or upland candidate. What we need is a Rivers candidate that is known by Rivers people with the capacity and integrity to deliver.

“That is why I, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe will contest for the gubernatorial ticket of the APC in Rivers State.

“Let me advise the party; we have been through this road many times; we should not make the same mistake again.  There should be an end to political rascality in Rivers State. We should not disregard the people and expect a good result.

Former Rivers State Attorney-General Worgu Boms, described Abe as the most qualified for the job, saying the APC would have gone into extinction without him.

Akpanudoedehe joins race in Akwa Ibom

In Akwa Ibom State, former National Secretary of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe also declared to run at the weekend.

He made the declaration in Uyo during a grand reception organised in his honour by his supporters from the 31 local government areas of the state.

The occasion attracted leaders of the party. They  include: National Vice Chairman (Southsouth), Mr. Victor Giadom, Chief Don Etiebet and the Managing-Director of the Oil and Gas Free Trade Zone Authority, Mr. Umana Umana, former House of Representatives spokesman Eseme Eyiboh, former Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Managing Director Bassey Dan-Abia and a former House of Representatives member, Emmanuel Ukoette among others.

Akpanudoedehe promised to eradicate poverty and bring prosperity to indigenes of the state through life-touching interventions in the areas of industrialisation, education, infrastructure, commerce, science and technology among others.

He said: “I have been in this battle for a long time and we have suffered. We have been battered with lies. What bothers me is how to liberate my people from suffering. I am that special vehicle that can take you people away from poverty.”

Giadom admonished leaders of the party in the state to desist from infighting capable of robbing the party of victory in the coming elections.

He said: “I want leaders of the party to unite and confront the common enemy, the PDP. You have to desist from anything that will bring shame to the party.”

Senator, commissioner in race for ticket in Kano

In Kano, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC-Kano North), declared his intention to run for the office of the state governor next year.

Jibrin, who is Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, also appointed and inaugurated Prof. Hafiz Abubakar, former deputy governor of the state as his Campaign Director and Chairman of the Central Committee for the campaign.

Abubakar heads a 17-man committee drawn from the three senatorial districts and a 27-man committee drawn from the 44 local government areas of the state to oversee the campaign.

The aspirant urged the committees to work closely with the campaign director to succeed at the APC’s governorship primary election.

In his acceptance speech Abubakar said that the committee would inaugurate sub-committees on social media, students associations and the business community to drive the campaign.

He said: “We will unveil a reach-out strategy for the Barau Jibrin’s campaign that will entail going to the grassroots, business communities, religious leaders and associations.

“Committee members are enjoined to begin to solicit for support for our candidate immediately,’’ Abubakar said.

Also yesterday, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Murtala Sule Garo, resigned his appointment to join the race.

His resignation was is in compliance with Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s order that all political appointees aspiring to contest in the 2023 general election should resign on or before today.

Garo, who is seeking the APC ticket, said: “It has been a rewarding experience working under the guidance and supervision of Governor Ganduje since 2014.”

He wrote in his resignation letter: “I write with a deep sense of humility and gratitude to tender my resignation as Honourable Commissioner in charge of Kano State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.”

The commissioner said his years of service afforded him the privilege to tap from the governor’s administrative acumen.

“There is no doubt that the present administration, under your able leadership, has impacted positively on the lives of the people of Kano State and I am proud to be part of the giant stride of your administration in the last seven years,” he said.

NIMASA DG begins consultation in Kaduna

In Kaduna, Director-General, Nigerian Maritime Safety and Administration Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Bashir Yusuf Jamoh launched consultation for his governorship aspiration.

Jamoh, who kicked-off the bid from his country home and Zazzau Emirate Council, said the action was part of his home training to seek the blessings of elders, friends and cronies before embarking on any project.

Speaking at gathering in Anguwar Juma, Zaria, the NIMASA director-general told his kinsmen that he was heeding their yearnings and aspirations to come and serve humanity.

Jamoh who was received by the Wazirin and Chief Imam of Zazzau, Khadi Mohammed Aminu and Sheik Dalhat Kasim, was eulogized based on his track record at NIMASA.

He also visited the Emir of Zazzau, Mallam Ahmed Nuhu Bamalli for royal blessings.

Jamoh told reporters that he has not declared yet for the race.

He said: “I am here to consult with my family members, immediate community and emirate council before I can take any stance on the issue.

“I’m aware that people have been placing my posters all over the state but I want to inform you that I did not assign anybody to place or sponsor any such move.