All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, said yesterday that state governors and federal lawmakers from opposition parties were on their way to the ruling party.
The immediate past Kano State governor also said the APC was poised to continue with its winning streak by clearing all the seats in contention during next month’s bye elections across the country.
He spoke in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, while receiving into the APC, a chieftain of the PDP, Senator Solomon Ewuga.
Simultaneously, the APC yesterday picked its candidates for the bye-elections in Ebonyi, Lagos and Taraba, among other places.
The ruling party, Ganduje said, was “determined to deepen and widen democracy in Nigeria.”
In this regard, he said the party has “a blueprint to ensure that we have more Governors, Senators and House of Representatives members.
Continuing, he said: “I’m so happy that here in Nasarawa State, we have achieved our initial objective by embracing people from different political parties. We are so happy that APC is the biggest political party in Africa operating with different nationalities, religious backgrounds.”
Also speaking, the immediate past governor of the state, Senator Umar Tanko Al-Makura said the focus, vision, commitment and indepth knowledge, governance , politics and economy of President Bola Tinubu were signs that APC would rule for a long time to come.
He dismissed insinuations that he was at loggerheads with his successor, Governor Abdullahi Sule.
Ani emerges as APC candidate to fill Umahi’s seat at Senate.
Professor Anthony Ani emerged the APC candidate for Ebonyi South senatorial zone.
He was the only candidate at yesterday’s primary election held in Afikpo.
Chairman of the electoral panel, Akin Akinsehinwa said Ani received 281 of the total 285 votes cast at the election.
The remaining four votes were declared invalid.
Ani, a Professor at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Imo State, hails from Onicha Local government Area of the state.
The seat became vacant following the appointment of Senator David Umahi as Minister by President Tinubu.
The Senatorial bye-election is scheduled for February 3rd, 2024.
Ani was selected as the consensus choice after a stakeholders’ meeting in Ebonyi South Senatorial zone.
This led to the withdrawal of Mr Austin Umahi, younger brother to the minister.
State Chairman of APC, Stanley Emegha, noted that Ani’s election was a collective decision of the party.
He said: “We critically analysed those who are fit and chose him based on his pedigree. The election was a family affair and a family is like an empire which you should build well to succeed.
“The APC listens to the voice of the masses and hearkens to their calls to subsequently do what they want.”
Ani described his emergence as a dream.
He thanked the party leadership for adopting him as the choice candidate.
He promised to queue into the policies of the Federal and Ebonyi state governments to connect with the people.
Kayode-Laguda, Ehindero win in Surulere, Akoko N-W/N-E
Delegates to the APC primary election in Surulere Constituency 1 of Lagos State chose Mr. Fuad Kayode-Laguda as the party’s candidate while Mr.Ifeoluwa Ehindero won in Akoko Northwest/Akoko Northeast of Ondo State.
All the 30 delegates accredited for the Surulere primary voted for Kayode-Laguda, a financial expert and public servant.
Ehindero polled 105 votes in the Akoko Northwest/Akoko Northeast primaries.
The Surulere 1 seat was vacated by Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila following his appointment as Chief of Staff to President Tinubu.
The Akoko Northwest/Akoko Northeast Federal Constituency seat was declared vacant with the appointment of Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo as Minister of Interior.
Alia suspends congress in Guma
A similar primary by the APC in Benue State was suspended on the order of Governor Hyacinth Alia over alleged threat to peace.
The congress was to pick the party’s candidate for election to fill the vacant seat of Guma 1 in the state House of Assembly.
Alia told reporters that apart from the threat to security of life and property, election materials for the primary were also not available
Governor Alia noted that as the Chief Security Officer of the state, he could not expose the lives and property of the people to risk in the face of continued banditry by herdsmen.
He appealed for calm and understanding by party members.
Malle emerges APC flag bearer in Taraba
Former House of Representatives member, Hon. Aminu Ibrahim Malle has emerged the APC flag bearer for the February 3rd National Assembly bye election for Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Constituency.
Malle scored a total of 41 votes to beat four other contestants at the Jolly Nyame Stadium, venue of the occasion yesterday.
Chairman of the APC National Assembly Primary Bye Election Committee for Taraba, Lawal Samaila Abdullahi, announced the result as follows: “Total number of delegates 155, total number of accredited voters 109, total votes cast 109.The candidates scored the following: Engr. Mohammed Alkali- 13, Abdulmumini Hamza- 26, Bilyaminu Umar- 29, Ibrahim Malle- 41 and Kasimu Maigari 0.”
The other aspirants pledged to work for the success of the party in the general election.
Engr. Mohammed Alkali said: “We are ready to team up behind him to make sure APC wins the election.”
Another candidate, Bilyaminu Umar admitted that: “This is the first time APC will conduct a free and fair election.”
The Taraba APC National Assembly Primary Bye Election was graced by INEC representatives and the media.
