Tambuwal, Ambode, others win APC governorship ticket DECEMBER 5, 2014 BY ADEMOLA BABALOLA, TUNDE ODESOLA, ENIOLA AKINKUOTU, CHUKWUDI AKASIKE, FEMI ATOYEBI, SAMUEL AWOYINFA AND TOLUWANI ENIOLA 40 Comments Tambuwal, Ambode, others win APC governorship ticket FOR the All Progressives Congress the 2015 contests got underway on Thursday with state chapters electing their governorship candidates. The APC governorship candidates for the 2015 polls, as they emerged on Thursday, include Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto); a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and public administrator, Akinwunmi Abode(Lagos); a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna); and second-term-seeking governors, Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun); Abdulfattah Ahmed (Kwara) and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo). Others are, a member representing Andoni/Opobo/Nkoro Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Mr. Dakuku Peterside (Rivers); Olorogun O’tega Emerhor (Delta); Chief Okey Ezea (Enugu); a former Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Mr. Umana Umana (Akwa Ibom), Ibrahi Gaidam (Yobe), Umaru Al-Makura (Nasarawa) and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara). For one, hardly was any of the outcome of the state primaries a surprise as the candidates that emerged in states like Lagos, Sokoto, Kaduna and some others all match predictions by pundits. In Lagos State for instance, Akinwunmi Ambode, who defeated 12 other aspirants, had remained in public discourse as the anointed candidate of Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos and a national leader and financier of the APC. Though he has worked for the state for several years and in fact reputed to be the brains behind the awesome internal revenue being generated by the state today, Ambode obviously lacks requisite political experience to singly defeat some of his co-aspirants. Those defeated by Ambode included the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly for the past eight years, Adeyemi Ikuforiji; and serving senator representing Lagos West in the National Assembly, Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon. The other aspirants that lost to Ambode in the high politics of Thursday at the Onikan Stadium are: a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Olasupo Sasore, said to be a favourite of the outgoing Governor Babatunde Fashola; a former Commissioner for Health, Leke Pitan; an incumbent Commissioner for Works, Obafemi Hamzat; a former aide to Tinubu, Mr. Tayo Ayinde; Mr. Adekunle Disu, Mr. Wahab Tokunbo, Mr. Olanrewaju Ope and a former Commissioner for Rural Affairs, Mr. Tola Kasali. Curiously, both Fashola and Tinubu were absent at the Onikan primaries as of the time of this report late Thursday though delegates were still hopeful that Tinubu would still appear at the venue. Our correspondent saw the governor’s convoy drove past the venue and ascend the Third Mainland Bridge around 11am. Sources told our correspondent that the governor was not happy with the conduct of the primaries. One of the aspirants, who asked not to be named, said, “The way things are going, there may be mass defection from this party as even the governor might leave soon. Tinubu has emasculated all of us, including Fashola who is not even being given a say. “We planned to shun the primaries in protest after the party refused to postpone it following our request but we all agreed to come so that we can observe it properly in case the matter is taken to court. In any case, the dubious manner in which the state congress was carried out is already at a Federal High Court so there is a high possibility that the result of this event will be nullified. “Only Tinubu has the list of the delegates and most of us were not able to reach out to them. This is most unfortunate.” Sokoto In Sokoto, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party had apparently been negotiated and the APC governorship ticket is the prize. Tambuwal polled 3,466 votes to emerge tops ahead of four other contenders.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 04:22:11 +0000
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