* National Assembly primary to hold Wednesday in states
By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has for the third time postponed the governorship primary in Imo state.
The party Tuesday ordered that the governorship primary in Imo state which held on Tuesday be suspended indefinitely.
Although, the party did not state the reason for the indefinite suspension of the primary election in Imo, THISDAY gathered that the suspension was not unconnected with rancorous conduct of the exercise.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the acting National Publicilty Secretary, Yekini Nabene, the APC National Working Committee (NWC) said it had also postponed the party’s Senate primaries in the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to Wednesday, October 3.
Similarly, the party said it had not cleared former Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, to contest the party’s Jigawa South Senatorial District primary.
It explained that Suleiman Abba’s name was erroneously included in the list of NWC-cleared aspirants.
Among those who were cleared by the National Working Committee of APC are former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Goodwill Akpabio, Senator Shehu Sani and Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
From the list of cleared senatorial aspirants published Tuesday, the party seemed to have rewarded some of the members for their loyalty. Some of the aspirants will be running for the tickets unopposed.
The National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, had earlier said that the party would be unfair if it fails to reward loyal senators who stood by it in its trying period.
Among those cleared unopposed are Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, Senate Minority Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena, former Nasarawa State Governor, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, former Sokoto state Governor, Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako, former Benue state Governor, George Akume and former National, Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Adedayo Adeyeye.
Also, the three senators representing Lagos state, Senators Oluremi Tinubu, Solomon Adeola and Gbenga Ashafa as well as Senator Ajayi Boroface, Yele Onogunwa and Omotayo Alasodura from Ondo are flying the party’s flag unopposed as they emerged the only cleared aspirants from their states.
Senator Ahmed Abubakar and Senator Binta Masi Garba (Adamawa) Senator Yusuf Abubakar (Taraba), Governor Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe), Senator Tijanni Kaura and Ikra Bilbis (Zamfara), Senator Buhari Abdulfatai (Oyo), Senator Andy Uba (Anambra), and Suleiman Abdu Kwari (Kaduna) are also running unopposed.
In the list of cleared aspirants released by the National Working Committee and signed by the National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, former Kano state Governor is to battle for the Kano Central Senatorial ticket with Hajia Laila Buhari, while Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun is to struggle for the Ogun Central Senatorial ticket with Senator Adeyemi Tejuosho and Ganiyat Oladunjoye.
Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi is to contest for the Oyo Central Senatorial district ticket with Senator Teslim Folarin and five others, Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makura is to slug it out for the Nasarawa south ticket with Senator Salihu Hussein Egye, while Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, is contesting the Borno Central ticket with Ali Bukar Wurge.
Also, Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan is contesting the Yobe North Senatorial ticket with Mohammed Lawan Yahuza, while Imo state Governor, Rochas Okorocha is listed as contesting the Imo West ticket with Senator Hope Uzodinma who is also contesting the governorship of the state.
However, two former governors who have been in the senate for a long time, Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima of Zamfara State, and Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe) were conspicuously missing on the list and it was not clear whether they were screened out of the contest or they decided not to return to the Senate.
