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Tag: APC ticket

  • Bayelsa poll: Who gets APC ticket?

    No fewer than eight aspirants are competing for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State. But, the intra-party contest is between Senator Heinekein Lokpobiri and Chief David Lyon. Senior Correspondent mike odiegwu reports.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State will pick its governorship candidate on Saturday No fewer than eight aspirants are competing for the ticket. However, the battle is between former Minister of State for Agriculture Senator Heineken Lokpobiri and, a businessman, David Lyon.

    Former Governor Timipre Sylva is out of the contest. He is now Minister of State for Petroleum Resources. Before, it was,  a contest between him and others.

    The race would be as keen in the APC and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as Sylva is throwing his weight behind Lyon.

    The Lyon’s option was a last-minute decision taken by Sylva and his camp, shortly after his inauguration as minister. The move by Sylva’s camp forced other aspirants to return to the drawing board and review their strategies. Even the Restoration caucus of the PDP, led by Governor Seriake Dickson, is rethinking some of its decisions, following the body language of Sylva.

    There are puzzles:

    Can Sylva succeed in his agenda to annoint Lyon? Can another aspirant sping a surprise? Some are saying that it will be like a camel passing through the eye of a needle for any aspirant in the APC to become the candidate without the backing of Sylva. They argue that Sylva owns the party structure and being a ‘super’ minister and state leader of the APC with a rising political profile, he is a great factor in the exercise.

    But, others believe that other aspirants, especially Lokpobiri, also have equal rights in the party as Sylva. They posit that Lokpobiri as a minister played a crucial role in setting up the current structures of the APC and that many party members are loyal to him. Yet, people believe that all the aspirants should be judged by their qualifications, experience and credentials.

    The APC aspirants are Lokpobiri, founding members, Preye Aganaba and Chief Ebitimi Amgbare; David Layon; former Commissioner of Police, Deseye Poweigha and former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Frankland Briyal.

    Lokpobiri:

    He is one of the most experienced public servants in Bayelsa State with a rich resume. Lokpobiri, who hails from Ekeremor Local Government Area in Bayelsa West Senatorial District, was a member of the House of Assembly where he became a two-time Speaker. He was a two-term member of the Senate and headed Senate Committees on Sports, Transport and Water Resources.

    Lokpobiri, who studied Law at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, also holds a Doctorate Degree from Leeds Beckett University, U.K. He was one of the most vocal senators in his period. He left the PDP for the APC in 2015 through the assistance of Sylva, who supported him to become the Minister of State for Agriculture and Rural Development. He also supported Sylva, who flew the flag of the APC in the 2015 poll. If experience, qualifications and credentials are the requirements, Lokpobiri, according to observers, would have emerged an indisputable candidate of the APC.

    However, the odd against Lokpobiri is his senatorial district of origin. He is from Bayelsa West with Governor Dickson, who for the first time in the history of Bayelsa, is completing eight years as governor. Many people are of the opinion that in the interest of zoning, equity and fairness, other zones will resist any candidate from the west, which has two local government areas, at the general election. Lokpobiri is also battling a cold war with Sylva. But, Lokpobiri will always dismiss argument for zoning, saying since all the senatorial districts had tasted governance, the slot could go to any other zone beginning with local government areas like Ekeremor, which is yet to produce a governor. He has also declared that he had no problem with Sylva.

    Aganaba:

    He comes into the race with many success stories from his private business. Aganaba, who hails from Kolokuma-Opokuma in Bayelsa Centra, floated a company, Freenet Global Resources, which has investments in dredging, marine consultancy, reclamation, shore protection works, sweeping and clearing of oil wells. Aganaba is an electrical engineer.  Despite not holding any public office. The prince from Odi Kingdom has sponsored cultural festivals and attracted many federal projects to his constituency.

    He has been a frontline progressive and a founding member of the APC. He donated the first secretariat to the party when people persecuted few members during the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. Aganaba was a member of the APC Primary/Convention Committee in 2014 and the Secretary, Media and Publicity sub-committee. If being a loyal party member could fetch one the ticket of the party, many people believe that Aganaba would be solely considered to fly the flag. He is also favoured by zoning, following the public sentiment that the governorship should return to Bayelsa Central.

    However, Aganaba is considered by some persons as lacking the required experience in public administration. His Kolokuma-Opokuma local government area is the most politically-disadvantaged council in the state. It has the least voting population. Others are also questioning his popularity, structures and networks to withstand the ruling PDP in the forthcoming poll. But, Aganaba always dismissed such doubts, saying he remains the candidate to beat.

    Lyon:

    Lyon has been a silent force. Little was heard about him publicly. To many people, Lyon was made popular by Dickson, when the name featured prominently in most live media chats of Dickson during the last general elections. Lyon, who hails from Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, is a big time player in the oil sector. He reportedly owns six ocean liners that lift oil for multinationals, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). Lyon played a crucial role in curbing illegal oil bunkering and restoring daily production quotas of oil companies in Bayelsa through his security agencies.

    Lyon, however, became popular for his generosity. Over 7000 persons are said to be in his monthly payroll. Almost all the ex-militant leaders in Bayelsa are receiving huge amount of money monthly from Lyon’s company to safeguard pipelines and other oil facilities in the state. Lyon has a functional scholarship scheme that recruits students from across the eight local government areas. Some of the earlier beneficiaries are studying abroad. Many people described his philanthropic and humanitarian gestures as second to none. Since he joined politics, he has remained loyal to the APC. He became the major financier of the party and he has propelled his associates into leadership positions. One of them, Preye Oseke, is currently a member of the House of Representatives on the platform of the APC.

    Apart from being a successful oil magnate, nothing much is known about his public life. Lyon was a senior prefect in the class of 1988 at the Secondary School in Olugbobiri. He studied Chemistry at the Rivers State College of Education in the early 90s. He was a Youth President in his community, Olugbibiri, between 1996-98 and has been involved in politics from the days of NRC and SDP. He once contested councilorship election in 1993; chairmanship in 1997 and 2002. He also contested for membership of the House of Assembly. His major strength is his popularity, Sylva’s support and zoning.

    But, those against his aspiration said he lacked experience. They also said the governor has linked him to electoral violence. Besides, many people accuse him of inability to speak in public and articulate issues. But, his supporters dismissed the allegations, saying they are at variance with his personality.

    Briyai:

    He is the immediate past Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Cross River State. He became a REC on June 30, 2017 and resigned his appointment in August 2019 to join the race on the platform of the APC. Prior to his resignation, stakeholders under the auspices of Bayelsa Grassroots Development Initiatives (BGDI) led by Prof. Emiemokumo, shut down Yenagoa, the state capital, in a rally and asked Briyai to return and join the governorship race.

    They cited his generosity, his academic background, administrative acumen and performance in all the offices he had held as reasons why he should join the race. Prior to his appointment as REC, Briyai, who hails from  Southern Ijaw and served for 16 years in the Nigerian Airforce, was a Senior Lecturer in the Biological Science Department, Niger Delta University (NDU), Amassoma. He restored sanity in the university as Dean of Students’ Affairs.

     

    Amgbare:

    Since joining politics, Amgbare, who hails from Sagabama Local Government Area, has been a progressive. He was the governorship candidate of the Action Congress in 2007. He instituted and won  a legal case against the election of former Governor Sylva. The court voided the election and ordered a fresh poll; a development that permanently altered the political calendar of the state. Though he lost the fresh election, Amgbare has grassroots support and he has been an active player. His highest odd is coming from Dickson’s local government where power has resided for about eight years.

    Deseye Poweigha:

    Poweigha is the only female governorship aspirant. She is a retired Commissioner of Police with a mass appeal among the women. Most people have been congratulating her on mustering the courage and boldness to join the men in the race.

    Apart from the personalities of the aspirants vying for the APC ticket, another major issue in the party is the mode of primary. The camps are divided over whether the party should adopt direct or indirect poll of conducting the primary. While the camp of Lokpobiri wants the indirect method, those of Aganaba and Sylva want the direct primary. But, there are indications that the direct primary will be the mode. The party can not hold ward and local government congresses required to elect delegates for a direct primary. It is too late.

     

  • Shehu Sani loses primary, as El-Rufai’s aide, Uba Sani, clinches APC ticket

    •Police bar journalists from venue

    Senator Shehu Sani (Kaduna Central) yesterday lost the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He lost the party’s ticket to the Special Adviser to Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai on Political Affairs, Malam Uba Sani.

    There has been no love lost between Sani and El-Rufai with the governor believed to be bent on denying the senator a return ticket to the upper chamber.

    The governor’s aide, who has the blessings of his principal, scored 2,088 votes to the senator’s 15.

    Chairman of the Primary Election Committee and a national official of the party, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, declared Sani as winner.

    Former Kaduna North Local Government Council Caretaker chairman, Usman Ibrahim, came second with 129 votes.

    Shehu Sani’s predecessor in the Senate, Gen. Mohammed Sani Saleh, scored 55 votes while Shamsudeen Giwa polled six votes.

    Iduoriyekemwen said a total of 2,383 voters were accredited while there were 35 invalid votes.

    Some security personnel barred journalists from covering the election in Zaria, Kaduna State.

    The primary election held despite the automatic ticket offered the incumbent by the national secretariat of the party.

    But the senator distanced himself from the exercise, which held at the Umar Musa Yar’Adua Hall, Murtala Square, Kaduna.

    In a statement by his Special Assistant Media, Abdulsamad Amadi, Sani said he was not participating in what he described as an ‘illegality’.

    According to him, “The office of Senator Shehu Sani has not, and will not send anybody as their representative or agent to that illegality that some desperate people are organising.

    “This is because the national leadership of the APC has not scheduled any senatorial primaries in Kaduna central on Saturday.

    “Consequently, anybody that goes there does so at his or her own freewill and does not in any way represent the interest of Sen Shehu Sani.”

    Despite his stance, our correspondent, who was at the venue of the election, observed Sani’s name featured among the five aspirants contesting the party’s ticket for the senatorial seat.

    According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the team of journalists who converged on the venue of the primary election were completely denied access by the security personnel.

    The journalists used all persuasive means to get entry including parading their identity cards and making phone calls to some senior police officers but to no avail.

    The team of security personnel headed by one Fom D. Moses who was said to be the Divisional Police Officer, Samaru Division said he had received instructions not to allow journalists entry.

    When asked whether the Constitution prevents journalists from covering such events, he said:: “I should be very careful or else the politicians will indict me, I fear the politicians more than the journalists.

    “If somebody said I shouldn’t allow you in, then I shouldn’t,” Moses said.

    Efforts by the journalists to get the Kaduna State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo to intervene did not yield result, as the police officer refused to speak with him on phone.

    Moses said: “I can’t pick his (PPRO) call because I am his senior by rank, I cannot receive directive from him.”

    However, the PPRO pleaded with journalists to be calm and pledged to get back to the journalists after making contact with his superiors.

     

  • I won’t return to PDP if giving APC ticket, says Oke

    I won’t return to PDP if giving APC ticket, says Oke

    AN Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant, Olusola Oke, yesterday assured his party’s delegates that he will not returned to his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), if voted for as the party candidate for the November 27 governorship poll.

    Oke said the fear being entertained by some APC leaders about his possible return to his former party, PDP, after emerging victorious, is unwarranted and misplaced.

    The aspirant, who described himself as a politician with integrity and stability, spoke with reporters in Akure, the state capital.

    The former PDP National Legal Adviser clarified that his leaving the PDP was not borne out of greed or unstable minds that had been the hallmarks of politicians.

    He said he joined the APC, owing to pervasive impunity in his former party.

    Oke affirmed that he has built solid and reliable relationship in APC that he is committed to maintaining the healthy relationship.

    He said the personality of the leadership of APC endeared him to the party.

    The politician described President Muhammadu Buhari and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu among other APC national leaders, as those that shared the aspirations of public good.

    He said the duo that had done creditably well in entrenching democracy and good governance in the country.

    Oke reiterated that his political antecedents spoke volume of his character, consistency and modesty, pointing out the fear being nursed by these leaders was as a result of the lies taken to the leaders by a few enemies.

    He pleaded with the APC delegates to cast their votes for him, assuring them that he won’t betray the confidence reposed in him as a leader and politician with intellectual acumen and political sagacity to buoy the economic prowess of Ondo people.

     

     

  • Kogi senator wins APC ticket for rerun

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator for Kogi East District, Abdulrahman Abubakar, who was sacked by the appeal tribunal has won his party’s ticket to contest the rerun election.

    Abubakar was sacked over allegation that he did not win the party’s ticket through primaries.

    He polled 1,182 votes to defeat his closest rival, Hajia Halima Alfa, who scored 383 at the APC primary conducted at the main bowl of Achema Stadium, Idah.

    Abubakar’s election boosted the popularity of the Audu/Faleke political organisation.

    Both Abubakar and Alfa belong to different political camps within the APC. While Senator Abubakar belongs to the Audu / Faleke political family, Alfa is the Yahaya Bello group.

    Reacting to Abubakar,s victory, Alhaji Mohammed Audu, eldest son of Prince Abubakar Audu said it was victory well deserved from delegates who have vowed to remain loyal to the  cause of Audu/Faleke political family.

    “ We are grateful to our very loyal delegates who refused to betray the trust reposed in them. We are grateful to the Almighty  Allah who is the pillar of support of our political family. This is clear signal that the Audu / Faleke political family is still very much alive, United and focused”, he ascerted.

    The APC in Kogi State had split into two camps after INEC declared the November 21, 2015 Governorship election in Kogi State inconclusive. Things got messier following the death of the party,s candidate in the election, Audu and INEC calling for a replacement. The APC leadership in a bizarre decision opted to pick Bello instead of Hon James Faleke, Audu’s Deputy.

    However, Faleke  cried foul insisting that the Audu / Faleke ticket indeed won the November 21, 2015 election having scored the highest numbers of votes and fulfilled all constitutional requirements.  He has since filed a case at the Election Tribunal sitting in Lokoja to reclaim the Audu / Faleke mandate.

  • ‘Why I deserve APC ticket’

    ‘Why I deserve APC ticket’

    Mrs. Jumoke Anifowose is the former Ondo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice. She was the Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). In this interview with DAMISI OJO, she gives reasons why she must be considered for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship ticket in next year’s election. 

    How will you access the APC leadership in this state?

    Well, I personally think that we have able and capable chairman who is directing the affairs of the party in the state and like old adage will say “nobody is perfect” people can have their own opinion and I think he is trying his best for the party. So many people from PDP under his leadership have joined the party. So I want to commend him on that for him to have been able to attract some big wigs in the state from PDP to join APC. Personally, I think the leadership of APC in the state is trying its best. The Publicity Secretary, Adesanya is doing his best too in making sure that he reacts on any untoward behavior of Government in power in the state. I think if other members of the executives at the state level give their full cooperation, the sky will be the limit for APC when the time of gubernatorial comes up.

    What actually spurred you to join the governorship race?

    I don’t want to talk too much on my ambition for now, but I will come out because I know Buhari as President and my party will perform to satisfy the needs of Nigerians and that will help me to win the heart of the Ondo State citizens and I will win both the primary and the gubernatorial election. I want my party at the centre to stabilize very well and if the party at the centre is doing very well, it will brighten the chances of APC in Ondo State.

    Do you you have the financial strength to compete with your male counterparts in the race?

    Well, that was the story they put forward when I tried to contest under the Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN) in 2012. Did Buhari pay for his nomination form to contest the presidential election? Did he have money? So, I have so many well wishers who believed very much in me that are ready to support me and, if we are still talking about money in this time of my age when Buhari became President without money, I think we should all go and check our heads because money shouldn’t be the be all and in all in getting people with integrity, getting people who will do the work well, getting people who will make sure that government is run properly and not government of my family, for my family andby my family. So, if people want government of my family, for my family and by my family, let them run after money. But, if they want government of the people by the people and for the people, then I am the right person to be voted in. Being a woman too, looking at European, Angela Merkel of Germany, German economy is the best in the world today, she is doing well and she is a woman and I want to say, if people are thinking of voting anybody for governor it is the woman in their midst that they should think about and vote for because women can do 100 things at the same time and we bring you men up without whch many of you will be juvenile delinquent on the streets of Lagos and Abuja, but here we are, we in charge of the family and without us the family will be no where and the family is the basis of the society. So if I am the only woman coming out, I see no reason why all the men that are coming out should not give me the necessary support and I see no reason, why the leadership of the party should not support me because I have supported them, I have been with them and I have not jump ship, so I think if the time comes, it is a pay back for me.

    In the last governorship poll, your party failed to conduct primary. Is there likely to hold a primary in the coming election?

    You know, even the presidential election of APC, there was primary, we were all there from evening till the next day, and we have about five aspirants, they all came out for primary and the party accepted the primary election method. So I see no reason why the primary should be jettisoned in Ondo State during the gubernatorial election. I think that will satisfy all contestants instead of just imposing or bringing somebody from nowhere to be the candidate of the party. I am in support of primary election.

    What do you think may likely be the implication, if the party fails to conduct the primary?

    I pray the party will not fail to conduct primary because it will boomerang. It will boomerang in the sense that party members would get discouraged again should somebody be imposed again. So, I am praying that the leadership of my party will not go the way of imposition. Let us give everybody a level playing ground. Let us put ourselves to primary elections, let us see how we can mobilise the delegates to be on our sides. The delegates are the representatives of the people and they will know who should be there candidate. So who ever wins, will be the preferred candidate. It will not be the preferred candidate of the leaders. If imposition is used again it will boomerang and we could have the same results like we have under ACN.

    Sinc 2003, when your party lost power in the state to the PDP, you havbeen finding it difficult to return to power, what do you think is the cause?

    Well, I will use President Buhari as an example, he took him four consecutive times before he could win an election to become the President of Nigeria. He tried it one, two, three and it was at the fourth occasion when he was even trying to give up but as faith will have it, he succeeded. Even, if we have been losing elections in Ondo State, we too could be lucky to come back to power in Ondo State like Buhari who tried four times and succeeded. We have been trying and many of us has stayed put in the party, hoping for better day ahead. So, with that kind of situation, I think we will get there one day. You will see that we have five legislators in the state Assembly. That is a plus. Before, we didn’t have any, and two are still hanging, may be we will become seven at the end of the day because of the two outstanding results even though, they were illegally sworn-in by the Speaker, but they are two outstanding candidates that could be our legislators at end of the day. I won’t say the people of Ondo State do not like the progressives. We all live in Nigeria and we know what the economy says, we know how people are being purperised and poverty is steering them in the face and anybody that gives out money, they usually vote that person in. I think it is the question of problem of stomach infrastructure that is the bane in the state for now. But I am sure with what is happening, the citizens of Ondo State are learning everyday that they have to change their attitude toward getting a good government. They have seen it with the banning of Okada riders, with the payment of Kaadi Igbe-Ayo, even the National Identity and Management Commission (NIMC) does not charge kind of fund but here in Ondo State we are being charged from somebody who does not have N100 to feed in a day and you are asking such person to pay N2000, when we have all sorts of IDs all over the place, National ID, Driving ID, international passport and so on and so forth. You are bringing another one just to oppress the people. This is what we called over taxation in the state. The money the Ondo State people took to vote for the incumbent, the incumbent is in a way of getting a refund of that money through this Kaadi Igbe-Ayo and demanding huge money from Okada Riders. So, I believe, Ondo State people’ orientation will be changed, and the progressives will have to take over from oppressive government. The government ought to have provided alternative like it was done in Lagos. The tricycles were put in place so the Okada Riders are able to eke out a living and the commuters too found a better source of transport. Also, Lagos provided the BRT to help commuters. Our government in Ondo State hasn’t done anything similar. Commuters are suffering. Okada riders are improverised.

    What other things your party will do to win Ondo State?

    Well, I think we should start educating our people what the progressives stand and what the people stand to gain by voting for us. They should compare and contrast what is happening in our states with the kind of money coming into the state. Can you compare the development in Ondo with the development in Osun. Osun State at the last quarters is the last on the revenue allocation. I think Ondo State was six or seven. Can you compare the development in Osogbo with the kind of development we have in Ondo State. Osogbo looks more beautiful than Akure. So, my party will have to do the comparison of programmes and projects that are going on in all APC states, compared to us that we have so much but we are not using that money to the benefit of the people in the state. We have to do a lot of campaigns. We must not wait until two or three months to the election before we start going round, telling people that the election will be coming up and that our candidate that emerges from the primary must be voted for. We must explain our manifesto to them, discuss on the radio, we discuss on Adaba FM, Briz Fm and luckily, we are in charge now and we can discuss on Radio Nigeria. We have enough media presence to be able to impact on the people about what they stand to gain by voting for us in Ondo State. We have everything for ourselves that we can use to let the people know where we stand . We just have to be more pro-active in Ondo State in order to gain the confidence of the people. Not just the people, the leaders in the different communities, we have to let them what we can do for each communities. As I said we have our manifesto to explain why APC is different from other parties and luckily from the way the President has started, we have seen some positive changes which gladens someone’s heart. For instance, a person put it on his facebook that Gen. Buhari refused government officials to buy him new vehicles that he will be using and do away with those the former President used. Whereas, if it has been somebody else, he won’t touch it thinking  the former President has put juju or done a bad things but since he asked if they are still motorable, he preferred to make use of it. That is kind of leaders we need in Nigeria. Since I came into Ondo State, the light has been very good in my hometown, Owo even my daughter who came in from abroad confirmed that the PHCN is working. He is a good example and we will showcase him in order for us to win Ondo State.

    What about the division among the leaders of your party. Don’t you think this will work against your party on election day?

    I am hearing that for the first time that they are factions. I know we have gubernatorial aspirants having their followers which is normal you cannot say you are contesting and your followers and well wishers come under the state executives. The state executives is to administer the party, but party members with interest will usually have their groups or caucuses. So if they are talking about groups and caucuses, I don’t want to take it as faction or division. Faction is different from group or caucus.

    You and Governor Mimiko served in the Adebayo Adefarati administration. How can you describe the governor?

    We were colleagues in the cabinet but I can say that if we spoke at all, it may be four or less times throughout my tenure. We are not just close but we are just acquatancies not friends. We didn’t have any kind of relationship.

    How will you access his administration so far?

    I said it earlier that, comparing Osun with Ondo State, Osun State at the last revenue allocation distribution, Osun State came last and I think Ondo State, came seventh. The State of Osun, even the capital Osogbo looks better in term of infrastructural development, in term of environmental cleanliness and others. Many projects the governor of the state of Osun has put in place they are more than what we have in Ondo State. That is why I said in our future campaign, we will compare and contrast what we have in Ondo State with APC governments in states where revenue allocations are so low. That is one of those things we will tell the people of Ondo State.

    We will put them on a balance and which one is weighing than the other. I want to say that the money that has accrued to Ondo State has not justifiably used by the leadership led by Mimiko to the benefit of Ondo State people. We know the amount, we know how much he has gotten. People are just going about to make end means which should not be in a state just like ours that is blessed with oil and other natural resources. So, Ondo state should not suffer and any of the oil producing states should not be owing teachers, should not be owing pensioners if funds are equitably and justifiably used for the benefit of the people.

    People have been criticising Buhari on the few appointment made so far that he favoured the northerners, what is your take on this?

    One thing is that our people do not understand about geography of Nigeria, we have six geo-political zones and when you see a northern name, you will think may be that northern name is from Katsina, is from Maiduguri, or from Sokoto. The name usually connote that one is partial and if at the end of the day, you put down such name, they may not be from the same geo-political zones or even from the same states. I think we have Kingsley Kuku from Ondo state here as coordinator of Amnesty and now that Kuku has been replaced by somebody from the South South I think the President is fair. You can see Femi Adesina, who is the spokesperson for Buhari and that is a big position that has come to south west when you are talking of Femi Adesina nobody knows if he is from Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Lagos or Ogun states. You know names usually brings this idea that somebody is partial toward a particular area except if you are able to identify their states and geo-political zones. For now I don’t think he has done any wrong toward appointment made so far because we are not even sure where those names come from.

     

  • Audu, ex-commissioner for APC ticket

    Former Kogi State Governor Prince Abubakar Audu and one of his commissioners, Suleiman Baba Ali, are to contest the All Progressives Congress’ (APC’s) ticket for the November governorship election.

    The duo were at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja yesterday to collect the nomination form.

    Audu said the majority of those in the race were young school leavers, who lacked the experience to take the state out of the woods.

    He said the state does not need anybody who will come and learn on the job, as the task ahead of the next governor is to take the state out of the woods.

    Addressing reporters after collecting the form, Audu lamented that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government did not put in place any meaningful project in the last 12 years, but allowed the state to deteriorate.

    He said he was contesting to answer the call by the people, who mobilised resources to pay for the expression of interest and nomination form.

    Audu said Aliko Dangote was operating a cement factory in Kogi because studies showed that he could make money from the state, adding: “I will attract more Dangotes to Kogi.”