… as godfathers battle godsons
Gladiators adamant, pull strings
Eyes on Delta, Niger, Rivers, Lagos, Ogun, Kano, others
BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU AND BRIGHT JACOB
Indications have emerged that the 2023 governorship race has literally become ‘war’ by another name, in some states.
Investigations by The Point revealed that with the politics of nomination of presidential candidates and their running mates which have been dominating headlines and political discourses now behind, attention is back on those considered as the ‘Lord of the Manor’ in the Nigerian political terrain.
And, political godfathers, who are either outgoing governors or former governors, or even sitting governors seeking reelection, are not leaving anything to chance.
Intra-party battle tears PDP apart in Delta
On Saturday night, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party in Delta State, while reacting to the party’s rally held during the day said, “Forget the rally. Who rally help? The party should do the right thing otherwise; PDP should forget Osadebey House, Asaba. They know it but they are either too ashamed or too proud to bend backward and correct a glaring mistake that was intentionally foisted on the party by entrenched interests. The court said the candidate get K-leg, and should not have participated at all in the primaries. Instead of you to quickly correct it, you are going on appeal and organizing a rally. Now INEC has left the space blank. While we wait, Omo-Agege will be moving swiftly and before we know it, PDP will be out of 2023,” he told this paper, with a plea to treat his identity with confidentiality.
The source berated the party leadership in the state for lacking the guts to do the right thing even in the face of glaring evidence that the powers that be had possibly backed a weak and perhaps the wrong horse for the race.
“Body go tell dem when it is too late. You don’t just throw the party machinery behind anybody because the party leader in the state, that is, the Governor wants him. After preliminary reports showed that he has issues with his certificates, you should have done due diligence and properly ensured that you will come out clean anytime and anywhere. You know the formidable opposition you will be facing in the person of the Deputy Senate President.
So, you don’t patch things up. Obey the court while you go on appeal, simple.”
The intra-party battle in the Delta State chapter of the PDP over who succeeds Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, the party’s Vice Presidential candidate for 2023 has pitched Okowa, who is backing Sheriff Oborevwori against the acclaimed godfather of the state’s politics, former governor James Onanefe Ibori.
Oborevwori, the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, emerged winner of the PDP governorship primary election conducted in May.
While Oborevwori polled a total of 590 votes, his closest rival, former Chief of Staff, Government House, David Edevbie, scored a total of 113 votes.
Deputy Governor, Kingsley Otuaro and immediate past Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Peter Mrakpor scored nine votes each.
However, dissatisfied with the outcome, Edevbie approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, in suit No: FHC/ABJ/CJ/795/2022, seeking the disqualification of Oborevwori for allegedly submitting fake credentials to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The Presiding Judge, Justice Taiwo Taiwo, on July 7, ruled that Oborevwori was not qualified to even participate in the exercise, let alone be declared the winner, having supplied false information and submitted forged credentials/certificates.
But as controversy continues to dog its authentic governorship candidate, the Delta State chapter of the PDP on Saturday held what it called a mega rally in Ozoro, Isoko North Local Council.
At the rally, Okowa, who an eye witness described as unruffled and upbeat, was welcomed to the venue with shouts of “Mr. Vice President.” Okowa then proceeded to tell the gathering that “Whatever is going on in the party today is a normal democratic process, so there is nothing to worry about, no cause for alarm and no cause to fear, as what is playing out is democracy in action.
“I heard some people saying that PDP is dying in Delta State and I wonder why they are deceiving themselves. We are not boasting, our people will come out and vote in the next election. We are going to win all available seats from the assembly to the presidential election.
“In 2019, they won two local government areas, but in 2023, we will win the entire 25 local government areas.”
Okowa’s words of encouragement were in apparent response to a statement credited to James Manager, the only PDP senator from the state, who failed in his bid to secure a return ticket to the Senate after he was persuaded to drop his gubernatorial ambition.
On July 9, Manager wrote on his official facebook page that “I am greatly disturbed by the recent events at the party today. I would not feign ignorance as the party is drowning and dying gradually. I would have initiated certain preliminary actions pro bono but because I am directly involved as a contender, I want to be extremely careful and cautious with suggestions and interventions.”
As at the time of filing this report, Delta State PDP has no governorship candidate recognized by the electoral body as it has chosen to wait for further court pronouncements on it.
But while the PDP contends with internal crisis, it has had to deal with occasional salvos fired at it by the main opposition in the state, the All Progressives Congress parading Ovie Omo-Agege as its standard bearer.
Bello accused of foul play in Niger
In Niger State, the 2023 governorship race will be keenly contested between the candidate of the ruling APC, who is a sitting member of the House of Representatives, Mohammed Idris Bago.
Bago who represents Chanchaga Constituency, Niger State, won the APC governorship ticket in the state by defeating nine other aspirants, who included the state deputy governor, Mohammed Ketso; Mohammed Kutigi, Aliyu Idris, Mohammed Sani Ndanusa, Mohammed Idris Malagi, Mohammed Rufau Mohammed, Idris Musa Makaranta, Mohammed Kpautagi in his bid to succeed the outgoing governor, Abubakar Sani Bello.
The primary which was held at the Legbo Kutigi International Conference Center, Minna, saw Bago poll 540 votes to beat his closest rival, Mohammed Idris Malaga, publisher of Blue Print Newspaper who scored 386 votes.
“After preliminary reports showed that he has issues with his certificates, you should have done due diligence and properly ensured that you will come out clean anytime and anywhere. You know the formidable opposition you will be facing in the person of the Deputy Senate President. So, you don’t patch things up. Obey the court while you go on appeal, simple”
But after the victory at the party primary, indications are rife the party is passing through tough times while making efforts to rebuild and unite it so as to go into the forthcoming election as a united force if they must not lose to the opposition at the polls.
Cries of foul play by the outgoing executive governor, Sani Bello, have resonated from almost all the aspirants who felt they were denied the ticket because they did not have the backing of the incumbent.
But Bago in his acceptance speech, called on the party supporters to suspend celebration claiming it was not yet time for celebration since much work still has to be done.
“We are not yet there, we still have work ahead. It is my prayer that APC forms the next government,” he said.
In the opposition camp of the PDP, former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Liman Isah Kantigi, emerged as the governorship candidate for Niger State, but the story remains the same.
Kantigi, who defeated four other aspirants including Sani Idris Kutigi, Didi Abdul Gulu, Abdulrahman Gonna and Abubakar Isah Jankara to clinch the party’s ticket is said to have been influenced by those who made sure that the former national chairman’s aide did not pick the ticket.
From the total of 808 delegates during the primaries held at the party secretariat in Minna, Kantigi polled 667 votes to emerge the winner of the contest, while his close rival, Sani Idris Kutigi, an aide of the party’s former national chairman, Uche Secondus, got 114 votes.
“Our party will defeat APC in 2023,” a PDP chieftain Muhammad Sani told The Point.
He maintained that the PDP as an opposition party in the state is more on the ground than the ruling party.
“What people are calling a crisis in PDP is in every party and it is usual. No politician wants to lose in any election. So, you will always have skirmishes during elections but what makes the difference is the ability of the party to settle it internally.
“We have a working internal mechanism that works for us as a party from 1999 till date and I can assure you, come 2023, PDP will reclaim Niger State,” he boasted.
APC foundation shaky in Rivers
In Rivers State, the situation is even more intriguing than imagined.
Tonye Dele Cole has emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the state ahead of the 2023 gubernatorial election.
Cole, was declared winner in the keenly contested primaries of the party at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Omuagwa, Rivers State after polling 986 out of 1308 votes.
Five contestants, Tonye Cole, Magus Abe, Michael West, Bernard Mikko and Ojukaye Flag-Amachree contested to be the candidate of the party.
Tonye Cole scored 986 votes, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, 190, Sokonte Davies, 49, Micheal West, 43, Bernard Mikko 2, and Magnus Abe -1 vote.
Meanwhile, Abe had from the day before the event announced that he would not take part in the primary elections of the party and noted that he would be on the ballot for the main governorship election in the state.
Last week reports had it that he had left the party even though he denied being the author of the purported letter of resignation.
Whether he denied it or not, the foundations of the party in the state have been severely shaken by the decision of the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu, to pick a Muslim running mate.
Party chieftains have been resigning thereby whittling down the chances of the party and its candidate in 2023.
Cole, however, extended an olive branch to Abe, urging him to sheath his sword and work for the APC to emerge victorious in the 2023 elections, but the plea seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.
With the mass resignation currently ongoing in the state’s chapter of the party particularly, the close allies and loyalists of the party leader, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amechi, Cole’s ambition may be thwarted.
But these happenings in the APC cannot be used as a yardstick to cede victory to the ruling People’s Democratic Party.
Wike’s candidate under anti-graft radar
Governor Nyesom Wike’s favoured candidate, Siminialayi Fubra would in no wise have it smooth. The former Accountant-General in Wike’s administration has been declared wanted by the anti-graft agencies, particularly the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly looting the state’s treasury.
APC as the opposition in the state has feasted on the allegation but a party stalwart confided in The Point that governor Wike would give all that is humanly possible support to the party’s candidate that will ensure that he is properly guided to victory in the 2023 governorship election.
According to him, “Governor Wike’s support for the party’s candidate is 100 per cent. You know Wike does not play back and forth politics and he doesn’t abandon his loyalists at all, no matter the reason.
“If I say PDP will retain power in Rivers State, I am not making empty speculation. Let’s wait and see how Tonye Cole will succeed Wike in Rivers State.”
Abiodun, 12 others to test might in Ogun
In line with guidelines released by INEC for the 2023 general elections, the electoral umpire has released the names of governorship candidates and their political parties in Ogun State.
According to a list, a total of 13 political parties will vie for the number one seat in the state.
The incumbent Governor, Dapo Abiodun, who is seeking reelection will fly the flag of the ruling APC, Ladi Adebutu is the PDP flag during the forthcoming election, while a former Commissioner for Environment during the Otunba Gbenga Daniel’s administration, Anthony Ojesina, is the candidate of the Social Democratic Party.
Other candidates for the governorship election include; Okusanya Adedeji for People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Adelanwa Kayemilola is the candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Harrison Adeyemi is the candidate of AAC, Falana Olufemi is the candidate of APP, while ADP will field Sokunbi Kazeem.
Adebisi Oyewale is the candidate of Accord Party, Jolaoluwa Olutosin is the candidate of APM, NNPP will field Kasim Jakie Adunni, Ogunrombi Tofunmi, while Iskil -Ogunyomi Safiat Olajogun is the candidate of AA.
Amazon set to take over in Adamawa
In Adamawa State, an amazon may have finally appeared on the political arena in the person of Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed, and judging by the “winner-take-all” approach she adopted during the governorship primary of the APC in Yola, whose spoils of the war she plundered and therewith emerged victorious after a controversial contest, it may be safe to say that her sights are now set on the Government House in Yola for a swift takeover.
Young, vibrant, intelligent and ambitious, Ahmed, 50, is widely known as “Binani” and a Senator for Adamawa Central on the platform of the APC, who had her fair share of hobnobbing with the PDP as she used to be a member of the House of Representatives under the umbrella party.
She will try to do the unthinkable by unseating the incumbent governor, Ahmed Umaru Fintiri of the PDP, in a contest political observers predicted would be a two-horse race between the two aforementioned parties.
Though Ahmed is in a political space that suffocates budding female aspirants who hope to contribute their quota to nation-building, she is unfazed and firing on all cylinders.
She has also continued to blaze the trail and set hitherto unimaginable records in the history of governorship contests.
Ahmed became the first woman ever to be nominated by any frontline political party in Adamawa State as its governorship candidate, and the second woman to also be nominated in Nigeria for the same role. She has a Higher Nation Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southampton, UK.
She sent a clear message to governor Fintiri about her electoral appeal and popularity after she trounced former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nuhu Ribadu, in the APC primary, victory political analysts described as no mean feat.
Be that as it may, Ahmed Umaru Fintiri is the new “roadblock” on the path of Aishatu’s governorship ambition. Fintiri, 54, is in a class of his own.
He prides himself to be among the few who defeated an incumbent in an electoral contest in Nigeria.
He did so against Jibrilla Bindow of the APC in 2019, and even when INEC declared that the election is inconclusive, Finitiri cemented his legacy with a resounding victory in the supplementary election that followed.
Schooled in the University of Maiduguri where he obtained a degree in History, and later a post-graduate diploma in Policy and Strategic Studies, Fintiri was a successful businessman before his foray into politics.
He was at a time the Speaker of the Adamawa state House of Assembly, as well as an Acting Governor. He will no doubt be ready to hoist his party flag once again in victory and that is where the ‘war’ would come from.
Warring APC factions on collision course in Akwa Ibom
In Akwa Ibom State, the soul of the APC is still being disputed by warring factions, whose members (now turned bitter rivals) are on a collision course to assert their supremacy, and except for a political solution, the courts may be the final arbiter in the Akwa Ibom State APC face-off.
After the faction loyal to former Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, organized a governorship primary which Akanimo Udofia won, the APC was aghast after the State’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, disregarded the victory and failed to recognise the Akpabio-led faction under whose wings Udofia emerged, and as it stands, the party’s logo may not grace the ballot papers during next year’s election.
Another former stalwart of the APC in the state, John James Akpanudoedehe, who led the other faction, likely sensed cataclysmic consequences for any political ambition he nurtured if he continued to pitch his tent with the party because the loyalty of members was mostly skewed in favour of Akpabio.
He quickly defected to the New Nigeria People’s Party and was eventually announced as the party’s governorship nominee.
“With the mass resignation currently ongoing in the state’s chapter of the party particularly, the close allies and loyalists of the party leader, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Chibuike Amechi, Cole’s ambition may be thwarted”
Akpanudoedehe’s political career is, however, noteworthy. He had served as a local government chairman and was elected as a senator during the heyday of the former head of state, Sani Abacha, who tried to midwife a democracy that was floundering.
Ironically, he served (and successfully, too) as chairman of the Godswill Akpabio governorship campaign organisation, the man his political views are currently at variance with.
At the time of writing this report, Akpanuudoedehe is the new bride of the NNPP. He is also the greatest hindrance to the dreams of incumbent governor, Udom Emmanuel, of the PDP having his anointed candidate, Bassey Udo Eno, 58, who won a controversial primary, installed as governor.
Not leaving anything to chance, one of the candidates in that primary, Akan Okon, has approached the courts, seeking Eno’s disqualification over the latter’s presentation of allegedly forged academic documents.
A savvy businessman who thrives in the hospitality business, Eno, who is also a pastor, came under fire from his current and former employees who accused him of running a slave camp at Royalty Group where he is the Chairman, and also sidelining labour laws, allegations he denied.
Jandour to test popularity with Sanwo-Olu in Lagos
In Lagos State, the incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, is set to slug it out with a former member of the APC in the state, Olajide Adediran, popularly called Jandor.
Adediran had led the grassroots group, Lagos 4 Lagos as a pressure group with APC, but he dumped the party and pitched his tent with the PDP in the state.
For a party that was in disarray, Jandor’s coming for the PDP was a breath of fresh air for it.
Jandor has since then taken yet another audacious step in announcing Thespian, Funke Akindele as his running mate. Nigerians would be waiting to see the electoral value his running mate would bring to the table when 2023 is done.
Where the case of Lagos State becomes interesting is the fact that being the state of the APC Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, it will be a huge fight between the PDP and the APC including its Presidential Candidate because a loss for APC in Lagos will be the last thing the party would want to live to witness since it has been its poster state all along since 1999.
14 candidates eye Ganduje’s seat in Kano
No fewer than 14 political parties have fielded candidates for the governorship election in Kano state in 2023.
The list of the political parties and their candidates were pasted at the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Kano State.
The list of deputy governorship candidates were also displayed, which is in line with the provision of the electoral law.
The State House of Assembly candidates were also pasted at INEC offices at each of the 40 constituencies in the state.
The political parties included APC, PDP, New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Allied Peoples Party (APP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Others are Social Democratic Party (SDP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Labour Party (LP), National Rescue Party (NRP) and African Democratic Congress (ADP).
The remaining are APGA, Action Alliance (AA) and African Action Congress (AAC).
Aishatu Mahmud of NRP is the only female candidate contesting for the governorship seat, while Fatima Muhammad is the only Deputy Governor candidate contesting under the Action Alliance (AA).
The renowned Islamic scholar in Kano, Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil is among the governorship candidates who are contesting under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Also, Kano State Deputy Governor, Nasiru Yusuf-Gawuna, is the APC candidate, while Abba Kabir-Yusuf, popularly called “Abba Gida-gida”, is contesting on the platform of the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP).
The name of Sadiq Wali appeared in the list as PDP candidate, instead of Mohammed Abacha, who was earlier mentioned by the commission as the party candidate.
Responding to the issue, the INEC Public Relations Officer, Adam Ahmad-Maulud, said that the duty of INEC was to supervise conduct of party primary elections.
“It is the responsibility of the parties to submit names of their candidates to INEC.
“And these are the names political parties submitted to INEC as their governorship candidates in Kano state, which we received from INEC in Abuja,” he said.
