PDP guber tickets:Maku, Chukwu, Wogu defeated

Most former ministers, who quit President Goodluck Jonathan cabinet to contest the governorship election of their respective states under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), suffered defeat in the party’s primaries held yesterday.From Nasarawa State, former minister of information, Labaran Maku was defeated by Yusuf Agabi. Former health minister Onyebuchi Chukwu and his labour counterpart Emeka […]

Most former ministers, who quit President Goodluck Jonathan cabinet to contest the governorship election of their respective states under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), suffered defeat in the party’s primaries held yesterday.
From Nasarawa State, former minister of information, Labaran Maku was defeated by Yusuf Agabi. Former health minister Onyebuchi Chukwu and his labour counterpart Emeka Wogu failed to get the governorship tickets for Ebonyi and Abia states respectively.
Former minister of education Nyesom Wike won in Rivers, while former state minister for defence Musiliu Obanikoro was

reportedly defeated by Jimi Agbaje in Lagos. Former trade, commerce and investment minister Samuel Ortom who is running for the ticket in Benue state is yet to know his fate.
How they crashed out
In Nasarawa State, Yusuf Agabi got 214 votes to defeat Maku (161 votes), Aliyu Akwe Doma (129 votes), Solomon Ewuga (38), and John Michael Abdu (28 votes).
In Ebonyi, Chukwu lost to the state deputy governor, Mr David Umahi, who polled 541 votes of the 592 votes cast.
Chukwu alongside supporters and associates of Governor Martin Elechi boycotted the primaries.
Reports said that Governor Elechi, who is at loggerheads with his predecessor, Dr Sam Egwu, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, may likely leave the PDP.
In Abia, Wogu lost the ticket to Okezie Ikpeazu. The chairman of the election committee in Abia Dr Angella Mba said Ikpeazu polled 487 votes to defeat Wogu (33), Dr Uche Ogah (103), Achu Nwakama (5), Friday Nwosu (5) and Mac Nwagbara (3).
Ribadu, Wike, others win
In Adamawa State, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Malam Nuhu Ribadu was also elected as PDP’s governorship candidate of the state.
Ribadu polled 688 votes to beat the incumbent governor, James Bala Ngilari who scored 26 votes in the primaries held in Abuja.
Ahmed Modibbo got 30, Marcus Gundiri 33, Aliyu Kama 3 and Awwal Tukur 24.
in Rivers State, Wike survived opposition to his ambition including protests by aspirants at the PDP headquarters in Abuja to emerge the governorship flag bearer in Rivers with 1,083 votes.
Only four of the 20 aspirants participated in the election.
The four aspirants – Senator Lee Maeba, Engr. Emmanuel Georgewill, Ibinabo Micheal West and Dinbari Ben Dimkpa got a total of 26 votes.
In Kaduna, the incumbent Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero won the primaries with 970 votes against Haruna Zego Aziz’s one (1).
Three other aspirants Hassan Hyat, Samaila Yakawada and John Ajeye withdrew from the race hours before the primaries.
In Jigawa, Malam Aminu Ringim, the anointed candidate of Governor Sule Lamido emerged as the party’s candidate.
Ringim had already picked State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Nuruddeen Muhammed as running mate.
The former chief of staff to Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu, Mohammed Umar Nasko emerged as the winner of the guber race in Niger with 908 votes, defeating the state deputy governor Ahmed Musa Ibeto who got 34 votes.
Engineer Musa Nashuni also emerged as the party’s candidate in Katsina State, amidst protests and walk out by eight other aspirants.
Nashuni, who is the anointed candidate of Governor Ibrahim Shema polled 1,309 votes out of the total 1348 votes cast.
In Oyo state, former Senate leader Senator Teslim Folarin was elected as the guber candidate of the party.
Out of the 197 total votes cast, Folarin got 157, former state Governor Christopher Adebayo Alao Akala (2), Professor Soji Adejumo (4), Dr Azeez Adeduntan (3) and Alhaji Azeez Gbolarumi (12).
In Cross River, Senator Ben Ayade won the primaries by polling 752 votes. He defeated his closest rival Joe Ajigi, who got 11 votes.
In Enugu, a member of House of Representatives Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi won the primaries, by defeating Senator Ayogu Eze, Prof. Onyeke A. Onyeke and Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Eugene Odo.
Ugwuanyi got 933 votes of the total 963 cast, beating his closest rival Odo who polled 26 votes.
In Delta State, Senator Authur Ifeanyi Okowa won the PDP gubernatorial primaries. He polled 406 votes to beat his closest rival, David Edevbie, who polled 219 votes.
Intrigues in Kano
Our correspondent in Kano reports that ministers of education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and that of foreign affairs Ambassador Aminu Wali, as well as other elders of the party met with the seven governorship aspirants in a last minute attempt to come up with a consensus candidate.
In Kwara, the election was postponed indefinitely, Daily Trust learnt last night. The postponement followed rowdiness that trailed the exercise as delegates disagreed with one another snowballing into a free for all.
One of the aspirants who preferred anonymity confirmed the development to our correspondent, saying he hurriedly left the place when the atmosphere “became too tense”.
Obasanjo, Bankole shun Ogun primary
In Ogun, the party’s primary election was cancelled as former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former state Governor Gbenga Daniel boycotted it.
Some of the aspirants absent include former Speaker House of Representatives Dimeji Bankole,  Sarafa Ishola, Anthony Ojesina, Remi Bakare, Isiaq Akinlade and Alhaji Rafiu Ogunleye.
Only three aspirants- Omoba Segun Adewale, Hon. Jelili Amussan and the winner of the primaries, Gboyega Isiaka were present.
Gunshots, teargas in Lagos
In Lagos, the election was marred by sporadic gun shots and tear-gassing by some people believed to be hoodlums.
Some of the major aspirants include Musiliu Obanikoro, Jimi Agbaje, Owolabi Salis, Adedeji Doherty and Babatunde Gbadamosi.
About 900 delegates were scheduled to participate in the elections being contested by 11 aspirants.
The pandemonium was believed to have been caused by some supporters of one of the aspirants mid-way to the accreditation of delegates.
In Kebbi State, the primary was nullified following protest by five aspirants against discrepancies in the comprehensive list of delegates.
The aggrieved aspirants are deputy governor Ibrahim K. Aliyu, Senator Muhammadu Magoro, General Muhammadu Dan Hanne Isah (rtd), Alhaji Zubairu Turaki and Dr Musa Zagi Argungu.
In Taraba, there was controversy over the postponement of the primaries.
A statement by the state party chairman, Victor Bala Kona said the voting was postponed due to the inability of the PDP National Working Committee to resolve some internal electoral procedures for the state.
Also, the election in Zamfara has been postponed to today over hitches ranging from tags, accreditation and list of delegates, the state commissioner of police Alhaji Baba Tijjani said.
Daily Trust learnt that there is disagreement among the contestants over the credibility of the delegates in the state as allegations and counter allegations ensued between the contestants.
In Sokoto, the governorship primary appeared to be heading for a stalemate following an objection raised by one of the aspirant and deputy Governor of the state, Barrister Muktari Shagari over the timing for the commencement of the election.
Shagari said that the timing was wrong as it would only pave way for election irregularities.
The accreditation of the 989 delegates which ought to had started by 7am at Giginya Memorial Stadium, venue of the congress commenced around 3pm and was prolonged up to 10pm after which the chairman of the electoral panel, Senator U.U Dukku called for the commencement of voting which was instantly objected to by the deputy governor.
Shagari’s protest came barely few hours after another aspirant and former Minister of Transport, Alhaji Yusuf Sulaiman announced his boycott of the congress on ground of unresolved lingering problems in the state chapter of the party and the inaction of the national leadership of the party towards resolving them in spite series of petitions.
He accused the chairman of the electoral panel of delaying the process up to a very late hour, the action which he described as uncalled for.
In Plateau State, voting started around 7.44 pm yesterday at the Rwam Pam Stadium in Jos after hours of arguments that started with questions over labeling of ballot boxes after LGAs, to disagreements over poor lighting of the venue and discrepancies in lists of delegates.
Sen. Gyang Pwajok is battling with the state Deputy Governor, Mr. Ignatius Longjan, Amb. Fidelis Tapgun, Engr. Jimmy Cheto, Prof. Lanngmas Wapmuk, Sen. Victor Lar, Hon. Godsfry Miri, Hon. Nicholas Nshe and Hon. Wuyep.
Sorting of votes started in Plateau PDP governorship primary at 9.07 pm and was still on at the time of going to press.
In Benue, the state deputy governor, Mr. Stephen Lawani, reportedly picked the PDP nomination form, along with Mr Simon Anchaver, Dr Gabriel Nyitse and Mr Felix Atume. Former minister of state for industry, trade and investment, Dr. Samuel Ortom, who earlier threatened to quit the PDP is also said to be in the race. The primary was yet to commence as at 10:30pm last night.
Daily trust reports that governorship elections will not hold in Kogi, Ekiti, Osun, Edo, Anambra, Bayelsa and Ondo states in 2015, as the governors were elected at different times after the 2011 elections.

Additional reports by Habibu Umar (Katsina), Onimisi Alao (Jos), Misbahu Bashir (Kaduna), Ismail Mudashiru (Kano), Abdullahi Anako (Dutse), Aliyu Hamagam (Minna), Abubakar Auwal (Sokoto), Hir Joseph (Lafia),Linus Effiong (Umuahia), Victor Edozie (Port Harcourt), Saawua Terzungwe (Abuja), Dele Ogunyemi (Ibadan), Kehinde Akinyemi (Abeokuta), Tony Adibe (Enugu), Itodo Daniel Sule (Jalingo), Nurudeen Oyewole (Lagos), Abdullateef Aliyu (Ilorin), Garba Muhammad (Birnin Kebbi) & Hope Abah (Makurdi)