Road to 2015: Kwankaso returns to Kano as voting starts

Kwankaso returns to Kano as voting starts By Ademola Adebayo & Balarabe Alkasim  Voting is about to start at the All Progressisves congress’ convention in Teslim Balogun stadium in Lagos even as one of the aspirants, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwakwaso has left the venue for Kano state.   The governor  made the return trip following a […]

Kwankaso returns to Kano as voting starts

By Ademola Adebayo & Balarabe Alkasim 

Voting is about to start at the All Progressisves congress’ convention in Teslim Balogun stadium in Lagos even as one of the aspirants, Governor Rabiu Musa Kwakwaso has left the venue for Kano state.

 

The governor  made the return trip following a bomb blast this afternoon at the Kantin Kwari market in Kano.

 

 

Buhari tipped to emerge APC presidential flag bearer-Delegates

Kayode Kundayo & Femi Akinola, Lagos

Former head of state General Muhammadu Buhari may emerge the eventual winner of the on-going presidential primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) holding in Lagos.

Some of the delegates from Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Imo, Osun, Plateau and Nassarawa states who spoke to Daily Trust at the convention ground said they have been mandated to cast their votes for Buhari by the leadership of the party in their states.

Twelve governors are believed to have endorsed the candidature of General Buhari at a close door meeting which held till 7.30 pm on Tuesday.

As a result, the meeting which was attended by all the APC governors and leadership of the party, the convention billed to start by 8 pm was yet to start at 10.30 pm.

All the aspirants were yet to arrive the venue at 10.30 pm and this has given the state governors opportunity to walk around to meet their delegates in what look like last minutes moves to halt any dissident among them.
Meanwhile, the Kano state governor Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso who is one of the aspirants was reported to have flown back to Kano from Lagos after a twin suicide bombed rocked a busy Kanti-Kwari market earlier in the day.

Chairman of the party’s convention planning committee, Dr. Kayode Fayemi said the five aspirants have all pledged to abide by the outcome of the election and support the eventual winner. 

 

Fayemi: ‘No presidential aspirant stepped down’

Balarabe Alkassim & Ademola Adebayo 

Contrary to earlier reports, chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention committee, Kayode Fayemi has said none of the party’s presidential candidates has stepped down for other candidates running for the party’s ticket.

Speaking to journalists at the venue of the convention on Wednesday night, Fayemi who is the former governor of Ekiti state said all the candidates were still in the race and the party will conduct a free, fair and transparent primary.

He said the party will in accordance with the electoral act choose its candidate through indirect primaries by the delegates accredited by the party which were drawn from all the states of the country and the FCT.

Earlier reports especially from the social medial and blogs had said Imo state governor Rochas Okorocha, Kano state governor Rabiu Kwakwanso and Leadership publisher Sam Nda-Isaiah had stepped down for former head of state Gen Muhammadu Buhari.

Fayemi said: ” I don’t have any aspirants that have stepped down, I am not aware of any aspirant that has stepped down.” 

On the cause of the delay for the convention to kick off, Fayemi said: “We can’t be sharing space with Abuja people. We want Nigerians to watch them and see what they want to do, so when they finish their coronation we will start our election.” 

When asked to confirm the authenticity of the report that some aspirant have stepped down for General Mohammadu Buhari, Fayemi said: ” I don’t have any aspirant that have stepped down, I am not aware of any aspirant that has stepped down.” 

However, Mr Tony Oneweek who was anchoring the event had announced that the convention would formally pick up at 8 pm.

 

PDP delegates concludes voting at convention
Saawua Terzungwe
About 3, 073 delegates across the country have concluded voting at the on-going national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the Eagle Square in Abuja.
They are casting their votes for the positions of National Chairman, Secretary and Auditor of the party at the national level.
Delegates from different states queued up to cast their votes based on state.
Even though national chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mua’zu and Secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo had been steering the affairs of the party, it said their positions must be ratified through voting by delegates in order to officially confirm them as substantive national leaders of the party.
Some of the delegates interviewed by Daily Trust confirmed that the exercise was going on smoothly as planned.

Party officials told our correspondent that President Jonathan will also be ratified tomorrow as the party’s candidate for the 2015 general elections.

 

PDP convention yet to kick-off in Abuja

Saawua Terzungwe, Abuja

the national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is about to kick off in Abuja at the Eagle Square.
The convention is aimed at ratifying President Goodluck Jonathan as the party’s candidate for the 2015 general elections.
Preparations at the venue for the national convention kicked off on Tuesday with canopies erected at the venue of the exercise.
The convention which was supposed to officially commence by 2:00pm on Wednesday was yet to commence.
However, security operatives have been seen patrolling the premises of the Eagle Square while others are stationed in strategic areas around the square.
Participants who have started arriving at the venue are being screened by security operatives as they request to see their accreditation tags.

Fayemi says PDP convention a coronation of Jonathan
Femi Akinola, Lagos

Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) National Convention and Presidential primary, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has described the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) convention going on in Abuja as the coronation of a consensus candidate.

Fayemi who inside the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere venue of the convention argued that what APC was about to do in Lagos was real election after the five party presidential aspirants have been screened and qualified to run on its party.
President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to be formally endorsed by party delegates on Wednesday night in Abuja after he was earlier adopted as the sole presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party by most of its organs.
According to him, what is most important for the APC is the process with which its presidential flag bearer emerged and not who win.

He added that there are two types of delegate that will vote at the primary. The first are delegates elected by the party at state level and statutory delegates who are present and past public office holders.

Fayemi however made it clear that voting will not be done simultaneously as erroneously disclosed by Senator Babafemi Ojudu. He noted that voting exercise would be done state by state in alphabetical order starting with Abia to Zamfara State.

He also said each of the aspirants, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Alhaji Rabiu Kwakwanso, Mr. Sam Nda-Isiah and Chief Rochas Okorocha would be given last opportunity to address the delegates before commencement of vote.

 

Buhari is the candidate to adopt –Fashakin
Ademola Adebayo
A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Engr Rotimi Fashakin has said General Muhamadu Buhari should be adopted as the party’s presidential flag bearer for the party to stand any chance of defeating incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in next year’s polls.
Fashakin, a former scribe of defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in Lagos was reacting to rumour that about 12 APC governors have reached an agreement to support Muhammadu Buhari. Although Fashakin denied knowledge of the report, he was quick to throw his weight behind the Daura born General.

 

APC deploys electronic score board for presidential primary
Ademola Adebayo, who is in Lagos
To ensure a transparent voting and counting process, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has installed an electronic score board to display results of its presidential primary holding today at the Teslim Balogun stadium in Lagos.
At least 8,000 delegates of the party are gathering at the Stadium in Lagos to pick the party’s flag bearer.

 

APC presidential primary: Voting to start 4pm-Ojodu
Femi Akinola, Lagos
A member of the National Committee of the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential committee Senator Obafemi Ojudu has said voting will commence at 4pm on Wednesday at the party’s presidential primary holding in Lagos.

Ojudu said this in an interview with Daily Trust earlier on Wednesday. He said the voting is expected to be quick as 50 polling booths have been prepared for the exercise and that each state will use a polling booth while voting would be done simultaneously.

According to him, delegates’ accreditation has been done in the states saying “delegates are to come in, do their verification while they would be given a tag that will enable them participate in the voting exercise.”

Meanwhile, thousands of APC delegates from the 36 states of the federation are now moving into the Teslim Balogun Stadium, venue of the primary for verification of their identities.

Some delegates were already inside the stadium and checking their names to obtain their voting tags at the time of filing this story.
All members of the National Committee were around moving putting finishing touches on their preparations.
Leader of the committee, former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi was leading the team. He said he could not speak to newsmen just yet.

In the meantime, gaining entrance into the stadium is a herculean task Daily Trust observed. There is heavy presence of security men manning the facilities, warding-off unwelcome guests.