Senate race Kwankwaso, Yuguda, others beat deadline

Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and eight of his counterparts who have secured their parties’ tickets to run for Senate were among the hundreds whose names have been forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday.Others are Governors Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi), […]

Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and eight of his counterparts who have secured their parties’ tickets to run for Senate were among the hundreds whose names have been forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday.
Others are Governors Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), and Theodore Orji (Abia).
Two other governors – Sullivan Chime of Enugu and Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta – who had also shown interest didn’t succeed in clinching their party’s tickets.
Niger State deputy chairman of the PDP Tanko Deji told Daily Trust that everything concerning the aspiration of Governor (Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu) has been taken care of and submitted to the national headquarters of the party.
Media adviser to Governor Jang of Plateau State, Mr. Ayuba Pam, said the state chapter of the PDP has forwarded the name of the governor among other candidates for the National Assembly seats to the national headquarters of the party for onward transmission to INEC.
Deputy Chief press secretary to the Bauchi governor, Danlami Babantakko, also confirmed to our correspondent that the governor’s forms have been duly submitted to INEC.
Bid to beat dealine
INEC had given political parties up to Wednesday (yesterday) 8pm to submit the forms of their candidates for the February 14, 2015 National Assembly election. This is in line with Section 31 (1) of the Electoral Act 2010 which requires parties to submit the forms of their candidates to the electoral body not later than 60 days before election.
Spokesman to the INEC chairman, Kayode Idowu, confirmed the deadline set by the electoral body, adding that many of the state chapters as well as individuals were on queue at the INEC headquarters to submit their forms.
He said those who gained entrance into the premises of the electoral body by 8pm last night would be attended to, while those who come after would be shut out.
He however refused to say how many parties have made it to the INEC headquarters and declined further details.
Our correspondent who was at the INEC headquarters however observed that officials of various parties fielding candidates for the elections were making desperate bids to submit the forms as the chairmen and secretaries of the parties were required to sign on each form.
Political parties which are fielding candidates for the presidential election, scheduled to take place on the same day with that of the National Assembly, were also at the INEC headquarters to submit the forms of their candidates.
INEC asked the parties to submit the names of nominees with the signature of each political party’s recognised national chairman and national secretary to forestall controversy.
The All Progress Congress (APC) was seen rushing to enter the collection centre at around 8:15pm, with two big bags.
Other parties seen rushing to be enlisted before the closure of the collection included the National Conscience Party (NCP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Labour Party (LP), Accord Party (AP), KOWA party, Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), the Independent Democrats and ACPN.
Ndoma-Egba, others out
Daily Trust reports that many senators failed to secure their parties tickets to return to the red chamber, while some did not even shown interest in returning to the National Assembly. They also did not cross over to other parties to pursue their ambition. They include Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba, whose fourth term bid to represent Cross River Central, was cut short by John Owan-Enoh, who represents Obubra/Etung Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Others are Senators Bassey Otu (Cross River), Uche Chukwumerije, and Nkwechi Wogu (Abia), Esther Nenadi Usman and General Sani Saleh (Kaduna), Ayogu Eze (Enugu), Chris Anyanwu (Imo), Margery Okadigbo (Anambra), Ita Enang, Aloysius Etuk and Helen Usuene (Akwa Ibom).
The rest are Edesiri Aguariavwodo (Delta), Babayo Garba Gamawa and Adamu Gumba (Bauchi), Victor Lar (Plateau), Abubakar Umar Tutare (Taraba), Ibrahim Musa and Shem Nuhu Zagabyi (Niger), Sadiq Yar’adua and Hadi Sirika (Katsina),
Saidu Alkali (Gombe), Maina Ma’aji Lawan (Borno), Hassan Barata (Adamawa), Abdulazeez Usman (Jigawa) and Ganiyu Solomon from Lagos.