The Peoples Democratic Party may not field candidates in Oyo and Anambra states during the April general elections as the Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday rejected the lists of candidates from the states. Investigations by our correspondents showed that the commission rejected the list from Oyo because the state chapter of the PDP did not complete its congresses.
It was also learnt that the Anambra State PDP’s list was rejected because the group that brought it was not recognised. The PDP had listed Oyo State Governor, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, as its governorship candidate for the state and Ms. Jumoke Akinjide as the senatorial candidate for Oyo Central. The party’s list did not include Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin, as the senatorial candidate for Oyo Central.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Kayode Idowu, confirmed the rejection of the two lists to one of our correspondents on Monday night. “Öyo PDP’s list was rejected because they did not complete their primaries and the executive was not in place. Anambra was rejected because the group that brought the list is not recognised,” Idowu said.
Asked if the rejection of the lists meant that PDP would not field candidates in the states since the deadline for parties to conclude their primaries is January 15, Idowu replied, “That seems to be the implication.” Before Idowu made this known, nearly all the parties had submitted the names of their candidates in compliance with the January 31 deadline set by INEC.
THE PUNCH learnt that many of those who believed they had either won their primaries or secured court orders would not find their names on the lists, especially those of the ruling PDP. A member of the PDP National Working Committee described the list signed by the party’s Acting National Chairman, Dr. Bello Mohammed, and the National Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Baraje, as a ‘list of life.’
The NWC member, who did not want his name in print because he was not permitted to speak on the issue, confirmed that many aspirants who thought they had scaled through would be disappointed. He said aspirants such as Brig.-Gen. Adetunji Olurin (retd.), Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello and Folarin were among those whose names were conspicuously missing from the list.
Olurin had emerged as a candidate at the governorship primaries conducted by a faction of the PDP in Ogun State loyal to former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The faction also elected Obasanjo-Bello as the senatorial candidate for Ogun Central. Gboyega Isiaka, who won the primaries conducted by the rival group loyal to Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, was listed among the governorship candidates.
Also, Lola Abiola-Edewor, the daughter of the winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, the late Chief MKO Abiola, had her name on the list of senatorial candidates. Abiola-Edewor emerged as candidate at the primaries conducted by the Daniel faction for Ogun Central.
There was, however, uncertainty around PDP’s list for Ogun as INEC drew the attention of the party’s officials to a court order restraining it from submitting the roll from the state. As expected, the PDP submitted the names of President Goodluck Jonathan and Alhaji Namadi Sambo as its presidential candidate and running mate respectively.
On the list as governorship candidates are Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto), Aliyu Shinkafi (Zamafara), Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi), Fatai Ahmed (Kwara), Patrick Yakowa (Kaduna) and Rabiu Kwankwanso (Kano).
Others are Jonah Jang (Plateau), Jubrin Isa (Kogi), Suntai Danbaba (Taraba), Muritala Nyako (Adamawa), Mohammed Goni (Borno), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Ibrahim Dankwanbo (Gombe), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Aliyu Shinkafi (Zamafara), Alhaji Usman Albishir (Yobe).
The names of the candidates for the Senate included Jumoke Akinjide- Balogun (Oyo Central), Smart Adeyemi (Kogi West) and Dangana Ocheje (Kogi East). The name of Alhaji Dangana Ocheje, who won the primaries for Kogi Central was missing from the list.
The name of Clever Ikisipo Bayelsa East was submitted instead of that of the incumbent Senator Barigha Amange. In Kwara State, the names of the three senatorial candidates — Dr. Bukola Saraki (Kwara Central), Shaaba Lafiagi(Kwara North) and Simon Ajibola (East)—were submitted by the PDP.
The former Secretary to the Delta State Government, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, also made the list of senatorial candidates from the state. The PDP had arrived at the commission’s office with Ghana-must-go bags containing documents believed to be the credentials and the nomination forms of the candidates.
The list and documents were taken to INEC by the National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Prince Uche Secondus and the National Legal Adviser, Chief Olusola Oke, in a black Toyota Prado marked FG 01 K16. The Acting National Chairman of the PDP had earlier told journalists that the party did not conduct re-run primaries in most of the states it had planned to hold them.
This, he explained, was because of concerns raised by INEC on the time limit for the primaries. He said the party was prepared to abide by judicial pronouncements on the dispute over the Kogi Central Senatorial ticket. The Labour Party and the All Progressive Grand Alliance were the first parties to submit their lists to INEC.
Action Congress of Nigeria and Accord Party also arrived at the INEC headquarters almost at the same time as the PDP. Before then, the ACN National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had assured that the party would meet the 12 midnight deadline set by INEC for all the parties to submit their lists.
Also, the Director- General of the Mohammadu Buhari Campaign Organisation, Alhaji Sule Hamman, said that the Congress for Progressive Change would beat the deadline.
No comments:
Post a Comment