The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has shifted its governorship primary elections slated to hold in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States to April 14.
The shift is necessitated by the Easter Monday Holiday which fell on April 10, the date earlier picked by the party to hold the primary election.
The adjustment was made few days ago by the ruling party.
However, the screening of the governorship aspirants from the three states slated to start today, March 23 to Sunday, March 26 will hold as scheduled.
The screening exercise will hold at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the governorship elections in the Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo Dtates for Saturday, November 11, 2023.
Information at the disposal of vitalnews indicated that Kogi State has the highest number of governorship aspirants out of the three states.
Incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello from the central senatorial district of the state will be completing his second term in office on January 27, 2024.
Interestingly , 18 aspirants have each paid N60million to collect the expression of interest and nomination forms to enable them to participate in the April 14 governorship primary.
The aspirants jostling to take over from Bello include Hon. James Abiodun Faleke and Senator Smart Adeyemi who are from Kogi West Senatorial District which remain the only zone that has not been able to produce a democratically elected governor since the creation of the state and start of democracy in Nigeria.
Former Governors Abubakar Audu, Ibrahim Idris and Idris Wada are all from Kogi East while the incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello is from Kogi central .
Other aspirants battling to succede Bello are Abdulkareem Asuku, the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello, the deputy governor of the state, Edward David Onoja, , Deputy National Publicity Secretary of APC, Hon. Muritala Yakubu Ajaka,
Prince Shauibu Abubakar Audu, Sanusi Ohiare, Salami Momodu O. Deedat and Usman Ododo, Auditor- General, Local Government.
Others are Senator Oseni Yakubu, Halima Alfa, Momoh Jibrin , Alh. Yusuf Yakubu Okala and Hon. Asiru Idris, Prof. Stephen Ikani Ocheni, Abubakar Yahaya Achimugu, Alhaji Friday Idachab and David Jimoh
Checks at the Directorate of Organisation of the party in Abuja showed that the second term bid of Governor Hope Obidika Uzordima of Imo State seems sealed as he is the only aspirant that picked the party’s governorship expression of interest and nomination forms from the state
For Bayelsa State, six aspirants picked and submitted an expression of Interest and nomination forms.
They include the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipreye Silva, who will be slugging out the party’s ticket with his former protege and 2019 governor-elect, Chief David Pereworimini Lyon.
Also on tbe ballot for the April 14 party primary in Bayelsa state are Ogbomade Isikima Johnson, Prof. Ongoebi Etebu Maureen, Festus Daumiebi Sunday and Joshua Maciver.
According to schedule of activities and time- table for the three governorship elections, screening of aspirants is slated for 24th to 26th March, names of cleared aspirants will be published on Tuesday, March 28, while the screening appeal committee will begin sitting in Abuja on Wednesday 29th March.
The governorship primaries of the three states are billed to hold on the 14th of April 2023. (vitalnewsngr.com)
