Sparks will fly across the nation today as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) holds its primaries to pick candidates for the 2015 governorship election.
The primaries is expected to hold in 28 states, as Edo, Osun, Ondo,Bayelsa, Ekiti, Anambra, Kogi and Kebbi will not hold governorship election next year.
In what predictably will be a tension-soaked contest, a legion of aspirants of the ruling party will slug it out with one another in today’s governorship primaries.
Daily Sun reports that the exercise will see second term PDP governors at the twilight of their tenure battle to influence who emerges as their successor just as their first term colleagues will struggle for a fresh term of four years.
Feelers from the nation’s political landscape indicate that today’s primaries will likely record some upsets, as some incumbent governors seem to have lost grips with the party structure in their states.
The struggle for power ahead of the party primaries has factionalised the PDP in many states of the federation.
In Lagos State, former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, 2007 Lagos State governorship candidate of the defunct Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Mr. Jimi Agbaje, will square up for the primary.
Besides Obanikoro and Agbaje, other aspirants in the contest for the Lagos PDP governorship ticket are Mr. Babatunde Gbadamosi, Dr (Mrs) Modupe Chukwuneke, Ambassador Tokunboh Kamson and Adedeji Doherty.
About 835 delegates comprising delegates from the 241 wards in the state and statutory delegates will be voting today to decide who flies the PDP flag in 2015 Lagos governorship election.
In a statement issued yesterday, the state Chairman of the PDP, Captain Tunji Shelle, promised that the primary election would be free, fair and credible.
In Enugu, the coast seems clear for the emergence of member representing Igboeze North\Udenu Federal Constituency, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi as PDP governorship candidate for Enugu as two other PDP aspirants, Chiefs Anayo Onwuegbu and Chinedu Onuh stepped down for him yesterday. Ugwuanyi will be slugging it out with Senator Ayogu Eze.
Also, in Imo State, the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, will battle with former Imo governor, Ikedi Ohakim and other aspirants for the PDP governorship ticket.
Others in the race are Senator Ifeanyi Araraume and Prof. Jude Njoku among others. In Delta, Sir Tony Obuh will lock horns with the state Deputy Governor, Amos Utuama, Ndudi Elumelu, former speaker, Victor Ochei, Mrs Ngozi Olejeme and others.
In Nasarawa State, former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, Senator Solomon Ewuga, the state Deputy Governor, Dameshi Luka and the immediate past governor of the state, Akwe Doma will battle for the PDP ticket.
While in Bauchi, former PDP national chairmanship aspirant, Musa Babayo, deputy Senate leader, Abdul Ningi and others will sweat it out for the governorship slot.
The situation will be the same in Kano State where Mohammed Abacha, son of the late head of state, General Sani Abacha, will trade tackles with Salihu Tarkai and others for the party ticket.
In Adawawa State, Governor James Ngilari, Ahmed Modibo, former chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu and Auwal Tukur, son of former PDP national chairman, Alhaji Bamangar Tukur will be contending for the PDP ticket.
SOURCE: SUN NEWSPAPER
