There was confusion when Senator Hope Uzodinma, who contested the Imo State governorship primary, was among senate aspirants cleared to contest against Okorocha.
Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) has cleared governors of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Zamfara’s Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari, Senator Ibikunle Amosun in Ogun and that of Nasarawa, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, to contest for Senate seats on its platform.
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In a statement signed by the acting National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, the national leadership equally revealed that senators like Godswill Akpabio, Ahmed Sani, Gbenga Ashafa, Solomon Adeola, George Akume, Oluremi Tinubu, Abdullahi Adamu will be contesting their senate seats unopposed.
Other notable members of the party the NWC cleared to participate in the senate primary include former governor of Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, former national publicity secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Adedayo Adeyeye.
Others include Yele Omogunwa and Omotayo Alasodura from Ondo State. They are flying the party flag unopposed as they emerged the only cleared aspirants from the state.
Senators Ahmed Abubakar, Binta Masi Garba (Adamawa) Yusuf Abubakar (Taraba), Governor Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe), senator Tijanni Kaura and Ikra Bilbis (Zamfara), senator Buhari Abdulfatai (Oyo), Senator Andy Uba (Anambra) and Suleiman Abdu Kwari (Kaduna) are also running unopposed.
Also, Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan is contesting for the Yobe North ticket with Mohammed Lawan Yahuza. However, two former governors who have served three terms in the senate Ahmed Sani Yerima, of Zamfara State, and Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe), were not on the list as they had earlier indicated they would not be returning to the chamber.
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National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, has said at different fora that it will be ungodly for the party not to reward loyal senators who stood by the party in its trying period, who resisted all attempts to lure them away from the APC.
There was confusion, however, when Senator Hope Uzodinma, who contested the Imo State governorship primary, was among senate aspirants cleared to contest against Okorocha.
In a separate statement, the ruling party, announced that the senate primary will commence in some states, today.
Meanwhile, Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, former governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani and a member of the Board of Trustees, Chief Chris Uba, have picked the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial tickets in Enugu and Anambra states.
While Ekweremadu won the Enugu West senatorial District primary, Nnamani clinched that of Enugu East. Uba picked the Anambra South ticket for the 2019 poll.
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In his acceptance speech, Ekweremadu declared the primary election as the best in the country and an example in free, fair and credible election.
On his part, Nnamani defeated the incumbent, Gil Nnaji, to clinch the ticket, although the election would be concluded today with the balloting of Nkanu West Local Government Area, which would not change the outcome of the exercise.
Nnamani, who won in absentia, polled 597 votes, while Nnaji got 69.
