A 75-year-old former military governor and senator, Jeremiah Useni, Governors Mohammed Badaru and Simon Lalong, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Usani, ex-deputy governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Adebayo Adelabu, former minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Bala Mohammed emerged as flag bearers of their various political parties at gubernatorial primary elections held in different states yesterday. Other who were also elected included Profs. Babagana Zulum and Pat Utomi, Abdullahi Sule, Bello Mohammed Matawale, David Umbugadu and Isa Galaudu.
READ ALSO: Primaries : Ambode tasks NWC panel on fairness for all aspirants
PLATEAU
To pick the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State, General Useni scored 2,018 to beat 12 others.
Member representing Shendam, Quanpan, Mikang federal constituency, Johnbull Shekarau came second with 340 votes while former senator representing Plateau South, Victor Lar polled 249 votes.
Gen. Useni dedicated his victory at the primaries to God and the delegates who believed in his ability to drive the state to remarkable success and out of insecurity.
He would have to take on Governor Simon Lalong, who emerged as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Lalong was affirmed through a voice vote, being the only aspirant.
JIGAWA, BAUCHI
In Jigawa State, Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar defeated Ubale Hashim to fly the flag of the APC for second term.
He would have Mallam Aminu Ibrahim Ringim of the PDP to contend with. Ringim netted 2,027 to defeat four other contestants.
In Bauchi State, former FCT minister, Bala Mohammed of the PDP polled 1,335 votes to defeat Senator Abdul Ningi and Senator Adamu Gumba with 802 and 15 votes respectively.
It is unclear who his opponent would be as the outcome of the APC governorship primary election, held on Sunday is yet to be known following between the three contestants and the governor.
Former minister of Police Affairs, Dr. Yakubu Lame, former minister of state for Health, Dr. Ali Pate and Captain Bala Jibrin have accused incumbent Governor Mohammed Abubakar of plot to rig the primary through vote buying and printing of illegal cards for fake delegates.
CROSS RIVER, DELTA
However, the battle for the leadership of Cross River witnessed the conduct of parallel primary elections with Usani emerging candidate of one of the factions after beating Senator John Owan Enoh, Eyo Etim Nyong, John Ukpan Odey and Edem Duke, former minister of Tourism.
INEC representative, Nkech Ekweme, described the primary in the state as peaceful, free, fair, and credible.
Similarly, the APC primary in Delta State produced two candidates with the emergence of former candidate of the Labour Party in the 2015 election, Chief Great Ogboru and Prof. Pat Utomi in parallel congress.
Ogboru who had contested the governorship election in five previous attempts on the platform of various opposition parties, was declared winner at a parallel primary conducted by the Jones Erue-led state executive committee.
He defeated three other aspirants including Utomi, Victor Ochei and Dr. Cairo Ojougboh.
The Returning Officer, Lawrence Onoja said Ogboru scored 3,292 delegate votes to defeat Ochei, Utomi and Ojougboh who scored 160, 26 and 12 votes respectively.
But Utomi had on Sunday pulled out of the exercise and called for its postponement over alleged failure of the party to make available the list of delegates for the election to the various aspirants.
READ ALSO: Pat Utomi emerges Delta APC guber candidate in parallel primary
He claimed the process was flawed with irregularities, saying that it was skewed and in favour of one of the contenders.
Regardless, Ogboru called on his co-contestants to join hands with him to defeat the PDP and Governor Ifeanyi Okowa.
Meanwhile, Prof. Utomi was declared APC governorship candidate at a parallel primary conducted by the Cyril Ogodo-led state executive committee with 2,486 votes to defeat Ogboru and two others.
NASARAWA
In Nasarawa, Group Managing Director of Dangote Sugar Refinery Abdullahi Sule and anointed candidate of Governor Tanko Al-Makura would fly the APC flag, having polled 926 votes to beat his closest rival, Aliyu Ahmed Wadada who garnered 519 votes and the deputy governor Silas Ali Agara with 356 votes.
Meanwhile, a member of the House of Representatives, representing Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon and Wamba Federal Constituency of Nasarawa State David Umbugadu emerged as candidate of the PDP.
Umbugadu who contested along with other four aspirants including former FCT minister, Senator Solomon Ewuga and incumbent senator for Nasarawa North, Senatort Philip Gyunka, former deputy governor Damishi Luka and Senator Patricial Akwashiki.
Umbugadu polled 745 votes to defeat Ewuga who scored 551, Gyunka, 123, and Damishi, 18. One of the candidates, Sen. Akwashiki step down.
KEBBI
Senator Isa Galaudu, former Chief of staff to the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki was declared winner of the Kebbi State PDP) primary election with 1, 072 votes.
He defeated Umar Tafida who scored 720, Buhari Bala and Abubakar Mallam with 322 and 28 votes respectively.
KADUNA
In Kaduna, erstwhile member of House of Representatives, Isa Ashiru Kudan emerged flagbearer of the PDP.
Ashiru, who was the first runner up in the 2015 APC primary that produced Governor Nasir El-Rufai, is once again the major force against the governor who will be seeking reelection in 2019.
READ ALSO: Kaduna 2019: Isa Ashiru wins PDP primary, to challenge Gov. el-Rufai
Ashiru raked in 1,330 out of the 2,654 delegates that voted at the primaries election held at the Kaduna International Trade Fair Complex along Kaduna-Zaria dual carriageway.
Former Director General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mohammed Sani Sidi finished with 569 votes while Senator representing Kaduna North Senatorial District, Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi polled 564 votes.
The immediate past governor of the state, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero got 36 votes while business mogul, Shuaibi Idris Miqati got 16.
OYO
In Oyo state, Adelabu created an upset to emerge as the governorship candidate of the ruling APC.
He was announced winner at 4 a.m. yesterday by chairman of the congress committee, Mr. Ademola Seriki, former minister of Defence, after he polled 4,889 to defeat his challengers, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, former governor of the state, who scored 65 votes and former Commissioner of Health, Dr. Azeez Adeduntan, who had seven votes.
At the start of the primaries on Sunday, three among the remaining five aspirants stepped down.
Former commissioner for Health, Dr. Babalola Owolabi, who hails from Ibadan and Dr. Olusola Ayandele, from Ibarapa political division, stepped down and declared their supports for Adelabu. Mr. Olasunkanmi Tegbe, also stepped down, but did not declare support for another person.
Adelabu, Adeduntan, Alao-Akala and a legal luminary, Chief Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), who is a native of Ibadan, eventually went for the primaries. But Akintola announced his withdrawal from the race mid way
into the balloting. Though Akintola signed a document on his new stance, the voting exercise continued on the grounds that the process could not be aborted mid course.
READ ALSO: Oyo 2019: PDP woos Alao-Akala
GOVERNORSHIP CANDIDATES
2. Kaduna: Isa Ashiru (PDP)
3. Katsina: Aminu Masai (APC)
4. Katsina: Yakubu Lado (PDP)
5. Borno: Babagana Zulum (APC)
6. Borno: Muhammed Wakil (PDP)
7. Kebbi: Atiku Bagudu (APC)
8. Kebbi: Isa Galaudu (PDP)
9. Bauchi: Bala Mohammed (PDP)
10. Bauci: Mohammed Abubakar (APC)
13. Zamfara: Bello Mohammed (PDP)
15. Oyo: Seye Makinde (PDP)
16. Akwa Ibom: Udom Emmanuel (PDP)
18. Niger: Umar Nasko (PDP)
19. Kebbi: Atiku Bagudu (APC)
20. Kebbi: Isa Galadu (PDP)
21. Taraba: Darius Ishaku (PDP),
22. Benue: Samuel Ortom (PDP)
23. Kano: Umar Ganduje (APC),
24. Borno: Mohammed Wakil (PDP)
25. Borno: Mohammed Imam (PDP)
27. Cross River: Usani Usani (APC)
28. Nasarawa: David Umbugadu (PDP)
30. Abia State: Okezie Ikpeazu (PDP)
31. Enugu state: Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (PDP)
33. Gombe: Muhammad Yahaya (APC)
35. Sokoto: Manir Dan-Iya (PDP)
36. Delta: Ifeanyi Okowa (PDP)
37. Delta: Great Ogboru (APC)
38. Pat Utomi (APC)
39. Rivers: Nyesom Wike (PDP)
40. Rivers: Magnus Abe (APC)
41. Rivers: Tonye Cole (APC)
42. Jigawa: Aminu Ringim (PDP)
43. Badaru Abubakar (APC)
44. Adamawa: Ahmadu Fintiri (PDP)
45. Ogun: Ladi Adebutu (PDP)
46. Kwara: Razak Atunwa (PDP
47. Ebonyi: Senator Sonni Ogbuoji (APC)