APC uploads 27 governorship candidates to INEC portal, resolves primary disputes

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has uploaded the names of its governorship candidates and their running mates for 27 states to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal, signalling the resolution of internal disputes that trailed the party’s primaries in several states.

 

The party is, however, yet to submit its candidate for one Northeast state, where consultations are ongoing over the choice of a running mate.

 

Governorship elections are scheduled to hold in 28 states, while political parties have until August 8 to submit the names of their governorship and House of Assembly candidates to INEC.

 

Among the candidates whose details have been uploaded are Yakubu Danladi Salihu for Kwara State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli for Oyo State, Ahmed Tijani Galadima for Adamawa State, and former Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar for Bauchi State.

 

The APC had faced internal opposition following its governorship primaries in the four states.

 

In Kwara, the emergence of House of Assembly Speaker Yakubu Danladi Salihu, reportedly backed by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, generated discontent among other aspirants, including Senators Salihu Mustapha, Oyelola Ashiru, and Umar Sadiq Suleiman.

 

Similarly, the Bauchi primary triggered divisions within the party, with some aggrieved members defecting after the emergence of Mohammed Abubakar as the party’s flag bearer.

 

In Adamawa, initial disagreements over Ahmed Tijani Galadima’s emergence have reportedly been resolved, while in Oyo, former Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, who challenged the primary outcome, has now accepted the party’s decision following the submission of Senator Sharafadeen Alli’s name to INEC.

 

A party official, who spoke anonymously, said the APC had made significant progress in completing the submission process.

 

“We have made giant strides in our efforts to upload the details of all our governorship candidates and their deputies. But for one state, we would have completed and closed the process for governorship candidates,” the source said.

 

According to the official, the outstanding issue concerns the selection of a deputy governorship candidate in a Northeast state and is expected to be resolved at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja.

 

The party has also begun uploading the names of its House of Assembly candidates, with about 60 per cent of the candidates already submitted to the electoral commission.

 

Among the APC governorship candidates already uploaded are Obafemi Hamzat (Lagos), Solomon Adeola (Ogun), Kingsley Chinda (Rivers), Eric Opah (Abia), Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Mustapha Gubio (Borno), Jamilu Gwamna (Gombe), Aliyu Wadada (Nasarawa), Baba Malam Wali (Yobe), Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Bassey Otu (Cross River), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Abba Yusuf (Kano), Dikko Radda (Katsina), Umar Bago (Niger), Nasir Idris (Kebbi), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), and Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto).