Opposition candidates endorse Katsina APC candidate

overnorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18 elections in Katsina State, Dr Dikko Umar Radda, appears the candidate to beat as candidates of other parties continue to throw in their towel in support of his candidacy. The Nation can report that several weak candidates in the governorship race are stepping down to bargain for political patronage and reach out for alliances with the ruling APC in the state

The one-week shift in the governorship/house of assembly elections has provided additional leeway for fresh alliances and window of opportunities for fresh negotiations and realignments. As things are in the state, the APC is the beautiful political bride that is welcoming other parties that are constantly thronging the party’s office in the state for negotiations; while the main opposition PDP appears left out in the lurch as nothing seems to be going on at the moment in the party.

While throwing his weight behind Radda, Katsina NNPP deputy governorship candidate, Alhaji Muttaqa Rabe Darma, said he has endorsed the APC candidate, Dr. Radda, for the seat. The NNPP’s deputy governorship candidate said Dr. Radda’s victory would boost development in the state. According to him, the state is in need of someone with the capacity to govern with sincerity and honesty. “Dr Radda has the capacity, the qualifications and experience to move the state out of the woods; we need to attain our goals.”

He called on NNPP supporters to back the APC candidate in the March 18 election. Responding, Dr Umar Radda appreciated Darma for the support and pledged to run an inclusive government if elected. In a related development, the Katsina State chapter of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) has also endorsed the APC candidate. The party’s consultative committee, led by the party secretary, Abubakar Aminu Birchi, deputy governorship candidate, Alh. Sade Salisu Daura, chairman of Candidates’ Forum, Surajo Sa’ad, and chairman of Chairmen’s forum, Abubakar Sa’adu, declared the party’s endorsement when the committee paid a courtesy call on Governor Aminu Bello Masari.

Endorsement gone awry in Benue

The National Working Committee of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) has suspended its Benue State chairman, Dr Gwadue Hough, alongside other erring executives in the state. It would be recalled that Dr Hough and some members of the party had adopted the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Titus Uba, for the March 18 polls.

But the Benue State governorship candidate of YPP, Roberts Orya, through his media aide Emmanuel Lubem, dismissed the decision as mischievous, null and void, saying he (Orya) is still very much in the race. The endorsement of the PDP flagbearer did not also go down well with the National Working Committee of YPP, which had suspended the Benue state chairman of the party and other erring members. In the letter of suspension, the YPP NWC said its former chairman’s conduct constituted illegality, gross misconduct and a flagrant disregard for the party’s constitution. The YPP said Chief Roberts Orya is still the flagbearer of the party in Benue State.

Also, the Forum of Benue State House of Assembly contestants under the YPP and all the Local Government executives of the party have dissociated themselves from the position of the Benue State chairman, pledging unalloyed loyalty and solidarity for the party’s governorship candidate, Chief Orya.

Two-way endorsements in Adamawa

In Adamawa State, both incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who is also the candidate of the PDP and leading challenger, Senator Aishatu Ahmed Binani of main opposition APC have benefitted from recent endorsements by smaller candidates for the governorship election. It started for Binani last Sunday, March 5, when the governorship candidate of Labour Party (LP) in the state, Alhaji Umar Mustapha, otherwise called Otumba, announced the stepping down of his candidacy for Binani.

Now, Fintiri of the PDP who with Binani make the two top contenders for the governorship seat in Adamawa State got his own backing from minor contenders last Wednesday. Six such candidates, little heard of before then, gathered at the Government House in Yola to say they were opting out of the governorship race to canvas votes for Fintiri. The six were Bello Babajo of Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Yahaya Choli of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Maina Abba of National Rescue Movement (NRM), Amron Dadsu of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Muhammad Shuwa of Action Democratic Party (ADP), and Abdulkadir Adam of Action Peoples Party (APP).

Bello Babajo of the APM who spoke for the six candidates, said their action was informed by a desire to ensure progress in the state. A total of 14 parties and respective candidates were registered for the 2023 governorship election in Adamawa State. The two-way adoptions by and of governorship candidates in the state so far mean that seven have exempted themselves from the race as at March 12. In addition to the major two so far adopted, namely APC’s Binani and PDP’s Fintiri, the following remain in the race: Mohammed Tahir of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Umar Ardo of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Ibrahim Baba-Inna of Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Umaru Babangida of Action Democratic Congress (ADC), and Hussaini Tahir of Action Alliance (AA).

Window of opportunities, alliances in Niger

Last week, five governorship candidates were claimed to have stepped down and 7 political parties were said to have collapsed their structures and endorsed the APC governorship candidate, Mohammed Bago, in Niger State. The leader of the coalition of the governorship candidates and candidate of the Allied People Movement (APM) Aliyu Mohammed announced that they have stepped down for the APC candidate and would work for his victory at the polls.

The other governorship candidates include Buhari Yakubu Yarima of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mohammed Isah Bello Maikujeri of the Action People Party (APP), Abdulazeez Salaudeen of Accord Party and Mohammed Aliyu Balaji of Action Democratic Party (ADP). But the names of the political parties who said they have collapsed their structures for the APC are currently unknown.

However, two governorship candidates in the state have come out to say that their parties have collapsed their structures for the APC candidate. The candidates include Khadijah Abdullahi Iya from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Mallam Umar Karat Aliyu from the Young Progressive Party (YPP). Both claimed that the announcement of parties collapsing their structures was meant to steal their supporters’ votes and demoralise intending voters. The PDP and APC governorship candidates, Isah Liman Kantigi and Umar Bago, have used the window of extension by INEC to intensify their campaigns and meetings with strategic stakeholders across the state.

LP joins forces with PDP to unseat Nasarawa governor

Nasarawa State candidate of the Labour Party, Joseph Ewuga, has stepped down his ambition to govern the state for the candidate of the PDP, David Umbugadu, ahead of the March 18th governorship election. Speaking to journalists, Ewuga said Umbugadu had better leadership qualities than him and urged all his supporters to vote for the PDP candidate.

He said, he had consulted all the stakeholders of the party both within and outside the state to arrive at such a decision. The LP had won the February 25th presidential election in Nasarawa State with 191,361 votes; while the ruling APC in the state came second with 172,922. The PDP came 3rd with 147,093 votes.

Surprisingly, the LP did not win a single seat of either the Senate or House of Representatives seats; the PDP won only one senatorial seat while the APC won 3 House of Representatives seats, the SDP won two senate seats and two House of Representatives seats. But the National Rescue Movement (NRM) gubernatorial candidate in Nasarawa State, Alhaji Abubakar Musa Sambo, who was equally said to have stepped down for the PDP candidate, denied ever taking such a decision.

Speaking to Journalists in Lafia, the NRM governorship candidate said two major political parties had approached him to jettison his candidature and declare his support for them but he declined their efforts. He declared that he is still in the race and confident that he would emerge victorious at the polls considering the efforts he had put up to actualise his ambition. The governorship candidate of SDP in the state, Muhammed Alfa Mustapha, in a recent interview, said he is going ahead with the election. “If anybody should step down for another person, I think Governor Sule of the APC should be the one to step down for me because my party won more NASS seats than his APC,” he said.

Our correspondent equally gathered that the governorship candidate of NNPP, Abdullahi Yakubu Maidoya, who has equally been campaigning vigorously across the state ahead of the March 18 elections vows to remain in the battle field till the end. But a great boost for Governor Sule came when the two senators-elect for SDP Ahmed Aliyu Wadada (Nasarawa West) and Godiya Akwashiki (Nasarawa North) as well as Dahiru Sarki (Lafia/Obi) and Jonathan Gaza (Karu,Keffi,Kokona) federal constituency abandoned their SDP gubernatorial candidate and vowed to work for the re-election of Governor Sule of the APC.

PDP candidate baths in gale of endorsements in Taraba

As the rescheduled governorship elections draw near, the Taraba State PDP governorship candidate, Agbu Kefas, is enjoying more support through endorsements. Kefas will however compete with four other top contenders namely; Emmanuel Bwacha of the APC, Danladi Baido of the SDP, Joel Ikenya of the Labour Party and Prof Sani Yahaya of the NNPP, in what promises to be the most competitive election in the history of the state.

While his major opponent, Bwacha is battling with litigation issues against members of his party, Kefas has been enjoying series of endorsements lately. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is the first to endorse Kefas. In a letter signed by the State Secretary, Bishop Manasseh Silas Rifore, CAN asked Christians to vote for the PDP governorship candidate, Agbu Kefas. Col. Agbu Kefas (rtd) of PDP for the governor as her endorsed candidate,” the letter read.

Although the endorsement by CAN has generated a lot of uproar in the state, The Nation can authoritatively say that churches in the state have started mobilising their members in response to CAN’s directive. Although the Muslim Council has not come up with an official directive, it is being speculated that the Muslim community is rooting for the only Muslim contender of the top five, Prof Sani Yahaya. Also, another group known as the 2019 Governorship Candidates Forum in Taraba State has endorsed the PDP governorship candidate as the preferred candidate ahead of the 2023 governorship election in Taraba.

In a press briefing in Jalingo, the Forum’s Chairman, Kefas Sule, who is a Labour Party chieftain, stated that Taraba was blessed in all ramifications and all that it needed was good leadership. “That Taraba State is abundantly blessed with everything that is required to guarantee good quality life for the citizens is not in doubt. The problem has always been the quality of leadership. If we get the leadership question right, every other factor will fall into place and our State will become a reference point in Nigeria,” he stated.

Gale of controversial endorsements hit major parties in Oyo

Last-minute endorsements and counter endorsements have hit major political parties in Oyo State, as the polls postponement appears to be described as opportunity in disguise for the parties to also make some public denials of the endorsements.

Specifically in Oyo state, two leading candidates including the incumbent Governor Seyi Makinde of the PDP and his counterpart from the APC, Senator Teslim Folarin have recorded series of endorsements from other political parties. But, despite the endorsements by the other parties, including those who even have governorship candidates in the forthcoming election, no governorship candidate have endorsed another candidate.

Aside the APC and PDP, the Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Accord (A) among others are also major parties contesting the coveted seat. The PDP whose candidate, Governor Makinde, who is seeking re-election has enjoyed some endorsement from a faction of the LP, a decision which the LP candidate Tawfiq Akinwale has openly condemned and denied. Akinwale had not only lashed out at the party leadership who took the decision, he has also reiterated that he has not and will never step down for any candidate, no matter the cost.

The embattled LP leadership, while announcing their endorsement of Makinde, had accused the LP governorship candidate of not having the means and capacity to deliver at the polls. The situation is not different with the Accord Party whose factional leaders also threw their weight behind Governor Makinde. Also shocked by the decision and action, the Accord Party governorship candidate, Oloye Adebayo Adelabu, also expressed disdain and the leaders. The national leadership of the party was also shocked on hearing the news and it immediate announced the sack of the state executives and leadership behind the controversial endorsement of Makinde. The National Chairman, Mohammad Nalado, also issued a statement announcing the sack and the constitution of new state leadership. He went further to address a letter to the INEC and all security agencies informing them of the development, reiterating that Adelabu is and remains the party governorship candidate in the rescheduled election.

On the part of the APC governorship candidate, Senator Folarin, the SDP has also at an emergency stakeholders meeting announced its adoption, noting that the APC candidate has been so approved by other stakeholders across other parties. The SDP governorship candidate, Micheal Lana, has not made any public comment on whether he is for or against the coalition between his party and the APC candidate. Additionally, no fewer than 11 deregistered parties also during a press conference queued behind the APC candidate, insisting that he has a better plan for the state than the incumbent.

A new twist to the gale of coalition by the “minor” parties, however, was the insistence of the parties that they were only supporting the governorship candidates of their preferred parties but that their house of assembly candidates of their various parties are still in the race. The gale of endorsement got more interesting as unconfirmed reports claimed that a former governor of the state, Senator Rashidi Ladoja has held series of meetings with all the opposition parties and directed them to work for the APC candidate. Ladoja was behind the merger and coalition of political parties that worked to deliver Governor Makinde in 2019 when he defeated the candidate of the then ruling APC, Adelabu, who is re-contesting on the platform of Accord party.

Splinter groups form alliances with YPP, NNPP in Akwa Ibom

Although there is no formal alliance, splinter groups within political parties in Akwa Ibom have realigned ahead of the March 18 governorship poll. For instance, some support groups within the Labour Party popularly known as the Obedient Movement have pledged their support to candidates of popular parties.

While some of Obedient groups are rooting for the governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party(YPP), Obong Bassey Akpan, others are supporting the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Pastor Umo Eno. Unconfirmed report has it that the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), Architect Ezekiel Nya-Etok, has surrendered to the governorship candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party(NNPP), Senator John James Akpanudoedehe. The state publicity secretary of the PDP, Borono Bassey, had also disclosed that some governorship and House of Assembly candidates of opposition political parties have secretly pledged their support for Pastor Eno.

ADC collapses structure for Omo-Agege in Delta

With days left to the Delta state gubernatorial and Assembly polls, the candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Delta State, Mr. Efe Ekure, has withdrawn from the governorship race. He declared his support for the APC candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege. In a signed statement weekend, Ekure said he had collapsed his structure and urged his supporters to vote for Senator Omo-Agege, adding that he is the most qualified to lead the state. He urged his supporters to channel their “supports in that direction.”

Ekure maintained his decision to withdraw from the race was the result of wide consultation with team members and stakeholders. According to him, his withdrawal is to allow him focus on his business while nurturing his political profile for future political engagement. He added that it was imperative to give the state to the best hand a chance to lead.

Major parties grandstand in Kaduna

In Kaduna State, major political parties have refused to form alliance ahead of the governorship and state assembly elections rescheduled for March 18. It would be recalled that six smaller political parties had last week formed alliance with the major opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). They include: Young Progressive Party (YPP), Action Alliance (AA) Allied People’s Movement (APM), Action People’s Party (APP), All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

On the other hand, the governorship candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Salihu Abubakar, has stepped down for the candidate of APC, Sen. Uba Sani. Meanwhile, major opposition parties like the PDP, Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and Action Democratic Party (ADP) have insisted on going to the polls without alliance, with each believing that it can defeat the ruling APC.

Confusion in Ebonyi as two candidates deny stepping down for APC’s Nwifuru

In Ebonyi State, there is confusion as reports of four governorship aspirants stepping down for the APC candidate, Francis Nwifuru, in the forthcoming election were quickly dispelled by some of the candidates. This is even as one of the candidates was ousted by the Supreme Court days later, which further muddled the waters.

Nwifuru, a two-term Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, currently represents Izzi West constituency at the state assembly. The gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Edward Nkwegu; that of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Mr Sunday Adolawam; and the Action Alliance (AA) governorship candidate, Mr Chukwuma Nwandugo were alleged to have dumped their gubernatorial pursuits to rally round the APC governorship aspirant.

Nwifuru had been visiting the candidates trying to build consensus. The trio are from the Izzi clan same as Mr Nwifuru and their being in the race is said to be a major stumbling block to Mr Nwifuru’s emergence as it may lead to splitting of votes from the clan, which is predominant in three council areas in the state. The national president of Izzi Nnodo Youth Forum, Ben Nwovu, had announced the stepping down of the candidates at a briefing in Abakaliki without any of the candidates present.

The announcement came at a time when one of the candidates, Mr Nkwegu, was ousted by the Supreme Court as candidate of Labour Party. The Supreme Court held last week that Mr Spendour Okoh is the governorship candidate of the party. However, reports soon emerged at the weekend that Mr Okoh has already relinquished his candidature to another Izzi man and former Minister of state for Health, Fidelis Nwankwo. But Mr Nwovu called on Mr Fidelis Nwankwo to stop allowing himself to be used in deceiving members of the public into believing that he is the Labour Party’s governorship candidate in the next election, as the youths would apply legal means to stop that, if he continues with such antics.

Meanwhile, the governorship candidate of NNPP Dr Sunday Adolawam has debunked the statement that he has collapsed his party structure to support the candidate of APC in the forthcoming elections. Dr Adolawam made this clarification in a statement released through his spokesperson, Mr Victor Uraku in Abakaliki the state capital.

Abia ADP running mate ‘defects’ to LP

The deputy governorship candidate of the African Democratic Party in Abia, Ms Ifeoma Okoya-Thomas, has reportedly announced her intentions to dump the ADP for the Labour Party. Okoya-Thomas was said to have disclosed to close sources her reason for joining Labour Party was her strong belief that LP would give the people of the state the desired democratic dividends. According to Ms Okoya-Thomas, Abians had suffered in all spheres because the state had been in the hands of incompetent leaders, stressing that the Abia people are unhappy.

CAN, JNI under pressure by candidates for adoption in Plateau

The reality on the ground in Plateau State is that there are three political parties contending for the March 18 election. They are APC, LP and PDP, meaning that the political game on the Plateau has been scaled down to a 3-man contest: Barr Caleb Mutfwang of the PDP, Dr Nentawe Yilwada of the APC and Dr. Patrick Dakum of the LP.

As at the time of party primaries last year, there were six governorship candidates, APC, LP, PDP, APGA, YPP and PRP. Out of the six, only three are standing firm and strong. The other three political parties like APGA, PRP and YPP have already fallen by the side for the reason that they lack necessary wherewithal to convince voters to cast their votes for them. At the flag-off of APC in Wase in January 2023, the governorship candidate of YPP Manji Gontori openly announced the collapsing of the entire party structure into APC. Gontori urged all his supporters to vote APC in all elections.

Apart YPP that made its alliance with APC public, APGA and PRP ensured that their alliance decisions are shrouded in secrecy. Unconfirmed rumour has it that PRP is going into alliance with APC for the governorship election while APGA is rumoured to working closely with PDP. However, the outcome of the presidential and National Assembly elections has given the PDP governorship and Houses of Assembly candidates strong grassroots’ base, having won two of the three senate seats in the state and also claimed 5 of the 8 House of Representatives, leaving the remaining three House of Reps seats for APC.

Invariably, it is the ruling party APC that appeared much more interested in alliance with other political parties to firm up their position in the March 18 election. With the opportunity of a shift in the election from 11th to 18th, political parties are seen visiting ethnic nationalities across the state and seeking endorsement at the same time. The two major religious bodies, JNI and CAN have been playing hosts to the contending political parties, but the religious bodies have been very careful and avoiding adopting any party candidate.

Cross River leaders of thought agree on rotation

Leaders of thoughts in the three senatorial districts of Cross River State have agreed on the need to maintain a formal rotational sequence as it concerns the position of governor in the state. The decision followed two separate meetings in separate days held in Yala local government, northern district and in Ikom local government area in central district.

The two meetings were held by the respective district leaders with leaders from the Southern district who lobbied them on the need to have a formal rotational sequence that move within the three senatorial districts. Speaking at Okpoma, Yala LGA in the premises of High Chief Higgins Peters where leaders of the northern district gathered, Etubom Bassey Eyo Ndem, who led a delegation of over 30 elders from the southern district said the essence of the meeting was aimed at peaceful coexistence between the two brothers/sisters and a continuation of what was started many years ago by our forefathers who reached what was established as Calabar-Ogoja Accord.

The meeting reaffirmed their absolute faith in the accord and more particularly the resolutions contained in the communique from its previous meeting of 10th November 2018, which had stated that the office of the governor of Cross River State shall rotate sequentially between the three constituent senatorial districts of the South, Central, and North for equity, brotherliness, justice, and accommodation.

The meeting noted that at the advent of democracy in 1999, the Southern Senatorial District had the first two terms of 8 years, led by Mr Donald Duke. This was followed by the Central Senatorial District’s term of 8 years, led by Senator Liyel Imoke. Subsequently, the Northern Senatorial District is coming to the end of its 8-year term, led by Ben Ayade. “That it is only fair, just, and equitable that the office of Governor should return to the South in the 2023 general elections, and continue to move sequentially thereafter. That the leaders of Southern and Northern Senatorial Districts will do all that may be required to take along the youths of the senatorial districts in order to uphold the principles of equity, justice and accommodation, ensure continuity, and bridge any gap between the Leaders.” (The Nation)

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