Kwara State House of Assembly Speaker, Salihu Yakubu Danladi, former Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Trust Department Fund (PTDF), Ahmad Tijjani Galadima, and Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang yesterday joined the list of All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidates for next year’s elections.

Danladi won the party’s primary in Kwara State after polling 94,990 in a dramatic turn of events while Galadima claimed the party’s ticket in Adamawa State with 414,444 votes.

Governor Mutfwang received 233,335 of the 240,832 votes cast in the primary.

Alhaji Baba Malam Wali who until now served as Secretary to the Yobe State Government (SSG), was confirmed as the winner of the APC governorship primary in the state and Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia was declared the winner of the APC governorship primary.

Twenty hours before the Kwara primary yesterday, the odds seemed heavily in favour of Ambassador Abdulfatai Yahaya Seriki, who had been named by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq as his preferred successor.

But following the logistic challenge that forced a shift of the primary to yesterday, the governor unexpectedly withdrew his support for Seriki and switched to Danladi.

Other party leaders fell in line.

It was a matter of time before the news of the switch in support went round the state.

By the close of voting, he had polled more than 65% of the total ballots.

Trailing him was Seriki who got 41,700 votes.

Dr. Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa came third with 22,118.

Engr. Femi Sani got 5,519; Senator Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe 3,920; Belgore 3,411; Mohamed Bio 1122; Dr. Alabi Oluwatoyin, 1099; Amb. Seriki 41,700; Bolarinwa 22,118; Prof. Wale Suleiman 2434; and Prof. Abubakar Suleiman 1722.

The result was declared on Friday evening by the Chairman of the Kwara State APC Governorship Primaries Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.

Danladi is from Kwara North Senatorial District.

All the five local government areas in the district returned more than 90% of their votes in his favour .

Galadima wins Adamawa APC ticket

Alhaji Ahmed Tijani Galadima defeated Abdulrazak Namdas who was second with 86,004 votes and Abdulrahman Haske who got 65,934 votes.

In his acceptance speech, Ahmed Galadima thanked President Bola Tinubu, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri and NSA Nuhu Ribadu for their leadership which he said has given the APC the size and strength to make exploits.

He appealed to all APC members for their support to ensure victory for the party at the 2027 general election.

Mutfwang declared winner of Plateau governorship primary

Governor Mutfwang got all but 370 of the 240,832 votes cast in the Plateau primary.

Chairman of the APC governorship and House of Assembly election Hon Fidelis Bensen Mnyim said the election was conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner in all the 17 local government areas.

.He commended the people of the state and APC supporters for their participation in the exercise.

But Mutfwang’s sole challenger Yilchin Jan Bida, a retired Navy Commodore, faulted the process, calling it an assault on democracy.

Ex-SSG Wali wins Yobe APC governorship primary election

Alhaji Baba Malam Wali, the immediate past Secretary to the Yobe State Government (SSG), polled 236,711 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Dr Abubakar Kagu, who scored 9,748 votes.

Dr Muttaqha Darma, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development and the returning officer of the election, announced the results in Damaturu yesterday.

Darma said Bashir Machina scored 1,894 votes, Yunusa Mustapha, 1,178 votes, Hamidu Alhaji, 1,722 votes, while Yunusa Mohammed and Maaji Modu polled 1,148 and 1,372 votes respectively.

In his acceptance speech, Wali thanked Gov Mai Mala Buni, Alhaji Ibrahim Geidam, the Minister of Police Affairs and former governor of the state, and the party leadership for their overwhelming support.

He called on his six opponents to give him their support and cooperation in the interest of the socio-economic development of the state.

Alia declared winner in Benue

The Chairman of the Benue APC Governorship primary, Professor Isah Kabir, yesterday declared Governor Hyacinth Alia as the winner of the APC governorship primary.

Alia polled 367,786 votes to defeat Jeffrey Kuranun who scored 2,923 votes and Terwase Orbunde who secured 3,247 votes.

However, Orbunde rejected the results, alleging irregularities. He claimed that his supporters across the state were denied voting right.

The former Chief of Staff to the Benue State Governor appealed to his supporters to remain calm despite the outcome, expressing confidence that the relevant authorities would address his petition using the party’s internal conflict resolution mechanism.

Wadada emerges Nasarawa APC governorship candidate, beats ex-IGP, others

The Senator representing Nasarawa West, Aliyu Ahmed Wadada, yesterday emerged the winner of the Nasarawa APC governorship ticket after receiving 195,285 votes.

His closest rival, ex-Inspector General of Police Muhammad Abubakar Adamu, polled 39,675 while Prof Mohammad Sani Haruna got 5,844 votes.

Others are former Accountant General of the state, Zaka Yakubu, who received 396 votes; Dr Hassan Liman (SAN) 863 votes; Dr Fatima Abdullahi Adamu 136 votes and Tanimun Adason 64 votes.

I won Nasarawa APC gov primary – says Ex-IGP Adamu

Adamu had earlier in the day claimed victory in the primary.

The ex-IGP who spoke through the Director General of his Campaign Organisation, Barr Musa Usen, at a press conference in Lafia, said he convincingly won the primary in every ward supplied with electoral materials.

He alleged that materials were diverted to other areas where election did not take place and figures were allocated to Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada.

He accused Governor Abdullahi Sule and the state working committee of the party led by the state chairman, Dr Aliyu Bello, of rigging the primary election in favour of Senator Aliyu Ahmed Wadada.

Publicity Secretary APC in the state, Mr. Augustine Ogaba, declined comment when contacted.

Yayi pledges to take Ogun State to next level of inclusive development

Senator Solomon Adeola who was elected with 304,055 votes as the APC governorship candidate in Ogun State yesterday pledged that he would not take his victory for granted.

He assured party members and the people of Ogun State that he would consolidate on the developmental strides of the current administration while taking the state to greater heights.

“Our goal is to build on the remarkable achievements of Governor Dapo Abiodun and move Ogun State to a higher level of inclusive growth, infrastructure development, economic prosperity and people-oriented governance,” Senator Adeola said in a statement by his Media Adviser, Chief Kayode Odunaro.

He commended the leadership and stakeholders of the APC in Ogun State for ensuring a peaceful and transparent process, describing the development as a reflection of unity and political maturity within the party.

Mbah hails party faithful as he’s officially declared Enugu APC guber candidate

Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah yesterday expressed gratitude to APC members following his emergence as the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 general election.

He assured residents of the State of more developmental strides under his administration.

Mbah spoke on yesterday at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, shortly after the Hon. Danmalikin Hausa-led APC Governorship Primary Election Committee concluded the collation of results and formally declared him winner of the party’s primary election.

In his acceptance speech, the governor said he did not take the nomination for granted, stressing that he fully understood the responsibility that came with the mandate entrusted to him by party members.

“This moment is not one I take for granted. For me, there was never a sense of entitlement. I accept this nomination with full awareness of the expectations that come with it, buoyed by the knowledge that it’s not an unfamiliar path for me,” he said.

Mbah said his administration had successfully disproved the belief that political promises were merely rhetoric, insisting that his government’s “Tomorrow Is Here” mantra had become a visible reality in the lives of the people.

Gwamna accepts APC ticket in Gombe, calls for unity ahead of 2027 polls

Dr. Jamil I. Gwamna, the APC consensus governorship flag bearer in Gombe promised to run an inclusive campaign and build on the state’s recent development gains.

Gwamna said he was “deeply honoured and humbled” by the confidence reposed in him.

He described the nomination as a responsibility to lead the APC to victory and to serve all citizens fairly, regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity, or location.

Gwamna paid tribute to Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, crediting his administration with strengthening public confidence in the APC through visible progress in infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, security, and human capital development.

“These achievements have provided our party with a strong foundation and renewed determination a we prepare for 2027.

“The APC in Gombe State is united, focused, and fully prepared to consolidate on these gains,” he said.

Adelabu kicks over conduct of Oyo APC primary

The immediate past Power Minister Adebayo Adelabu yesterday disputed the over 500,000 votes said to have been scored by Senator Sharafadeen Alli in the Oyo State APC governorship primary.

Adelabu, in a statement by his media aide, Femi Awogboro, said the APC does not have up to 500,000 registered members in the state and wondered where the figure came from.

Adelabu who resigned as minister to contest the primary, urged party members and the public to await the official declaration of the results.

He further stated that the turnout during the exercise showed he enjoys widespread grassroots support across the state.

During a separate interview with reporters, Adelabu alleged that his supporters “were prevented from voting. They were intimidated. They were chased away violently. And in some wards, voting did not take place at all. But they recorded numbers.

“All this kind of misconduct is not good at this stage of our democracy in Nigeria, and something has to be done about it.”

Adelabu vowed to write petitions against all the irregularities not just in Ibadan, but across all the five geopolitical zones of the state.

Ikoh rejects Abia APC primary result, petitions national leadership

The Henry Ikoh Governorship Campaign Organisation has rejected the result of the Abia APC governorship primary election held on Thursday.

In a statement issued in Umuahia yesterday, the organisation described the result as a “sham” and inconsistent with the party’s internal agreements.

The statement titled “The sham called Abia APC Governorship Primary Election and the purported results announced cannot stand,” was signed by the organisation’s Director-General, Chief Ikedi Ezekwesiri, a two-time member of the state Assembly.

It stated that the declaration of Chief Eric Opah as winner was “strange, unacceptable, provocative and inconsistent with the established consensus arrangement reached by the majority of the party’s State Working Committee (SWC).”

“It is incongruous with the rules and guidelines of our party for a clique of desperate politicians to usurp the duties of the party and jettison the laid-down procedures in the APC Constitution to massage their inglorious ego.

“Any result generated from a faulty procedural foundation cannot stand,” the statement added.

It insisted that 13 of the 18 SWC members had earlier adopted Ikoh as the party’s consensus governorship candidate, following the withdrawal of one of the aspirants, Chief Mascot Kalu, from the race.

ADC affirms Halliru Jika as Bauchi governorship candidate

Also yesterday in Bauchi State, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) affirmed Senator Halliru Dauda Jika as its governorship candidate for the 2027 general elections in the state.

The exercise, which was monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, also produced the party’s candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and Bauchi State House of Assembly seats.

Speaking during the exercise held in Bauchi, Chairman of the ADC Electoral Committee for the party’s primaries, retired General Ishaya Bauka, said the committee was constituted to ensure a transparent process in the emergence of candidates.

He explained that Halliru Jika emerged as the party’s sole governorship candidate and was subsequently affirmed by party delegates.

Bauka added that the party’s three senatorial candidates also emerged unopposed and were equally affirmed.

In his acceptance speech, Halliru Jika thanked party leaders and supporters for the confidence reposed in him, assuring them of his commitment to delivering victory for the ADC in the 2027 elections.

He expressed optimism that the party would take over power in Bauchi State in the next electoral cycle.

“By the grace of God, Bauchi State will become an ADC state in 2027,” he said.

The former senator, who represented Bauchi Central Senatorial District from 2019 to 2023, said the ADC was entering the race with a united structure and committed supporters across the state.

The Nation reports that Halliru Jika contested the 2023 governorship election on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party before joining the ADC ahead of the 2027 polls.

Also speaking, the Bauchi State Chairman of the ADC, Alhaji Shu’aibu Abdullahi Dankama, said the party was confident of recording major victories in the 2027 elections.

According to him, the ADC presented credible and experienced candidates capable of challenging the ruling parties in the state.

Dankama said party stakeholders unanimously endorsed Halliru Jika’s candidacy as part of efforts to strengthen the party’s chances of winning the governorship election.

Among those affirmed by the party were Hon. Garba Dahiru Salanke for Bauchi South Senatorial District, Senator Abdul Ahmed Ningi for Bauchi Central Senatorial District, and Senator Nazif Gamawa for Bauchi North Senatorial District.

The party also affirmed candidates for the House of Representatives and Bauchi State House of Assembly seats ahead of the 2027 general elections. (The Nation)