PDP primaries: Ogor, Ukeje, others win return tickets

The Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday held a
nation-wide primary elections for aspirants contesting for
the party’s tickets to represent it in the House of
Representatives.
The primaries were held in preparation for the 2015
general elections except in the three states under
emergency rule Adamawa, Borno and Yobe.
Enugu records parallel primaries
The House of Representatives primary elections in Enugu
State recorded parallel primaries in some of the federal
constituencies in the state.
It was learnt that two separate primaries took place in
the Nsukka/Igboeze South federal constituency.
While the former chairman of the PDP in Enugu
State, Vita Abba, and a former commissioner for Enugu
Capital Territory, Ikechukwu Ugwuegede, contested a
primary election which held at the zonal party secretariat,
a parallel exercise, in which the incumbent member of the
House, Pat Asadu, was said to have participated in,
later held in another location in the constituency.
In the same vein, parallel primaries in the Ezeagu-Udi
Federal Constituency produced two separate candidates.
In one of the primaries, held at the secretariat of Ezeagu
Local Government Area and attended by Governor
Sullivan Chime, Dennis Amadi emerged as the candidate,
while the other election produced the incumbent member of
the House of Representatives, Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, as
the party’s flag bearer.
Although most of the results are being awaited, available
results show that a major upset was recorded in the
primaries for Nsukka/Igboeze South federal constituency,
where the former chairman of the PDP in Enugu
State, Vita Abba, lost to a former commissioner for
Enugu Capital Territory, Ikechukwu Ugwuegede.
Despite the cases of parallel primaries, the exercise in
Enugu was peaceful, as there were no reports of violence
in any part of the state.
Delta picks Leo Ogor again
The Deputy Majority Leader of the House of
Representatives, Mr. Leo Ogor, was on Saturday
elected the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party to
contest the House of Representatives election for Isoko
North and South.
Ogor beat three other candidates to emerge winner. The
member representing Ughelli North, Ughelli South and
Udu in the House, Mr. Austin Ogbaburum, was not that
lucky as he lost to his challenger, Mr. Solomon
Ahwinawhi, who scored 63 votes to emerge winner.
Ogbaburum scored 38 votes.
Voting generally started late in the state as election
materials left the Asaba head office of the PDP at 2pm
on Saturday.
Security at all the voting centres was very heavy, as only
delegates and other accredited people were allowed entry.
Incumbents lose in Edo
Two serving members in the Federal House of
Representatives on Saturday failed to clinch the tickets to
contest the 2015 election into the lower chamber during the
Peoples Democratic Party primary held across the nine
federal constituencies in Edo State.
Although the scene of the primary in the some of the
venue was peaceful, with presence of security operatives,
the exercise, however, did not begin until about 11:30am in
most of the constituencies.
The serving lawmakers are the members representing Esan
West, Esan Central and Igueben federal constituency and
Chairman House Committee on Power, Mr. Patrick
Ikhariale; and Mr. Friday Itulah, representing Esan
South East and Esan North East.
Two-time lawmaker and member, House Committee on
Federal Capital Territory and the Millennium
Development Goals, Itulah, lost to Mr. Sergius Ogun’s
55 votes, having scored 31 votes.
In Oredo federal constituency, Mr. Omoregie Ogbeide-
Ihiama secured the party’s ticket with a total of 23 votes,
while Mr. Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma won in Ikpoba
Okha/Egor constituency.
Other winners include Lawrence Ogieva (Orhionmwon/
Uhunmwode), Bankole Balogun (Akoko Edo) and
Ambrose Imode (Owan) while Abass Brama defeated
Hussein Garba by one vote to emerge winner in Etsako
federal constituency.
Omosede Igbinedion, daughter of the Esama of Benin
kingdom, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, was declared winner
of the primary in Ovia federal constituency.
However, three of the aspirants in the contest, Etinosa
Onaiwu, Osayemwenre Edosa and Kelvin Aigbe, have
protested the emergence of Igbinedion in the primary held
in Iguobazua.
Onyejiocha, Ukaeje win return tickets
The House of Representatives Chairman on Aviation and
member representing Umunneochi / Isuikwuato Federal
Constituency in Abia State, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejiocha ,
has won a return ticket to the green chamber.
Onyejiocha, who is running for a third term polled 63
votes to defeat her closest rival, Mr. Etugo Ogah, who
secured two votes at the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party primaries held Saturday.
Similarly, her Foreign Affairs counterpart, Nnenna
Ukaeje, also clinched the PDP ticket for Bende Federal
Constituency. She is also in the race for a third term.
The incumbent Oluchi Ibeji of Ikwuano / Umuahia
Federal Constituency was not as lucky as he lost to a
debutant and former Commissioner for Finance, Sam
Onuigbo.
Onuigbo gathered 66 votes to pick the ticket as Ibeji came
second with 35 votes while the wife of Koji State
Governor, Mrs. Fridah Wada, came a distant third with
12 votes.
Other results from the remaining five federal constituencies
in the state are still being awaited as at the time of filing
this report , but one of the incumbents , Hon. Arua
Arunsi representing Ohafia / Arochukwu constituency
announced his withdrawal from the race on the state radio
shortly before the exercise commenced.
Two Igbo reps emerge in Lagos
Two Igbo reps as well as two women were among the
winners of the Peoples Democratic Party House of
Representatives primaries which held in several parts of
Lagos State on Saturday producing about 10 winners, at
press time.
In Eti-Osa Federal constituency, Mr. Bakare Akala
emerged as the winner while at the Oshodi/Isolo
Federal constituency 1, Mr. Mutiu Shadimu won.
In Ikeja, Mr. Kunle Okunola emerged as the party’s
candidate while in Oshodi/Isolo Federal constituency 2,
Mr. Tony Nwoolu emerged as the winner.
In Ajeromi-Ifelodun it was Mrs. Rita Orji while in
Ikorodu, Mr. Ola Animashaun emerged as the candidate
of the party.
In Kosofe, Mrs. Sherifat Hassan emerged the winner
while in Alimosho, Otunba Busari Ayinde came out tops.
In Mushin constituency 1, it was Mr. Oluremi Adeyelu
while in Lagos Island, it was Mr. Rahman Salawe.
Rivers returns Chinda
The People’s Democratic Party in Rivers on Saturday
returned Mr. Kingsley Chinda, the incumbent member
representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency, as he
remained unopposed during its primaries for 2015 elections.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that this was
announced by the Chairman, PDP House of
Representatives Primary Election Committee for Obio/
Akpor Federal Constituency, Dr. Monday Eleanya.
Out of 61 delegates who came for accreditation which
commenced at 9am in the area, 57 were accredited and
they all voted for Chinda.
Ondo adopts consensus candidate
The People’s Democratic Party in Ondo State has
chosen its consensus candidate for the House of
Representatives, Mr. Dare Aliyu, ahead of the 2015
general elections.
The Chairman, PDP Congress Planning Committee,
Dr. Oluwadare Bada, told the News Agency of Nigeria
in Akure on Saturday, that the party had opted for a
consensus candidate.
Bada said the candidate would represent Akure North
and Akure South Federal constituency.
“It is only when we are unable to reach a consensus that
we go into division, but because of the merger, we have
been able to integrate properly and we have agreed to a
consensus arrangement.
“This guarantees cohesion and removes acrimony and gives
us the opportunity to move forward fast,” he said.
Consensus in Sokoto
The Peoples Democratic Party in Sokoto State on
Saturday said it would conduct its primary elections of the
House of Representatives in five out of the eleven federal
constituencies in the state.
The state chairman of the party, Ibrahim Milgoma
disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto, while commenting on
the exercise.
Milgoma said that the federal constituencies were election
is being conducted on Saturday are: Isa/Sabon-Birni,
Gada/Goronyo, Bodinga/Dange-shuni/Tureta,
Tangaza/Gudu and Illela/Gwadabawa.
The chairman said that consensus was reached in Sokoto-
North/Sokoto-South, Kebbe/Tambuwal, Rabah/
Wurno, Binji/Silame, Kware/Wamakko and Yabo/
Shagari.