THE All Progressives Congress(APC) held her governorship primaries across states in the country yesterday, Thursday.

The results left behind mixed feelings as winners brimmed with smiling faces while despair and agony reigned in the faces of losers.

In this article, ICIR compiles the list of twenty two winners declared so far in the keenly contested exercise: 

Abia

A development economist, Ikechi Emenike, emerged the governorship candidate of the APC in Abia State.

He defeated five other aspirants to clinch the governorship ticket of the main Abia opposition party at the governorship primary held in Umuahia.

Chairman of the APC governorship primary election committee for Abia, Tony Obiefuna, who declared the result of the poll said, Emenike polled 672 votes out of 892 votes cast by 907 accredited delegates to emerge victorious.

Emenike’s closest rival, Chief Emeka Atuma received 150 votes from the delegates; Daniel Eke, 16; Paul Ikonne, 22; Obinna Oriaku, 12; and Uche Ogah, 6. One of the aspirants, Mr. Alex Otti, who had withdrawn from the race on the eve of the primary still got 14 votes.

Adamawa 

Senator Aisha Dahiru Ahmed Binani  won the governorship ticket of the party in Adamawa State, defeating male candidates such as Nuhu Ribadu and former governor Jibrilla Bindow.

She scored 430 votes while Ribadu, former chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), trailed with 288 votes. Former governor Muhammadu Jibrilla Bindow, came third with 103 votes, while Abdurrazaq Namda polled 94 votes.

Bauchi 

Former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Baba Abubakar emerged as the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) after scoring a total vote of 370 out of 1021 votes defeating six other aspirants who entered the race with him.

Borno 

Babagana Zulum of Borno won the ticket of the party in the state unopposed. He is the incumbent.

The Chairman of APC Primary Election Committee in the state , Uba Maigari, disclosed that 1,422 delegates were accredited while 1,411 voted and endorsed Zulum through voice vote.

Cross River

Senator Bassey Otu won the party’s gubernatorial ticket by a landslide.

He defeated two other aspirants by a wide margin of 811 votes. Senator John Owan-Enoh who came second got 84 votes while Chris Agara scored 63 votes.

Delta 

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, was yesterday elected the governorship standard bearer of the APC in Delta State.

Omo-Agege  polled a total of 1,190 votes, and was returned unopposed by a total of 1,235 accredited delegates of the party at the APC governorship primaries held on Thursday at the Federal College of Education, Asaba.

Announcing the results, Chairman of the party’s election committee and returning officer, Mrs Oyibo Nwaneri, declared Omo-Agege winner, “having polled majority of the votes cast”, noting that he was the sole candidate at the primary electio

Ebonyi 

Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Francis Nwifuru, emerged the governorship candidate of the APC in the state.

Nwifuru polled a total of 743 to defeat four other Governorship Aspirants of the APC in the state.

Rosemary Ofoke Nwogbaga, who came a distant second garnered 63 votes, while Senator Julius Ali Ucha, who came third scored 22 votes.

Others were a former Chairman, Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, Chief Elias Mbam, who scored 10 votes and Sir Edward Nkwegu with 8 votes.A total of 8 votes were declared invalid.

Enugu  

A businessman, Uche Nnaji (Nwakaibeya) has won the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State.

He polled a total of 1070 votes in the party’s Governorship primary conducted in the southeast zonal office of the party in Enugu.

The 1300 elected state delegates drawn from the 260 wards in the state were slated to participate in the primary election. He however won with 1070 votes out of the 1100 votes cast. 30 votes were declared invalid

Nnaji who was the sole aspirant scored 1070 of the 1100 votes cast while 30 votes were invalid.

Gombe 

Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya secured his second term ticket to run for the governorship of the state in the APC.

He was declared winner and candidate for the party by Danjuma Dabo, Returning Officer for the primary election after securing the 563 delegates voice votes.

Jigawa 

The state’s Deputy Governor, Malam Umar Namadi won the gubernatorial ticket for the 2022 general election in the state.

The returning officer, Kabiru Muhammad said Namadi emmerged victorious after he defeated eight of his contenders with 1220 popular votes.

According to him, other aspirants: Aminu Kani got 16 votes, Sen. Sabo Nakudu- 106 votes, Farooq Adamu Aliyu- 13 votes, Sani Hussaini Garin-Gabas- 5 votes and Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia- 58 votes.

Ahmad Rufa’i Zakari, Adamu Mukhtar and Ahmad Muhammad scored zero votes.

Kaduna  

The Senator representing Kaduna Central, Uba Sanni emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the 2023 governorship election in the state.

The lawmaker polled 1,149 votes to defeat the duo of Abubakar and Sha’aban with 37 and 10 votes respectively with 39 invalid votes.

The Returning Officer for the APC primary election, Anachuna Henry, who declared Sani as the winner, said there were 1,275 delegates but noted that 1,245 were accredited and 1,196 cast their votes.

Kano 

Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna won the governorship ticket of the party in the state.

The Chairman of the Gubernatorial Primary Election Committee, Senator Tijjani Yahaya Kaura said Gawuna polled 2,289 votes, while the other aspirant Sha’aban had 30 votes.

He added that the total number of delegates for the exercise is 2,420. Those accredited for the exercise stood at 2,420, total votes cast was 2,339, while invalid votes were 20.

Katsina

Dikko Umaru Radda declared winner of the gubernatorial ticket in the state.

Radda polled 506 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mustapha Muhammad Inuwa who got 442. Inuwa was followed closely by Abbas Umar Masanawa who scored 436 votes.

Senator Abubakar Yar’Adua got 32 votes; Faruk Lawal Jobe, 71; Abdulkarim Dauda Daura, 7; Umar Abdullahi Tsauri Tata, scored 8; Mannir Yakubu, 65 votes; and Architect Ahmed Dangiwa, 220.

Kebbi 

Nasiru Idris, president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), has won the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kebbi state.

Idris defeated Yahaya Abdullahi, senate majority leader, and Abubakar Gari-Malam, another aspirant, to clinch the ticket having polled 1,055 votes out of the 1,090 votes that were cast, while Gari-Malam got the remaining 35 votes.

Kwara

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, emerged the elected governorship of the party unopposed for next year’s election after polling 964  votes.

Four votes were also voided after the party’s delegates voted in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.

Chairman of the primary on election, Emmanuel  Dan Daura, who conducted the election announced results, affirming the governor’s victory. Abdulrazaq was the sole candidate

Lagos 

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu emerged the candidate of the APC in the state, after polling 1,170 delegate votes.

Party members defied the downpour that nearly marred the exercise held at Mobolaji Johnson Arena in Onikan and filed out to cast their votes to approve the governor’s second term ticket.

The electoral process commenced at 12:33pm with the arrival of the chairman of the election committee, a former Deputy Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Adamu Shettima Yuguda.

Ogun 

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, emerged winner of the state governorship primary of the APC.

At the primary conducted at the MKO International Stadium, Abeokuta, five other aspirants contested against the governor.

The aspirants were Olubiyi Otegbeye, Modele Sarafa-Yussuf, Owodunni Opayemi, Remilekun Bakare and Abdukadir Akinlade.

Of the six aspirants, only Abiodun, attended the primary, while agents of all the aspirants, announced their presence and did what was expected of them.

Nasarawa 

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, defeated the ex-wife to the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Fatima Abdullahi Adamu, to pick the governorship ticket of the party of the state.

Sule was consequently declared winner of the Nasarawa State APC governorship primary election held at the Lafia City Hall by chairman of the state APC Governorship Primary Election Committee, Isa Ibeto.

The state APC governorship election committee chairman announced that Sule polled 698 votes to defeat the ex-wife to the APC national chairman,, Fatima who scored three votes.

Plateau 

A former Independent National Electoral Commissioner, INEC, Resident Electoral Commissioner in Benue State, Nentanwe Yilwatda Goshwe emerged the flag bearer of the party in the state.

He polled a total of 803 votes to beat three other aspirants.

Rivers

A business mogul and former Chief Executive of Sahara energy, Tonye Cole,emerged the APC candidate in Rivers State.

Tonye Cole won the APC ticket with a total of 986 votes, defeating former APC Chairman in the state, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree, who had 190 votes; Dr Sokonte Davies got 49 and Magnus Abe, got one vote even when he did not participate in the primary.

Yobe

Governor Mala Buni of Yobe State has clinched the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial ticket unopposed for the 2023 election in the state.

The Returning Officer, Umar Kareto said  890 delegates were accredited for the election and 825 votes cast, adding that 805 votes were valid and 20 votes invalid.

Zamfara 

Governor Muhammad Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State emerged APC governorship candidate for 2023 election. He emerged unopposed as other candidates withdrew from the race.

Returning Officer for the primaries, Babagana Tijjani Banki, declared the result in Gusau, the state capital, saying a total of 735 delegates from across 14 local government areas of the state affirmed Matawalle unopposed during the exercise.

THE ICIR gathered that Abubakar Garba Gajam, who was considered Matawalle’s major rival, withdrew from the contest before the commencement of the exercise.

Akwa Ibom

After so much intrigues and controversies, Akanimo Asuquo Udofia won the governorship primary of the APC in the state.

He was declared winner on Friday having polled a total of 1227 votes to beat seven other contestants including the immediate past Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Senator Ita Enang.

Note: This report was updated to reflect Akwa Ibom’s candidate.

Nurudeen AKEWUSHOLA

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Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via [email protected] and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.