The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship aspirants are set for battle in Kano, Benue and Plateau states, while the ones in Kano and Taraba will be affirmed as sole candidates.

 

In Adamawa State, former Governor Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindow has withdrawn from the governorship race. Bindow, who served as governor between 2015 and 2019, communicated his decision to step down through a statement he personally signed on Friday.

 

He expressed appreciation to his supporters for their confidence in him, but stated that after careful consideration and wide consultations, he has chosen to step aside.

 

Meanwhile, a serving senator for Adamawa Southern Senatorial Zone, Senator Binos Yaroe Dauda, has secured his return ticket to the Senate under the ADC banner. He was given an automatic ticket, though he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ADC.

 

In Kano State, Ibrahim Little is set to battle Sheik Ibrahim Khalil for the ticket. Our correspondent learnt that the screening committee sent in by the national body of the party arrived in the state earlier this week and has been screening candidates in the past three days.

 

The party also sent an election committee to the state which will take over from the screening committee for the primaries.

 

One of the governorship aspirants, Ibrahim Little, confirmed that the committee is now more focused on having consensus to reconcile aspirants where there is more than one person vying for a seat. “The committee just arrived in the state not long ago and is more focused on consensus. It is where consensus doesn’t work that we will go for primaries. It is that same election committee sent in from Abuja that will conduct elections, and they have not yet fixed the date due to the extension resulting from Thursday’s court judgement,” Little added.

 

Results for the governorship primaries of the ADC in Plateau and Taraba States would be declared today as the process could not be concluded yesterday. The two aspirants battling to clinch the Plateau State governorship ticket are John Sura and Jude Dakur.

 

Our correspondents report that they have been locked in battle since yesterday as the party conducts primaries to decide the flag bearer. As of the time of filing this report, collation for the primary elections had commenced. Officials told our correspondent that the final results are expected to be announced on Saturday due to delays in collating the results.

 

In Taraba State, ADC chairman Hassan Adamu disclosed that results for the governorship primaries from all 16 local government areas will be ready on Saturday. He told Weekend Trust that Senator Abubakar Tutare is unopposed in the primaries and the process for the exercise is affirmation.

 

He stated that reports from all the wards across the state indicate the process is being conducted peacefully without hitches.

 

Adamu explained that the ADC is gaining acceptance across the state, which is an indication that the party will perform well in all the elections in 2027. He said the party is fielding contestants for all elective positions including governor, Senate, House of Representatives, as well as House of Assembly seats.

 

The governorship primary election for Benue State on Friday was engulfed in crisis following alleged unresolved disputes and reported security concerns. The governorship aspirants in the race include former House of Representatives member Heman Hembe, ex-APGA governorship aspirant Joseph Waya, and Peter Adejo.

 

Our correspondent reports that protests and allegations of ethnic bias trailed the exercise at the party’s headquarters secretariat in Makurdi. Some party faithful said the office of the state chairman was besieged by youths who threatened to beat him up over alleged conspiracy to favour a particular aspirant for the governorship ticket.

 

A party chieftain, Nelson Ogbu, disclosed that unresolved issues disrupted the governorship primary scheduled for Friday, forcing the exercise to be shifted to Saturday. It was gathered that trouble escalated after a viral video on social media showed angry youths storming the office of the state chairman, Samson Okwu, accusing him of allegedly working for a certain group.

 

An aspirant, Ejembi Adaje, called for the cancellation of the primary election over alleged irregularities. Efforts to get reaction from Samson Okwu were unsuccessful as calls placed to his telephone were not answered.

 

But as the governorship contest remains stalled, the party concluded its senatorial primaries in parts of the state, leading to the emergence of Chief David Olofu as the winner of the Zone C ticket, while Terngu Tsegba clinched the Zone B ticket. At the time of this report, it was gathered that results for Zone A were still being collated.

 

Another party leader, Joseph Oche, confirmed that the governorship primary is yet to hold but said the House of Representatives primaries conducted by consensus across the state were peaceful and successful.

 

Former Majority Leader of the Edo State House of Assembly, Matthew Iduoriyekemwen, yesterday secured the Edo South Senatorial District ticket on the platform of the ADC. Declaring the results in Benin, Mr. Ebiowei Olomu, chairman of the ADC Primary Election Committee, said Iduoriyekemwen secured a total of 23,174 votes to emerge winner.

 

Olomu also said Prince Musa Braimoh emerged winner in the Edo North Senatorial District with 14,992 votes, while Mrs. Herberta Okonofua won the Edo Central Senatorial District ticket, polling 4,898.

 

Reacting, Iduoriyekemwen said the people of Edo South have had several senators who have contributed their own quota to the development of the state. He said he is going to the Senate to serve as a voice for the unification of the districts and attract meaningful development.

 

On her part, Mrs. Okonofua said her people called her to come and serve them, and she believes that they are going to back her up. She noted that the Senate is no longer a place of retirement but a place where laws are made for the wellbeing of the nation.