Guber Primaries: Abe, Shagari Dump APC, PDP

• Ekweremadu, Abaribe, Luke weighing options

BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – It is withdrawal and defection galore by some political actors as anger continues to trail the governorship primaries of Nigeria’s two major parties, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) currently holding across the country.

Already, some key stakeholders and aspirants are crying foul for being hit below the belt by their parties’ leadership and have decided to reconsider available options in pursuing their gubernatorial ambitions.

In Rivers State, Senator Magnus Abe not only withdrew from the APC gubernatorial contest but also declared that he has effectively quit being a member of the party.

Insisting that he will not accept the outcome of the party’s governorship primary, which was still being conducted as of 3 pm on Thursday, Senator Abe said the process that produced the delegates for the primary was not credible.

The former lawmaker, who addressed a media briefing at his Freedom House campaign office in the new GRA of Port Harcourt, said notwithstanding the happenings in APC, he will be on the ballot for next year’s election.

He however did not give details on whether or not he would challenge the result in court or decamp to another political party to achieve his dream.

This is as the South-South Coordinator of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Support Vanguard (BATS-V), Sir Tony Okocha, confirmed that despite dumping the APC, Abe’s Rivers governorship ambition remains on course.

In Enugu State, former Deputy Senate President and PDP governorship aspirant, Senator Ike Ekweremadu had his ambition truncated by the existing zoning arrangement in the State and withdrew from the primaries.

Announcing the painful decision, the Director-General of his Ikeoha Campaign Organisation, Hon Charles Ogbo Asogwa, said in a statement; “We wish to inform our supporters and Nigerians that the former Deputy President of the Senate and foremost governorship aspirant in Enugu State, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, will not be participating in the PDP governorship primary election scheduled for this Wednesday, May 25, 2022.

“Meanwhile, we continue to trust God as we appreciate our teeming supporters and the good people of Enugu State for the enormous goodwill they have ceaselessly invested in the actualisation of the “Pathway to a New Enugu State”.

“We urge them to remain peaceful and be assured that we will keep them abreast of our decision on the way forward.”

For Senate Minority Leader and PDP governorship candidate in Abia State, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, the story is not different as he also announced his decision to withdraw from the contest in the ‘God’s Own State’

Shortly before the commencement of the primaries, Abaribe said “I Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe will not be part of this charade. I am therefore withdrawing from the exercise, which means that I will not be part of the PDP governorship primary election that holds in Abia State on Wednesday 25th of May, 2022 as doing so would have amounted to an endorsement of illegality that is already being challenged in the courts.”

In Akwa Ibom State, the Chairman House Committee on Judiciary and governorship aspirant in Akwa Ibom State, Honourable Onofiok Luke, signaled his decision to abandon the PDP primaries in a statement entitled, “When Reality Stares us in the Face”.

According to Luke, it is unfortunate that his teeming supporters have been shut out of the list of ad-hoc delegates while there is no room for statutory delegates since President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to give the much-anticipated assent to the amendment to the 2022 Electoral Act.

The statement by the former Speaker of Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly read thus: “I entered the ongoing Governorship race of our dear State to change the narrative in the political system and governance by seeking more inclusion through our Building Together and Growing Together agenda. We took our message to all the 31 Chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

“That message was well accepted by members of our party and soundly resonated with Akwa Ibom citizens. Our hope of victory was dependent on God using the delegates at the PDP primaries and ultimately Akwa Ibom people at the general election. This was our conviction and it is still our conviction today.

“However, unfolding realities within our party and the Nation have called for a reconsideration of my participation in the gubernatorial primaries of our party today. This is for the simple fact that we will not be going into this election with our largest support base which is the statutory delegates. We also do not have any of the ad hoc delegates as our supporters who bought forms to be Adhoc delegates were excluded from the process. This position they have stated in a formal protest to the national headquarters of our party and have also sought redress.

“This Statement would have been issued much earlier than now but we were waiting and hoping that the President would assent to the amended electoral bill 2022 which would have corrected the oversight. As of this morning, Mr President is yet to assent to it.

“Consequently, I will not be participating in today’s governorship primary election. I make this statement after due consultation with the leadership of the Amazing Grace Campaign team and representatives of my support base. I am prayerfully and politically consulting on the way forward, and I will communicate the same in the coming weeks.

My sincere gratitude to our supporters. You have shown me immeasurable goodwill. I still count on your strength going forward. With you, we will continue to press towards an Akwa Ibom that works for all its citizens.”

The news coming out of Sokoto State also follows the same pattern as a founding member of the PDP, Mukhtari Shehu Shagari, formally announced his exit from the State ruling party, accusing Governor Aminu Tambuwal of barefaced ‘deceit’.

Shagari announced his withdrawal from the State ruling party shortly after a stakeholders’ meeting chaired by the governor in which the former Secretary to the State Government was endorsed as the PDP’s flagbearer in the forthcoming election.

In a press statement signed personally, Shagari, who was a former Minister for Water Resources and ex-Deputy Governor of the State, said it is unfortunate that the Governor has regard for “integrity, honor, and excellence.”

His full statement read thus; “I wish to bring to your notice that I, Mukhtari Shehu Shagari has from today ceased to be a member of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“This hard decision is a result of the series of betrayals that I have suffered in the hands of a Party that deceitfully claims to be a bastion of democracy but has instead become a party of the highest bidder without considering my labor, commitment, sacrifice, investments and service to the Party since 1998.

“Apart from my numerous sacrifices and service to the Party, the so-called Peoples Democratic Party has no reward system regardless of one’s loyalty and faithfulness. It is my conviction that the ideals of the founding fathers of the Peoples Democratic Party have been completely eroded and are not worthy to be called a Democratic Party.

“It is most disheartening that the Governor of my State, in particular, has proven to be a man who does not keep to his words, a man who has no regard for integrity, honor, and excellence. It is also sad and unfortunate that the PDP in Sokoto is dead and buried during his tenure as the Governor of Sokoto State because of his draconian, slippery, cunning, crafty, and insincere style of leadership.

“The PDP has unfortunately become a “cash and carry” Party for the highest bidder so as to serve the interest of a minority few who have hijacked the body and soul of the Party.

“While I enjoin my supporters to remain calm, I shall in a few day’s time make my next steps known. Thank you.”