By Okechukwu Jombo
As results from the Peoples Democratic Party PDP Senatorial Primaries elections across the States and Federal Capital Territory trickle in more current senators from the party are losing their tickets to new candidates for their seats.
Amongst those who lost their candidateship are Senators Chris Ekpenyong,Mattew Urhoghide ,Ayo Akinyeluru.
In Akwa Ibom the Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Hon. Aniekan Bassey, has won the ticket of the PDP, for Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District for the 2023 election where Senator Bassey Albert Akpan held sway.
Bassey emerged winner of the primaries which were held on Monday, polling 272 votes to clinch the ticket.
Similarly, the immediate past National Legal Adviser of the opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress, APC, Emmanuel Enoidem, and former Commissioner for Economic Development, Ekong Sampson, both won the PDP tickets. Senator Chris Ekpeyong is the current Senator
While Enoidem polled 329 votes to win the Akwa Ibom North West PDP ticket, Sampson secured 368 votes to win the PDP ticket for Akwa Ibom South
A legal practitioner, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe, SAN has emerged as the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the Ondo Central Senatorial District ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Adedipe, a political greenhorn who polled 82 votes was declared the winner of the election by the Chairman of the Election Committee, Idhiarhi Bekekhimi.
He defeated his closest rival and incumbent senator in the district, Senator Ayo Akinyelure popularly known as “Allover” who scored 58 votes.
The immediate past Chairman of PDP in Ondo State came third with 56 votes.
Prince Chinedu Nwoko emerged the PDP candidate for Delta North Senatorial District for 2023 general election.
He defeated his opponent, Mr Paul Osaji, a business mogul, in the Senate Primary held in Asaba with 242 votes as against 67 votes polled by his opponent.
Chairman of Delta Central – 2023 governorship lobby group, Chief Ighoyota Amori defeated former Commissioner, Chief John Nani.for Delta Central Senatorial zone
Hon. Michael Diden, aka Ejele, picked the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, senatorial tickets for Delta South.
PDP candidates for the two Senatorial Districts of Kwara State have emerged after the primary elections held in the respective districts on Monday.
All the two candidates emerged through consensus arrangement and affirmation by the party delegates at the primaries supervised by officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Malam Bolaji Abdullahi emerged the candidate to contest for the Kwara Central Senatorial District seat.
He is entering the race with a rich and intimidating credential, having served as the former Minister of Sports and Kwara State Commissioner for Education.
He also served as Special Assistant, and Special Adviser to former Governor Bukola Saraki on strategy, as well as national spokesman of the PDP.
Former Senator Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim, who served in the 8th Senate under Senate President, Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki’s tenure, secured the ticket to contest the seat again for Kwara South Senatorial District.
Senator representing Edo South Senatorial District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mathew Urhoghide has been knocked out as he attempted to return to the Senate for the third time in 2023.
Urhoghide, who is the Chairman of Senate Committee on Public Accounts, contested for primaries alongside four other aspirants, but lost out.
The lawmaker was first elected into the Upper legislative Chamber in 2015 and returned in 2019 as a ranking Senator and hadn’t defected to any political party since then.
According to the results obtained by Monday, Senator Urhoghide polled 102 to come second behind one Mr Mathew Iduoriyekemwen who scored 113 votes.
Other three Senatorial aspirants who distantly came behind are: Isaiah Osifo, 8 votes; Dr William Ogbeide, 2 votes, while Mr. Ogbeide Obama scored 1 vote.
With this development, Mr Mathew Iduoriyekemwen becomes the candidate that would slug it out with other rivals at the 2023 general election to represent
Edo South, which is the Benin speaking district of the State.
The lawmakers who are running for governorship are Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia), Aishatu Dahiru Binani Ahmed (Adamawa), Albert Bassey Akpan (Akwa Ibom), Gershom Bassey (Cross River), Sandy Onor (Cross River), Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta), James Manager (Delta), and Obinna Ogba (Ebonyi).
Others are Ike Ekweremadu (Enugu), Mohammed Sabo Nakudu (Jigawa), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Ahmad Babba Kaita (Katsina), Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi), Teslim Folarin (Oyo), Dimka Hezekiah Ayuba (Plateau), George Sekibo (Rivers), Ibrahim Gobir (Sokoto), Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba), and Yusuf A. Yusuf (Taraba).
While horse-trading is gathering steam between some senators and their governors over who would get senatorial tickets, other lawmakers are ready to slug it out with their states’ number one citizens in the primaries.
Aliero had indicated interest to seek re-election, but his return bid is threatened by the move of the state governor, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, to switch to the Senate.
