As predicted by political analysts, the
governorship primaries of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) held in states
across the country were characterised by
gunfire, parallel elections, protests and
walkouts staged by some of the
dissatisfied candidates.
Many of the governorship primaries
started late in the day, with many of them
lasting well into the night. Serving
governors, Ramallan Yero of Kaduna
State and his Gombe State counterpart
Ibrahim Dankwabbo got the PDP ticket to
contest for a second term in office.
In many states, anointed candidate of the
incumbent governor emerged the flag
bearer of the party to the disapproval of
other opponents.
While in Rivers, former minister of
education Nyesom Wike, perceived as the
anointed aspirant of President Goodluck
Jonathan, picked the ticket of the party,
in Akwa Ibom, the governor’s candidate,
Emmanuel Udom, emerged the candidate
of the party. It was a similar case in
Niger State where the governor’s chief of
staff, Umar Nasko, was elected to contest
the governorship election.
Similarly, the chief of staff to Jigawa
State governor, Sule Lamido, scaled
through the primary, while in Enugu, four
candidates in four factional primaries
were elected to fly the party’s
gubernatorial flag in 2015.
In Katsina State, eight out of the nine
aspirants staged a walkout from the
election venue, while Akwa Ibom and
Rivers states witnessed a boycott of the
exercise by other candidates who
described the exercise as “charade”.
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