The All Progressives Congress (APC) national leadership has raked in a whooping N4.45 billion from two presidential and over 83 governorship aspirants that bought its expression of interest and nomination forms to contest the party’s primary this month for next year’s general elections.
The N200 million from the incumbent President Bola Tinubu and Stanley Osifo who bought the presidential nomination forms and over 83 governorship aspirants from 28 states was not part of the funds raked from thousands of aspirants seeking the tickets of the party for the State and National Assembly.
However, there are indications that the number of aspirants and the amount haul may increase after the extension of the deadline for the sale of nomination forms.
The number of governorship aspirants had surprisingly increased despite the speculated automatic tickets given to the incumbent governors or the tenure tied governors anointing aspirants.
There’s so much consensus within parties that the primaries for 13 of the 17 first-term governors, all on May 21, are little more than formalities.
The governors on the affirmation waiting list are: Umo Bassey Eno (Akwa Ibom); Bassey Otu (Cross River); Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta); Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi); Peter Mbah (Enugu); Umar Namadi (Jigawa); Uba Sani (Kaduna); Abba Yusuf (Kano); Dikko Umaru Radda (Katsina); Nasir Idris (Kebbi); Umar Bago (Niger); Ahmad Aliyu (Sokoto) and Dauda Lawal (Zamfara).
Information gathered at the Abuja Continental Hotels, venue for the purchase, collection/submission secretariat of nomination forms revealed that the competition is fiercest in Kwara State, which has the highest number of aspirants numbering 15 jostling for the ticket.
Other states with high interest aspirants for governorship include Adamawa (eight aspirants); Oyo and Yobe (six aspirants each); Bauchi and Nasarawa (five aspirants each); Abia and Taraba (four aspirants each); Gombe and Lagos (three aspirants each) while Borno and Ogun have two aspirants each.
Sources within the party said Lagos State appeared to be settling for a unified consensus option while the incumbent governor of Benue state, Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia might face stiff contest from aspirants who kicked against the consensus arrangement before the peace brokering this week.
To confirm the resolve and readiness of the aspirants for a fierce contest, Mathias Byuan, a contender in Benue had dismissed the idea of a smooth ride for the incumbent, saying: “The governor and I will test the ground. If he’s popular, let him win. If I am popular, I will win. Mr. President said people should go and test their popularity.”
He was not alone in that resolve to engage in a battle as governorship aspirants in many other states are ready to fight either the incumbent or their anointed aspirants.
In Yobe, for example, former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, in a chat with newsmen after submitted his nomination forms, made it clear that he will not step down for a predetermined candidate anointed aspirant of Governor Mai Mala-Buni.
As he said; “I have not seen where any consensus has taken place. I have not been part of any consensus meeting, I have not agreed to support anybody. “I have the passion, credibility and attitude to lead Yobe.”
In the same vein, his sentiment was reechoed by another Yobe aspirant, Kashim Musa Tumsah, who said that: “The people want change and they have asked for something different. That is why we are fighting.”
In Nasarawa, the race may assume a historic dimension as Dr. Fatima Abdullahi, the only female governorship aspirant in the state, said she is ready for a “direct primary” battle.
“This is disheartening that since 1999 to date, no woman has ruled any state as a governor,” Mrs. Abdullahi said adding that she is comfortable with the grassroots-led direct primary format.
