Shortly after the Not Too Young To Run Bill got a majority vote in the Nigerian Senate. There was a conversation that followed the emergence of that bill online and hope that Nigeria’s future leaders would be its young people.
The bill seeks to reduce the age for running for the office of the President from 40 to 35; the Governor 35 to 30; House of Representatives 30 to 25; and State House of Assembly 30 to 25. The bill is up for consideration today by the House of Representatives.
There was widespread skepticism that politicians were eager to pass on the baton of leadership to their children.
NewsWireNGR editorial team is following reports from across the country as political parties, mainly the ruling All Progressives Congress and opposition, Peoples Democratic Party announce results of their primaries – we are tracking the elites numbers trickling in.
(1) The daughter of Chief James Ibori, former governor of Delta State, Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, has dislodged an incumbent House of Representatives member, Ben Igbakpa, to clinch the ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to contest the Ethiope Federal Constituency seat for the 2023 general elections.
Ibori-Suenu floored Igbakpa with 46 votes to emerge the candidate of the party in the rescheduled rerun election on Tuesday.
Igbakpa and Erhiatake had a tie of 34 delegates votes on Monday when the election was earlier held at the Oghara Township stadium.
In the rerun election, Igbakpa got a total of 22 votes according to results announced while Erhiatake polled 46 votes to clinch the party’s flag.
(2) In Oyo, Idris Abiola-Ajimobi, son of late former Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, on Thursday, emerged the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Ibadan South-West II State Constituency.
The late former governor’s son emerged the consensus candidate at the party’s primary held on Thursday in Ibadan.
Idris emerged as the consensus candidate after his opponents stepped down for him.
After the primary, Idris thanked God, his co-aspirants and supporters for paving the way for him to emerge as a consensus candidate ahead of the election in 2023.
He promised to make the party proud and thanked the leaders of the party and his constituents for their unrelenting support of him.
“I will make the people proud. I will make my constituency proud and give them quality representation. I promise to give my best against all contenders from the opposition parties,” he said.
He extended his hands of fellowship to his co-aspirants who stepped down for him, promising to work with them for the good of the party.
“I wish all of us victory at the 2023 elections. May God spare our lives and reward our efforts,” he said.
(3) In Kaduna, Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s eldest son, Bello, has won his primaries for the seat at the green chamber.
(4) Barr Marilyn Okowa-Daramola, the daughter of Delta State Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa has won the House of Assembly ticket of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Marilyn won the House of Assembly ticket of the PDP to contest the Ika North East seat in the Delta State House of Assembly.
The Governor’s daughter was returned unopposed in the primary election for the Ika North East seat.
(5) The son of ex-governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido, was, on Wednesday, elected the governorship candidate of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Mustapha Lamido defeated his challenger, Sale Shehu, a former junior Minister for Works by 829 to zero votes.
Three votes were invalid.
The head of the election committee, Isah Ahmad, congratulated the winner, and party delegates on a successful primary. He said the election was peaceful, free and fair.
Meanwhile, in his acceptance speech, Mr Lamido said: “I most sincerely accept this nomination with humility, modesty and determination.
He described the congress as ‘historic’, saying that majority of the PDP candidates in the state are younger than candidates in the previous election.
Mr Lamido pledged to run an inclusive government if elected governor.
“As we move to the next stage of campaign and elections, I ask you to trust me, work with me, campaign with me and vote for me so that we can make the state great again. And I can on you to come out massively to vote for PDP.
“I urge all of us to avoid politics of division and disunity. The interest of the state is far and above any personal or sectional interest.
(6)MOHAMMED ABACHA WINS IN KANO
Muhammad Abacha, son of former military leader, Sani Abacha, has emerged governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general election in Kano State.
Abacha polled 736 votes to defeat his closest rival, Jafar Sani-Bello, who scored 710 votes in the primary election on Wednesday in Kano State.
Announcing the results, the Returning Officer, Amina Garba, declared Mr Abacha as the winner of the primaries having scored 736 votes.
The Chairman the Electoral Committee, Mohammed Jamu, said the primaries were legally conducted with validly-elected delegates and supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, police and State Security Service operatives.
(7) Rasheed Kashamu, son of the late Ogun State politician and business tycoon, Buruji Kashamu, has clinched a ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for a State House of Assembly seat.
Rasheed emerged candidate unopposed for the Ijebu North state constituency 1 (Ijebu Igbo) during the House of Assembly primaries held on Monday in Ijebu North Local Government.
Also, the late politician’s nephew, Taiwo Shote, won the party’s ticket for Ijebu Ode/Ijebu North-East and Odogbolu Federal Constituency as he polled 100 votes to defeat other aspirants.
(8) Lamiju Alao-Akala won House of Representatives primaries.
