By NAN
Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, has emerged the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Bayelsa West Senatorial District bye-election scheduled for October 31.
The returning officer of the PDP national panel, Nicholas Obhiseh, declared Dickson winner of the party’s special primary election held on Saturday at Sagbama, headquarters of the Bayelsa West Senatorial District.
“I hereby declare Seriake Dickson winner of this special primary election for the Bayelsa West Senatorial District,” Obhiseh said.
The former governor was the only aspirant in the exercise.
A total of 338 delegates were accredited from 347 delegates that participated in the election which recorded 334 valid votes with four invalid votes.
Speaking after his return as the PDP senatorial candidate for Bayelsa West, Dickson commended the people for their loyalty and support.
He said, “I am a proponent of the zoning. This will make Sagbama and Ekeremor become more united in the interest of posterity. I will spearhead it.
“We will defeat those who are working against the interest of the Ijaw nation. After the primaries, there should be ‘Operation Deliver Your Unit, Ward, Your Community.”
In Cross River State, former Chairman of the state’s Universal Basic Education Board, Stephen Odey, won the ticket to represent PDP in the Cross River North Senatorial Bye-election also scheduled for October 31, 2020.
Odey scored 450 votes to defeat his closest rival and member representing Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Jarigbe Agom, who polled 90 votes.
The other aspirants were Dr. Ogana Lukpata, Dr. Mary Iji and Martina Odom.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission witnessed the exercise, which took place at the Ogoja council headquarters on Saturday.
The Chairman of the electoral panel, Olorogun Tebite, who described the process as peaceful and orderly, declared Odey as the winner of the primary election having scored the highest number of votes.
An INEC official, who observed the primary, Amula Timotheus, said the exercise was “conducted in line with INEC guidelines and was, therefore, satisfactory.”
The state governor, Ben Ayade, who spoke after casting his ballot, expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the election and commended INEC for playing their observer role efficiently.
Ayade said the election was “a family affair as all the aspirants are members of the PDP family in the state” adding that the party will work together to win the main election.
Meanwhile, one of the aspirants, Jarigbe Agom, rejected the outcome of the primary and said he will take necessary steps to seek redress as he alleged that many delegates were excluded from voting.
In Imo, PDP delegates elected Emma Okewulonu as the party’s candidate for the October 31 bye-election in Imo North senatorial district.
Okewulonu, who hails from the Obowo Local Government Area, is the immediate elder brother of Chris Okewulonu, who was the Chief of Staff to the ousted governor of the state, Emeka Ihedioha.
He polled 609 votes to defeat his only contender in the primary, Patrick Ndubueze, who gathered 27 votes.
Ndubueze was the party’s candidate in the zone at the 2019 general election.
The Chairman, PDP Electoral Committee Panel in the state, Chuba Oramisi, who announced the result, said a total of 659 delegates were accredited for the primary election.
Oramisi noted that while 23 votes were void, 636 votes were valid.
Meanwhile, Babatunde Gbadamosi emerged PDP candidate for the Lagos East senatorial district, on Saturday after defeating three other candidates.
In the result announced by a representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tunde Oyebade, around 7:00 pm, Gbadamosi won a landslide victory with 529 votes to defeat Princess Saidat Odofin Fafowora 59 votes, Olanrewaju Moshood Babatunde scored 21 votes, and Princess Abiodun Oyefusi took the rear with seven votes. 14 votes were voided.
Before voting began, the delegates were told not to write only Babatunde or Princess on their ballot paper as both male aspirants have Babatunde as their first name and the two female candidates also go by the name Princess.
Voting started around 12:00 and ended around 5:30 pm and sorting of votes started by 6:00 pm.
Alebiosu Sikiru Adekoya won the Kosofe II state constituency primary held at state constituency.
Lagos East comprises five local government areas, Shomolu, Kosofe, Ibeju-Lekki, Epe and Ikorodu.
A breakdown of the voting process showed that a total of 110 delegates were accredited from Shomolu local government area of which 109 voted, 95 delegates accredited from Kosofe local government, 94 voted, Ibeju-Lekki 88 accredited, 88 voted, Epe 173 accredited, 173 voted, while in Ikorodu,162 accredited and 162 voted.
Babatunde, a businessman, contested for the party’s nomination to run as candidate for Governor of Lagos State in 2011 and again in 2015.
He joined the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in 2017, from where he contested again for governor in 2019 and came in the second runner up. He rejoined the PDP in March 2020.
Gbadamosi said he did not decamp to the ADP in 2017 since he resigned from politics.
He said, “when I initially left the PDP in 2015, I resigned from politics, it is not as if I left for another party. Now that I’m back, I hope they will trust me because I am here to make a change in the process of governance not just in Lagos PDP but Nigeria in general.”
In the Kosofe II state constituency, Alebiosu Sikiru Adekoya defeated Aroyewun Segun with 31 to 24 votes.
Eight delegates each were accredited from each of the six wards plus three statutory delegates that also voted.
Speaking on behalf of the five-member senatorial primary committee, its chairman, Ndidi Okereke described the primary as very peaceful. He commended the aspirants, members of the party and the security agencies for their cordial comportment.
Other members of the committee include, Dr Awaj-Imomba Abiante, who is the secretary, and Mrs. Mobolaji Lamoye, Adeyeni Sunday and Mr. Kingsley Wobu-Ezi, members.
The Chairman of the primary appeal Committee, Emeka Nwachukwu, said the role of his committee was to observe the process.
He said, “we are here on observer status to monitor what is going on so that when appeals come up, we will not be strangers to the situation.”
