By Omeiza Ajayi, ABUJA
The National Working Committee NWC of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC has dropped former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, former Ondo State House of Representatives member Gbenga Elegbeleye, and five other senatorial candidates from the party’s final lists of candidates forwarded to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
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The development was contained in a correspondence signed by both the APC National Chairman and National Secretary, Nentawe Yilwatda and Ajibola Basiru respectively, and transmitted to the electoral commission, with the party’s national leadership attributing the sweeping changes to the report of the Primary Election Appeal Committee.
Nineteen House of Representatives candidates who had emerged victorious in the party’s primary elections held in May were equally dropped and replaced in the final lists. The states affected include Kogi, Abia, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna and Ebonyi.
Titled “Forwarding of approved list of senatorial and House of Representatives candidates,” the letter read: “We write to formally forward the attached list of the party’s candidates for the affected senatorial and House of Representatives constituencies arising from the report of the Primary Election Appeal Committee. Following the determination of appeals from the recently concluded primary elections, the reports of the Appeal Committee were reviewed and subsequently considered and approved by the NWC of the APC as the party’s final position on the affected constituencies. In accordance with the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) and INEC’s regulations and guidelines, we hereby transmit the enclosed list of the approved candidates for seven senatorial districts and 19 House of Representatives constituencies for your records and necessary action.”
Among the senatorial replacements, Senator Sunday Karimi displaced Aro Samuel Bamidele in Kogi West; Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu was replaced by Prince Paul Ikonne in Abia South; Suswam lost the Benue North East ticket to Emmanuel Memga Udende; while in Benue North West, Titus Tartenger Zam replaced Benjamin T. Aber.
Mohammed Kabir Bello was replaced by Shuibu Isa Lau in Taraba North; Taiwo Fasoranti was substituted by Adeniyi Adegbonmire in Ondo Central; and Elegbeleye lost the Ondo North ticket to Olajide Ipinsagba.
In the House of Representatives, Benue State recorded the most changes, with five federal constituencies affected. Dickson Tarkighir replaced Ikper Chris Terfa in Makurdi/Guma; Sesoo Ikpagher replaced Livinus Tsar Adzor in Vandeikya/Konshisha; Terser Ugbor substituted Kohol Shedrach Iornem in Kwande/Ushongo; Sekav Dzua Iyortyom replaced Gideon Inyom in Buruku; while Austin Asema Achado displaced Nongo David in Gwer East/Gwer West Federal Constituency.
In Taraba, Peter Abel Diah was forwarded to replace Sanusi Mohammed Galadima in Gashaka/Kurmi/Sardauna Federal Constituency. Niger State saw Abubakar Lado Abdullahi substitute Adamu Tanko in Suleja/Tafa/Gurara and Adamu Suleiman replacing Adamu Usman in Lavun/Edati/Mokwa.
In Kwara, Raheem Tunji Olawuyi replaced Olasumbo Florence Oyeyemi in Ekiti/Irepodun/Oke-Ero, while Mohammed Mamman substituted Bello Tauheed Abubakar in Edu/Patigi/Moro.
Ondo State recorded six House of Representatives changes, with Donald Ojogo replacing Akingboye Leke in Ilaje/Ese-Odo; Festus Olarewaju replacing Rasaq Obe in Idanre; Oluwatimehin Akintomide replacing Kayode Ijalana in Owo/Ose; Okunjinmi John Odimayo replacing Olumuyiwa Daramola in Okitipupa/Irele; Michel Olamidotun Akintomide substituting Abiola Makinde in Ondo West/Ondo East; and Festus Ayodele Adefiranye replacing Oyerinmade Matthew in Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo/Odigbo.
Rounding out the changes, Abdulazeez Kaka was named as replacement for Samaila Abdu Suleiman in Kaduna North; Samuel Okezie displaced Chris Nkwonta in Ukwa East/Ukwa West in Abia State; while Ekumankama Joseph Nkama replaced Iduma Igariwey Enwo in Afikpo North/Edda Federal Constituency in Ebonyi State.
