APC Rakes In N137m From Kogi Guber Aspirants

The coffers of the All Progressives Congresses
(APC) has been enriched with a whopping sum of
N137.5 million realised from sale of forms to a
total number of 25 out of 26 aspirants seeking to
contest the Kogi state governorship election on its
platform.
Interestingly and barring last-minute change of
minds, 25 male aspirants will slug it out with the
only female contestant in the race to clinch the
APC ticket.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral
Commission has scheduled the governorship poll
for Saturday, November 21, 2015 as the tenure of
the incumbent Governor Idris Wada of the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) expires in few months
time.
In the last two weeks, APC members in the state
particularly those interested in occupying the
Lugard House in Lokoja along with their supporters
turned the APC national secretariat to a Mecca of
sorts as they besieged the Wuse 2 Abuja party
office to obtain their forms for the contest.
The sale of forms was officially closed on Friday,
August 7, 2015 after 26 aspirants have each
obtained his or her forms, which include an
Expression of Interest Form and a Nomination
Form at refundable fees of N500,000 and N5
million respectively except for Princess Ibrahim,
who was given the forms free of charged based on
the party policy on women aspirants for any
elective office.
After certification by relevant party officials that an
aspirant has fulfilled necessary conditions including
evidence of payment for the forms, the APC
national organising secretary, Senator Osita
Izunaso or a delegated official, will then go ahead
to present the forms and a set of party guidelines
to the aspirant.
Alhaji Yahaya Bello (Fair Plus) was the first aspirant
to storm the APC secretariat to obtain his forms
penultimate Thursday, July 30, 2015, while the
likes of Senator Alex Usman Kadiri, Hussein Idris
Kashim and Alh. Sanusi Abubakar Aliyu (Gamji)
were among the last batch of aspirants who took
their turns to pick the forms on the last day of the
sale last Friday.
Other aspirants officially in the race for the Kogi
Government House are Prince Abubakar Audu;
Senator Nicholas Yahaya Ugbane; Sani Halilu
Shuaibu; Suleman Baba Ali; AVM Saliu
Atawodi;Muhammad Abdullahi; Senator Nuruddeen
Abatemi Usman; the only female contestant,
Princess Hadiza Ibrahim; Yakubu Mohammed, Rt.
Hon. Clarence Olafemi; and Suleiman Ejeh Abutu.
Others include Sunday Ejibo; Otunba Suleman
Lanre Ipinmisho; Dr. Tim Nda Diche; Habeeb
Abdullahi Yakeen; Rotimi Yakub Obadofin;
Babatunde Irukera; Barr. Ocholi Enojoh James;
Aliyu Zakari Jiya; Engr. Olushola George Olumoroti;
and Dr. Onukaba Adinoyi Ojo.
Each of the aspirants save for the only female
aspirant parted with a total N5.5 million for the
purchase of the forms only ahead of crossing the
party’s hurdle at the screening exercise coming up
Monday, August 10, 2015; and followed by the
primary election fixed for Saturday, August 29,
2015 in Lokoja.
Whoever emerge winner to become APC’s
candidate in the November 21 poll, will also have
to widen his financial war chest to execute the
statewide campaigns, which is no doubt more
capital intensive venture.
To underscore the enormity of the amount spent
on the forms, one of the aspirants, when asked to
comment on the possible emergence of a
consensus candidate, told journalists that the idea
was a good one but may not work out now after
the aspirants have been made to part with a
whooping N5.5million each, saying that the timing
is late.