Wada, Lyon emerge PDP, APC Kogi, Bayelsa guber candidates

Brother to former Governor of Kogi State, Musa Wada has emerged the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the November 16 governorship election.

This is even as David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) also emerged the winner of the just concluded primary in Bayelsa State.

Chairman of the PDP governorship primary election committee in Kogi State, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State told newsmen on Wednesday in Lokoja that Wada emerged by polling 748 votes to beat 12 other aspirants.

He also disclosed that another aspirant, Abubakar Ibrahim polled 710 votes to come second, while former Gov Idris Wada came third with 345.

Other aspirants and their scores as announced by Gov. Fintiri were Sen. Dino Melaye, 70 votes, Aminu Abubakar Suleiman, 55, Victor Adoji, 54, Erico Ahmeh, 42, AVM Salihu Atawodi (rtd), 11, Mohamed Shaibu, 4, Bayo Averehi, 2, Emmanuel Omebije, 9 and Mrs Grace Adejoh polled 0.

The committee chairman said that he decided to announce the results, having been satisfied that the conduct of the primaries had complied substantially with the provisions of the party’s constitution.

“We have performed well and we should be commended by all the aspirants,” the governor said.

He said that 2, 388 delegates were accredited for the election while 2,109 votes were cast. He also said that 54 voided votes were recorded, with 244 unused ballots, while 247 ballot papers could not be accounted for.

Fintiri also said that the 247 missing ballot papers could be as a result of the invasion of the venue of the primary by yet-to-be-identified gunmen, saying that the number was not enough to damage the integrity of the exercise.

He added that any aggrieved aspirant was free to lodge appeal with the national secretariat of the party.

In his reaction, Sen. Melaye expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct and the outcome of the election, claiming that the winner was allowed to bring over 600 votes from his house which, he said, the committee accepted and counted in his favour.

Melaye, who spoke through his agent, Femi Obalemo, said that he would appeal the decision of the committee.

Also speaking, Ibrahim, who came second, said that the winner defeated him with 38 votes, which, he said, is not up to the missing 247 ballot papers.

He expressed the confidence that if the missing ballot papers can be recovered, he would emerge the winner.

Wada, who was declared winner, appealed to other contestants to accept the result in good faith and in the interest of the party, promising to carry them along in all the processes leading to the real election.

Similarly, in Bayelsa State, David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged the winner of the just concluded primary in the state.

He scored 42,138 votes to defeat his closet rival, Mrs. Diseye Nsirim, who scored 1,533 votes.

Others are Heineken Lokpobiri, who scored 571 votes, while Preye Aganaba, scored 354 votes and Amgbare scored 633 votes, while Prof. Maureen Etebu scored 564 votes.

Chief Coalition Officer, Sen. Dangana Emmanuel, announced the result in Yenagoa, the state capital. He said the mode was direct primary as agreed by Bayelsa stakeholders, and confirmed by the national working committee.