Nigeria’s main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ended its primaries with some of the party’s bigwigs losing out of the race to contest various elective positions in the forthcoming general elections.
Some aspirants who contested but failed to win the party’s tickets have defected to other parties, while others have remained in the party ahead of the elections. Daily Trust highlights five prominent members of the party who lost the party tickets.
Nyesom Wike
Rivers State Governor, Nyesome Wike, contested for the PDP presidential ticket alongside former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who eventually emerged the party’s standard bearer. While Atiku polled 371 votes out of the 767 national delegates accredited for the exercise, Wike garnered 237 votes to come second.
Atiku and Nyesom Wike had about 81 per cent of the votes from the delegates, while other aspirants had to share the remaining 19 per cent of the total vote cast.
Dino Melaye
Dino Melaye, former senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the 8th National Assembly, also lost the PDP ticket to return to the Senate. He lost to Tajudeen Yusuf, a lawmaker currently representing Kabba/Bunu Ijumu Federal Constituency. Yusuf, who secured 163 votes, defeated Dino who polled 99 votes.
Yusuf, a three-term House of Representatives member, had levelled with Dino when they both scored 88 votes — leading to a rerun.
Shehu Sani
Senator Shehu Sani, who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, failed to secure the PDP ticket to run for governorship in the state.
In a tweet via his verified Twitter handle, he congratulated the winner, Isah Ashiru, a former House of Representatives member.
He wrote, “The Kaduna PDP Governorship primaries has been concluded. I lost and Honourable Isah Ashiru won.
“I wish to congratulate him. Two delegates voted for me without giving them a dime; unfortunately, I don’t know who they are, so that I can appreciate these clean votes. We look forward.”
Danjuma Laah
Deputy Minority Whip, Danjuma Laah, equally lost the PDP ticket for Kaduna South senatorial seat. Laah was defeated by Sunday Katung, a former member of the House of Representatives.
Katung, a deputy governorship candidate of the PDP in 2019 in Kaduna, scored 112 votes to defeat Laah who scored 74 votes.
Istifanus Gyang
The Senator representing Plateau North, Istifanus Gyang also lost the party’s primary election to a member representing Barkin Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency Hon. Simon Mwatkon. Senator Gyang got 99 votes to lose out to Mwatkon, who polled 119 votes.
Adamu Sambo
Adam Sambo, the son of former Vice President Namadi Sambo, lost his bid to clinch the ticket for the Kaduna North Federal Constituency to an incumbent House of Representatives member, Samila Suleiman.
After securing just two votes, Daily Trust had reported how Sambo asked delegates to refund the N2 million he doled out to each delegate before the primary election.
