Jostle For Deputy Gov’ship Slots Intensifies As INEC Opens Portal Today

Barring any last minute change in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) schedule for the 2027 general elections, access would be granted to political parties to upload names of their governorship, deputy governorship and state House of Assembly candidates from today.

The upload is a significant step in the electoral process as it removes any doubt about those the party is fielding for the three political positions.

This is more so as the primary elections of most of the political parties were marred in controversies with many of the aspirants either refusing to recognise those declared or claiming to the be the legitimate candidates.

Weekend Trust reports that the upload of the names and particulars of governorship and state Assembly candidates commences by 9am and would remain open for the purpose till 6pm on August 8.

INEC concluded a similar exercise for the upload of presidential and National Assembly candidates on Tuesday, July 14.

Our correspondents report that political parties have concluded their governorship and state assembly primary elections and have presented their candidates with the most curious aspect remaining those the guber candidates would choose as running mates.

In almost all the states, the selection of a deputy governorship candidate is rarely random as parties, candidates and other stakeholders weigh key balancing factors.

In some states, religious balancing, inclusion in terms of senatorial zone and local government areas, gender and age considerations play big roles.

Kaduna: Why Uba Sani, Ashiru are yet to name running mates

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Uba Sani and his counterpart in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State, Isa Ashiru, are yet to unveil their running mates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Reliable sources within the ADC told Weekend Trust that Ashiru had ceded the nomination of his running mate to the camp of a former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir el-Rufai as part of the coalition arrangement within the party.

According to the sources, the former governor’s camp is expected to nominate a candidate from Southern Kaduna.

“We are yet to nominate anybody because we are waiting for recommendation from our leader, Malam Nasir el-Rufai. The deputy governorship slot was given to him to nominate.

Our correspondent also gathered that Governor Uba Sani has also kept the identity of his running mate closely guarded, with a few members of his inner circle reportedly aware of his choice.

The current deputy governor, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, is completing her second term in office and is constitutionally ineligible for another term.

Sources within the APC said the governor’s next running mate is also expected to come from Southern Kaduna in line with the state’s political balancing arrangement.

Bauchi: 3 governorship candidates unveil deputies in Bauchi 

Three out of the major political parties contesting various positions in Bauchi State have unveiled their deputy governorship candidates.

The Allied Peoples Movement (APM) is the ruling party in the state and enjoys the support of the current governor, Bala Mohammed. The governorship candidate, Yakubu Adamu, a close associate of the governor, has picked the chairman of Bauchi Local Government Council, Mahmoud Babamaji Abubakar as his running mate.

The main opposition, APC governorship candidate, Muhammad Abdullahi Abubakar, has also picked the immediate past Commissioner for Special Duties and Rural Development, Farouk Mustapha to pair with him, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Usman Adamu Suphi picked a former chairman of the PDP in Bauchi Local Government Area, Abdulkadir Alin Bababa as running mate.

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) governorship candidate, Senator Shehu Buba Umar and that of the ADC, Senator Halliru Jika, are yet to unveil their running mates.

Nasarawa: Wadada yet to unveil candidate

In Nasarawa, the governorship candidate of the PDP, Emmanuel David Ombugadu, has chosen Yahaya Ohinoyi, a former state lawmaker from Toto Local Government Area as his running mate.

Both Ombugadu and Ohinoyi ran on the PDP platforms for same positions in the 2023 election. Many believe the decision to retain the same positions is due to the popularity of the joint ticket in the last governorship election.

In contrast, the ruling APC candidate, Ahmed Aliyu Wadada is yet to unveil his running mate. However, the groundwork for the decision appears to have been laid before the primaries.

APC stakeholders from the northern senatorial zone, including Governor Abdullahi Sule, zoned the deputy governor slot to Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area. This move was designed to balance the ticket, given that Wadada is from the western senatorial zone.

Also, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Rep Jonathan Gaza Gbefwi, member representing Karu/Keffi/Kokona federal constituency from Karu Local Government Area in the western senatorial zone, has not named his deputy. Political permutations suggest that he will be expected to pick a Muslim from either the southern or northern zone to balance the ticket.

An ally of a former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, who has influence within the LP movement in the state, believes that Gaza’s final choice would depend largely on agreements with Maku and other key stakeholders in the party’s structure.

The ADC candidate in Nasarawa State, Major-General Nuhu Angbazo (retd) has also not announced his running mate. He is from the northern senatorial zone.

Prior to the primaries, the expectation was that the ADC would look to the south or west for its deputy slot. However, the rejection of the primary outcome by two co-contestants — former Minister of Environment Mohammed Hassan Abdullahi from the west and Senator Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo from the south — has altered that calculation.

Senator Mohammed Ogoshi Onawo has since defected to the APM and declared his intention to contest for the same seat.

Borno: 3 ex-dep govs, APC chairman among 27 vying for slot

The race to become the running mate to the APC gubernatorial candidate in Borno State has intensified. So far, no fewer than 27 persons including three former deputy governors and the state’s APC chairman are interested.

The former deputy governors include Usman Mamman Durkwa, Ali Abubakar Jatau and Isah Mohammed Lawan. Also in the race is the current state APC chairman, Alhaji Bello Ayuba and Sadiq Talba, a former Customs officer, among others.

Despie the high-profile interest in the seat, the Borno State governor, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum, has made it clear that he will not handpick the candidate.

There is a long-standing political tradition in Borno State where the deputy governorship is zoned to the southern region.

Since the creation of the state, while the governorship has rotated between the north and central senatorial districts, the southern zone has consistently held the deputy governor’s slot.

Gombe: Gwamna, Pantami, others yet to name deputies 

With political activities gathering momentum ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Gombe, the three major political parties in the state, the ruling APC), PDP and ADC are yet to announce their governorship running mates.

Public relations officer of the PDP in Gombe State, Abdulkadir Ahmed Dukku told Weekend Trust that the party was not under any pressure, stressing that the selection of a running mate is a joint responsibility of both the party and its governorship candidate.

He said the process was still ongoing and remained within the timetable stipulated by INEC.

Yobe: APC, YPP, ADC, others unveil guber candidates 

Weekend Trust reports that major parties in Yobe State have unveiled their governorship candidates. The ruling APC has nominated Baba Malam Wali following the party’s consensus arrangement and settled for a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Sale Samanja, as its deputy governorship candidate.

The Young Progressives Party (YPP) has also nominated Dr Muhammad Dawud as its governorship candidate while  Malam Abdullahi Bashir Batta was picked as his running mate.

Party leaders expressed confidence that the Dawud-Batta ticket would offer Yobe voters an alternative platform focused on good governance and development.

Also, the ADC, which recently gained momentum nationally following the coalition of opposition politicians, has adopted Kassim Gana Geidam, a lawyer, as its governorship candidate, but the party is yet to announce its deputy governorship candidate while the PDP has presented Shariff Abdullahi as its governorship candidate but is has yet to unveil its running mate.

Taraba: Kefas still shopping for Alkali’s replacement 

The situation in Taraba is a bit complicated as the deputy governor, Alhaji Aminu Alkali, has been sick for a year and there’s the high likelihood that he would be excused from the rigours of campaigns and politicking.

Governor Agbu Kefas is said to be in consultation with key APC members and critical stakeholders in the state.

Earlier, Daily Trust reported that Gov Kefas would likely run with a woman – one serving as a commissioner in his cabinet and another, a strong member of the APC. Another source also indicated that a serving member of the House of Representatives is among those that also being considered.

The source added that one out of the three – two females and a National Assembly member – may likely be picked as the replacement of Aminu Alkali.

Initially, the governor wanted to appoint Alkali’s kinsman from the Mumuye tribe, but his kinsmen were said to have rejected the offer.

It was further gathered that few days after the consultation for the appointment of a new deputy governor reached high stage, Alkali’s kinsmen made a u-turn  and agreed on the initial offers made to them by the governor.

Kano: APC issue a settled matter

In Kano State, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has since announced the nomination of Murtala Sule Galadima Garo as his running mate for the 2027 governorship election.

Governor Yusuf said the decision was informed by Garo’s loyalty, commitment and contributions to the administration since assuming office as deputy governor.

Rivers: ADC ahead with running mate as APC, NDC still consulting

While some major political parties are yet to announce the nomination of running mates to their candidates, the ADC last week announced the nomination of Mr David Amapakaye Okumgba as the running mate to its governorship candidate, Gabriel Baritulem Pidomson.

Okumgba is from Ahoada west in Rivers west senatorial district, while the governorship candidate is from Rivers South East, to balance power equation in the state.

The APC governorship candidate in the state, Kingsley Ogundu Chinda, backed by the Minister of Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, is yet to announce his running mate. But feelers from Rainbow Coalition, an umbrella political structure headed by Wike, indicate that the party may likely pick its running mate from Rivers West senatorial district, and particularly from Ijaw speaking tribe.

It was gathered that the decision to pick the deputy governorship candidate rests on the political leader of the state, Nyesom Wike and some elders he recognised.

The candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Alabo Dumo Lulu-Briggs from Rivers West senatorial district, is likely to pick his running mate from Rivers East senatorial district, but he is yet to announce it.

A party source told Weekend Trust that the leadership will announce the party’s running mate after it concludes consultations with the stakeholders in the state.

Katsina yet to announce running mates

Governor Dikko Umaru Radda is expected to retain his deputy as running mate in the forthcoming elections as there are no indications to the contrary.

Garba Yakubu Lado Danmarke, the PDP governorship candidate in Katsina State is yet to unveil his running mate.

Similarly, the ADC in Katsina State is currently divided into rival factions, with one faction producing Ahmad Babba Kaita as its governorship candidate and another presenting Salisu Lawal Uli as its candidate.

Neither faction has publicly announced or officially unveiled its running mate.

Kwara: Only PDP yet 

In Kwara, while the PDP has completed the task of pairing its governorship ticket, APC, the ADC and the NDC are yet to do so.

The PDP is fielding Engr. Suleiman Bolakale Kawu from Kwara Central Senatorial District as its governorship candidate, with former Kwara State Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Cornelius Olaosebikan Fawenu, from Kwara South Senatorial District, as his running mate.

The APC  nominated Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Salihu Yakubu Danladi from Kwara North Senatorial District as its governorship candidate.

Party sources told Weekend Trust that the APC is expected to pick its running mate from Kwara South Senatorial District to maintain the state’s political balancing arrangement.

The ADC is fielding Zakari Mohammed from  Kwara North Senatorial District as its governorship candidate.

The NDC is fielding Prof. Abdulmumin Yinka Ajia from Ilorin West Local Government Area in Kwara Central Senatorial District as its governorship candidate.

Adamawa: Kamale announced as running mate to Galadima

Recently Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri announced his friend and political associate, a former member of house of representative of Michika/Madagali constituency,Mr Adamu Kamale as ruinng mate to the Adamawa APC guber candidate, Ahmad Tijjani Galadima..

Oyo: Adedejis brother is APC dep gov candidate

Oyo APC gubernatorial candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, picked Adesoji Adedeji as his  running mate.

He is the younger brother of Zacch Adedeji, Executive Chairman, Nigeria Revenue Service.

PDP, LP, APC, SDP picks conclude in Benue

Our correspondent reports that while three major political parties in the state have announced running mates to their gubernatorial candidates, others are yet to do so.

In the Labour Party, the governorship candidate, Dr. Mathias Byuan, has unveiled Mrs. Juliana Obetta as his running mate. In the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the governorship candidate, Chief Michael Aondokaa has picked 38 year old Oyije Ogbenjuwa  as his deputy governor candidate.

The APC in the state may not have made an official announcement for the position but Governor Hyacinth Alia has  indicated that the present deputy governor would continue as his running mate in the 2027 election.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is yet to announce a running mate for its governorship candidate, Herman Hembe, although it has set up a committee to recommend a suitable choice.

Social Democratic Party (SDP), which has Prof. Sebastine Hon as its governorship candidate and he has since nominated Dr. Margaret Ogah as his running mate.

For the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), Terhemba Shija, the governorship candidate of the party had also yet to announce a deputy governorship candidate in Benue State. (Daily trust)