JUST-IN: Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa APC Governorship primaries Hold 14th April, 2023

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling party at its last week meeting adjusted the timetable and shifted the primary elections from the 10th to the 14th of April, 2023.

The shift became necessary as the earlier date falls on Easter Monday, hence the shift by four days.

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the governorship elections in the Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states for 11th November 2023.

The screening exercise is slated for tomorrow, Thursday through Sunday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.

Investigation showed that Kogi State accounted for the highest number of aspirants. It has 18 aspirants, while six aspirants are to slug it out for the party’s ticket in Bayelsa state.

Checks in the Directorate of Organisation of the party in Abuja showed that the second term bid of Governor Hope Obidika Uzordima of Imo State seems sealed as he is the only aspirant that picked the party’s governorship expression of interest and nomination forms for the party’s ticket ahead of the November 11 Imo State governorship election.

For Bayelsa State, six aspirants picked and submitted an expression of Interest and nomination forms. They include the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipreye Silva, who will be slugging it out for the party’s ticket with his former protege and 2019 governor-elect, Chief David Pereworimini Lyon.

Also on tbe ballot for the April 14 party primary in Bayelsa state are Ogbomade Isikima Johnson, Prof. Ongoebi Etebu Maureen, Festus Daumiebi Sunday and Joshua Maciver.

Top on the list of Kogi State aspirants is the deputy governor of the state, Edward David Onoja, Secretary to the APC Presidential Campaign Council Secretary, Hon. James Faleke, current Senator representing Kogi West and former National President of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Senator Smart Adeyemi and Abdulkareem Asuku, the Chief of Staff to Governor Yahaya Bello.