Politics
Guber Candidate: Abia PDP To Choose By Consensus
Abia state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not organize primary elections to choose its governorship candidate for 2011 gubernatorial election in the state.
Abia PDP chairman, Sir Ndid Okereke gave the indication when he announced that the primaries earlier slated for the last quarter of this year has been shelved.
Speaking at the party secretariat in Umuahia Thursday, when Chief Damian Anayo Ozurumba, declared his intention to run for the governorship of Abia on the platform of PDP, Okereke disclosed that the state working committee has resolved that all PDP governorship aspirants would have to choose a candidate from amongst themselves.
According to him, a closed door meeting of all the aspirants would be convened where they would be requested to reach a consensus on who will fly the flag of the party in 2011 gubernatorial election.
“We will lock them up in the venue and allow them to slug it out by themselves without the involvement of a second party to ensure peace and harmony among them and members of the chapter in general,” Okereke said.
The chairman said the chapter took the resolution to avoid bitter acrimonies by aggrieved aspirants after the primaries as well as to allow the candidate enough time to campaign without any form of distraction.
He ceased the occasion to announce that the chapter would not accept imposition of candidates for the 2011 election on the party from any quarters or persons, adding, its consequences had always been disastrous.
Earlier, Ozurumba, had described himself as the most qualified aspirant and appealed to party and its members to give him their mandate to end the long suffering of people of the state.
The one-time Isiala Ngwa South local government chairman, and one term member of the House of Representatives, claimed that only him, among all the aspirants, knows where the shoe pinches the people of the state most.
Reacting to the party’s position on the conduct of primaries, he said as a democrat and a disciplined member of the party, he would abide by every of its resolution .
As at Press time, Chief Ikechi Emenike, Chief Reagan Uformba, Senator Enyinnaya Abaraibe, Hon Ozurumba, Chief Henry Ikoh, Chief Tony Enwereuzor, and Chief Chime Asonye are the aspirants who indicated their interests to run for Abia Governorship election next year.
It is still uncertain whether the party’s flag bearer in the 2007, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, who is still challenging the election of Governor Theodore Orji before the Court of Appeal sitting in Owerri would join the race. He has not been categorical but has hinted that he would not retire from politics in case he loses his present legal battle to dislodge Governor Orji.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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