APC ditches Suswam, 25 other NASS candidates
APC Drops High-Profile Candidates in Pre-Election Shakeup
By Omeiza Ajayi, ABUJA
The National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has removed former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, ex-Ondo State House of Representatives member Gbenga Elegbeleye, and five other senatorial candidates from its final list submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This decision was detailed in a letter signed by APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda and National Secretary Ajibola Basiru. The NWC attributed the changes to recommendations from the Primary Election Appeal Committee.
In conjunction with the senatorial candidate changes, 19 successful House of Representatives candidates from the party’s May primary elections were also replaced. Affected states include Kogi, Abia, Benue, Taraba, Ondo, Niger, Kwara, Kaduna, and Ebonyi.
The correspondence, titled “Forwarding of Approved List of Senatorial and House of Representatives Candidates,” stated, “We write to formally forward the attached list of the party’s candidates for the affected senatorial and House of Representatives constituencies arising from the report of the Primary Election Appeal Committee.”
Notable replacements among the senatorial candidates include Senator Sunday Karimi, who supplanted Aro Samuel Bamidele in Kogi West; Edinburgh Uchenna Erondu, replaced by Prince Paul Ikonne in Abia South; and Emmanuel Memga Udende taking the Benue North East ticket from Suswam.
In Benue North West, Titus Tartenger Zam replaced Benjamin T. Aber; Shuibu Isa Lau took over from Mohammed Kabir Bello in Taraba North; Adeniyi Adegbonmire replaced Taiwo Fasoranti in Ondo Central; and Olajide Ipinsagba secured the Ondo North ticket over Elegbeleye.
Benue State experienced the highest turnover in House of Representatives candidates, with five changes: Dickson Tarkighir replaced Ikper Chris Terfa in Makurdi/Guma; Sesoo Ikpagher took over from Livinus Tsar Adzor in Vandeikya/Konshisha; and Terser Ugbor substituted Kohol Shedrach Iornem in Kwande/Ushongo. Sekav Dzua Iyortyom replaced Gideon Inyom in Buruku, while Austin Asema Achado displaced Nongo David in Gwer East/Gwer West.
Other changes included Peter Abel Diah, who took Sanusi Mohammed Galadima’s place in Taraba’s Gashaka/Kurmi/Sardauna Federal Constituency; Abubakar Lado Abdullahi, who replaced Adamu Tanko in Niger’s Suleja/Tafa/Gurara; and Adamu Suleiman, who took over from Adamu Usman in Lavun/Edati/Mokwa.
In Kwara, Raheem Tunji Olawuyi substituted Olasumbo Florence Oyeyemi in Ekiti/Irepodun/Oke-Ero, while Mohammed Mamman replaced Bello Tauheed Abubakar in Edu/Patigi/Moro.
The Ondo State delegation saw six House of Representatives candidates replaced, including Donald Ojogo, who took Akingboye Leke’s position in Ilaje/Ese-Odo, and Festus Olarewaju, who replaced Rasaq Obe in Idanre.
Other changes involved Abdulazeez Kaka, named as a replacement for Samaila Abdu Suleiman in Kaduna North; Samuel Okezie, who replaced Chris Nkwonta in Ukwa East/Ukwa West in Abia State; and Ekumankama Joseph Nkama, who took the place of Iduma Igariwey Enwo in Afikpo North/Edda Federal Constituency, Ebonyi State.
For further details, please visit Vanguard News.