Dino Melaye selected as PDP candidate as Oluremi Tinubu gets returned unopposed as senate race gets underway

CONTROVERSIAL lawmaker Senator Dino Melaye has been affirmed as the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) flagbearer for the Kogi West Senatorial District for the 2019 general elections in a busy day yesterday that saw several bigwigs cleared to stand.

Always in the news for one drama or the other, Senator Melaye defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) earlier this year and there had been question marks raised about whether the PDP would reselect him. However, after the district held its congress yesterday, some 800 delegates from the seven council areas voted in a transparent election supervised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) and Senator Melaye was returned.

In further developments, the APC screening committee cleared senators Godswill Akpabio, Emmanuel Uduaghan and Shehu Sani to stand in today's primaries. Also cleared to run unopposed are the outgoing Zamfara State governor Abdulaziz Yari, former Nasarawa State governor Abdullahi Adamu, senate minority whip Francis Alimikhena and former Sokoto State governor Aliyu Wammako.

Other big named cleared to stand in today's elections include former Benue State governor George Akume of the APC, who will stand in the Benue North West Senatorial District. Furthermore, the three senators representing Lagos State Oluremi Tinubu, Solomon Adeola, and Gbenga Ashafa were also cleared to run as the party’s sole candidates in their various senatorial zones, while a former PDP national publicity secretary of Adedayo Adeyeye has been cleared to stand as the APC candidate in the Ekiti South Senatorial District.

Similarly, APC senators Ajayi Boroface, Yele Onogunwa and Omotoyao Alasodura from Ondo North and Central senatorial districts were also cleared to stand as sole candidates. Senators Ahmed Abubakar, Binta Garba, Yusuf Abubakar, Buhari Abdulfata, Tijanni Kaura and Andy Uba as well as outgoing Yobe State governor Ibrahim Gaidam, a former Zamfara local government chairman Ikra Bilbis and Suleiman Abdu Kwari are also to compete unopposed for the APC.

Two former senate leaders, Teslim Folarin and Victor Ndoma-Egba, are also on the list of those cleared to contest the primaries. Former Kano State governor Ibrahim Shekarau will be slugging it out with Hajia Laila Buhari for the Kano Central Senatorial District ticket, while outgoing Ogun State governor Ibikunle Amosun, will be doing battle with Senator Adeyemi Tejuosho and Ganiyat Oladunjoye for the party’s ticket for Ogun Central Senatorial District.

Outgoing Oyo State governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi, is to contest for the party’s ticket for Oyo Central Senatorial District with Senator Taslim Folarin and five others. In Nasarawa State, the outgoing governor Tanko Al-Makura, is set to compete with Senator Salihu Hussein for the Nasarawa South Senatorial District ticket.

In the Borno Central Senatorial District, outgoing Governor, Kashim Shettima will be contesting the ticket with Ali Bukar Wurge. Current senate majority leader Ahmed Lawan, is contesting the Yobe North Senatorial District with Mohammed Lawan Yahuza, while the Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, is listed as contesting the Imo West ticket with Senator Hope Uzodinma who is also contesting the governorship of the state