Shettima emerges Borno APC governorship candidate

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The Borno State All Progressives Congress, APC, Friday night, at it primaries, elected Governor Kashim Shettima as the party’s sole candidate for the 2015 governorship election.

The primaries took place barely 24 hours after the Borno State APC publicity secretary, Uhammed Gujbawu, announced a postponement till Monday.

It held at the Elkanemi Sports Centre in Maiduguri during curfew hours — which is in place as a result of attacks by Boko Haram insurgents– in what seemed an attempt to evade media coverage.

The delegates, 4,520 of them, represented all the wards across the 27 local government areas of the state. The exercise was monitored by a team from the Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, led by Tukur Sa’ad, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Borno State.

Four officials from the APC National Headquarters, led by one time National Secretary of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, Sani Elkatuzu, conducted the Borno State governorship primary.

Delegates began arriving at the sports centre at about 2 p.m. and the elections started at 6 p.m. and ended at 8 p.m.

A few days before the primaries, other aspirants stepped down for Mr. Shettima.

Also, National and State Assembly members purchased the re-election form and presented to the governor about two weeks ago in a mini ceremony where party leaders endorsed him.

In a statement, Isa Gusau, the Spokesperson of Governor Kashim Shettima, said “during the Governorship primaries on Friday, all the delegates accepted Governor Shettima by affirmation with none opposing the Governor’s choice after their consent was sorted in line with the APC guidelines. Officials of the INEC and the APC national headquarters commended the conduct of the primaries which held peacefully”.

“Prior to the Governorship primaries, contests were held to elect candidates for the State House of Assembly for Bama, Gwoza, Damboa and Jere State constituencies. Candidates emerged after voting while for the remaining 24 assembly seats, sole candidates were affirmed by delegates”, Mr. Gusau said.