Voting has advanced in the ongoing All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary election to elect flag bearer of th party for for the 2023 general elections.
This is even as some tired delegates – at the Kano stand – I were spotted taking a nap at the ongoing exercise taking place at the Eagle Square, in Abuja.
Photo credit: Channels TV
2, 203 delegates will determine the fate of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Lagos governor, Bola Tinubu, Vice, former Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi, among others.
Nine aspirants had earlier withdrawn from the race for Tinubu including the lone female presidential aspirant, Mrs Uju Kennedy-Ohnenye; former Akwa-Ibom governor, Godswill Akpabio; former Ogun governor, Ibikunle Amosun; former Reps Speaker, Dimeji Bankole; Sen. Ajayi Boroffice of Ondo state, Governor Muhammad Badaru of Jigawa state, and Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State.
While Dr. Felix Nicholas stepped down from the exercise for Osinbajo, former Senate President Ken Nnamani also withdrew from the race but failed to disclose if he did so for any aspirant.
14 aspirants were still in the race late Tuesday aside Osinbajo, Tinubu and Amaechi. They are: former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajuba; Lagos-based cleric, Tunde Bakare, Mr Ahmed Rufai; former Imo governor, Sen. Rochas Okorocha; Mr Jack Rich, Cross River governor, Ben Ayade; Ebonyi governor, David Umuahi; former Zamfara governor, Ahmed Yarima; Senate President, Ahmed Lawan; Governor Yahaya Bello of Ekiti state and Ogbonnaya Onu, former Technology Minister.
Voting is still ongoing as at the time of filing this report early Wednesday morning around 5:30 AM.
Meanwhile, in an ugly incident at the on-going presidential primary, voting was temporarily suspended early this morning.
The exercise was put on hold as Kano delegates queued to cast their votes in the keenly contested exercise.
Chairman of Kano APC, Alh. Abdullahi Abbas, was seen arguing with some officials before voting was suspended.
Less than 20 of the 127 delegates from Kano had voted before the exercise was suspended.
Some of the aspirants reportedly had more than one agent at the voting points, leading to protest.
To douse tension, the Election Committee ordered some persons to leave the voting area after which the exercise continued.
