Governor Abdullah Sule of Nasarawa State has won the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election.
Ahmed Ibeto, chairman of the party’s governorship primary election committee, announced Mr Sule as winner of the election conducted on Thursday in Lafia.
Rivers State governor and president of the Peoples Democratic Party, Nyesom Wike, has criticized former Anambra County governor Peter Obi, who is seeking the presidency, saying he lacked integrity by leaving the party.
Wike added that he had already told delegates from Anambra Province (Obi’s home province) not to “waste their votes on him” because he (Obi) would not win the PDP primary.
Mr Ibeto announced that the incumbent governor polled 698 votes to defeat Fatima Abdullahi, who got three votes.
“With this result, as far as we are concerned and as my position as chairman of this primary committee, I hereby declare Abdullahi Sule as the winner of the governorship primary election,” he said.
Mr Sule, while reacting to the outcome of the election, lauded the peaceful conduct of the exercise and thanked the delegates for their patience.
He expressed hope that the 2023 general elections would also be peaceful as the primaries in the state.
The governor commended his opponent, Ms Abdullahi, for her zeal and courage to vie for the governorship seat. He said it would encourage women, especially in northern Nigeria, to seek to occupy elective positions.
“My happiness is that you have gone through the exercise and have gained the experience. Now I have no doubt in my mind that should you come out in 2027, the performance will be different,” added the governor.
Ms Abdullahi congratulated the Nasarawa governor and explained that she joined the race as a face of hope for youths and women, especially northern Nigerian women whose participation in politics and governance has been poor, despite being the highest voters especially in Nasarawa.
“I will continue to project myself to encourage women across the country to aim higher and not to be limited by anything whatsoever,” said Ms Abdullahi.
She pledged her support and that of her teeming supporters to the victory of the governor in the 2023 governorship election.
