No less than eight members of the House
of Representatives are currently set to contest the governorship seat
of their states, Daily Trust has learnt.
They include deputy speaker, Emeka
Ihedioha (PDP, Imo), deputy minority leader, Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila
(APC, Kano) and Rep Ali Gusau (APC, Zamfara).
Others are Rep Emmanuel Jime (PDP, Benue), Rep Dakuku Peterside (APC, Rivers), Rep Bethel Amadi (PDP, Imo) and Rep Opeyemi Bamidele (LP, Ekiti).
Initial reports indicated that the speaker, Aminu Tambuwal was planning to replace Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako as Sokoto State governor but may have altered the ambition to contest for the presidency in 2015..
Others are Rep Emmanuel Jime (PDP, Benue), Rep Dakuku Peterside (APC, Rivers), Rep Bethel Amadi (PDP, Imo) and Rep Opeyemi Bamidele (LP, Ekiti).
Initial reports indicated that the speaker, Aminu Tambuwal was planning to replace Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako as Sokoto State governor but may have altered the ambition to contest for the presidency in 2015..
Ihedioha’s spokesman, Oke Epia when contacted, said though there have been calls by different Imo groups for the deputy speaker to contest, his principal will respond at the appropriate time.
A group recently called on the deputy speaker to take over as governor of Imo state from Rochas Okorocha next year. Several media reports had also linked him to be having that ambition. Ihedioha’s body language also suggests that.
Kawu Sumaila’s ambition to govern Kano state has been an open secret as he had already constituted over 800 committees across the 44 local governments of the state to galvanize support for him.
He openly declared his intention to run as governor of Kano since last year and is said to be lobbying APC leaders in the state to clinch the party’s ticket.
Rep Bamidele has already gone far with his campaign to become Ekiti state governor. Only recently, he defected to the Labour Party after he sensed that he might not get the ticket in APC to replace Kayode Fayemi.
Although Dakuku Peterside and Ali Gusau have not yet declared their ambitions openly, sources told our reporter that they are certainly going to test their popularity for the governorship seats in Rivers and Zamfara states respectively.
Rep Bethel Amadi who is the President of the Pan-African Parliament has also been linked with the ambition of becoming the number one citizen in Imo state. It remains for him to reach a truce with Ihedioha as they are both of the PDP.
CONVERSATION