Will the huge number of new registrations, over 4.5 million, be a decisive factor in voting orientation during the elections? According to figures of the National Electoral Commission, new registrations, divided nearly equally between men and women, represent around 21% of the total registered votes :84.37 million.
Most of the new registrants are younger voters. Will they vote for change or back the status quo?
This is a matter for the political parties to figure out.
There are 91 registered political parties- a logistics nightmare –as these parties have to appoint agents to monitor the elections.
Are there phantom names on the register? The Electoral Commission says the total figure of over 84.2 million ‘may drop significantly’ after they run the automatic finger print identification system.
Currently, there is an ongoing display of the particulars of new voters for claims and objections, as required by law.
Governors battles APC party chairman over system for primaries
The primaries are to decide the ruling party’s candidates for the 2019 general elections.
Party Chairman Adams Oshiomhole prescribes direct primaries. The party’s powerful governors, including El Rufai who is known to be close to President Buhari prefers indirect or what is called consensus candidates.
The governors are adamant over the matter because they wield more influence in indirect primaries.
Besides, they are supposed to fund the primaries. Many are in fact already going ahead to prepare for indirect primaries.
Embattled party chairman, Oshiomhole has threatened to cancel any indirect primaries, particularly if they result in petitions from aggrieved aspirants.
President Buhari was expected to resolve the dispute on his return from the just concluded FOCAC Conference in Beijing, China. But so far nothing has happened and the two sides: governors and the party chairman are sticking to their guns.
Crowded field of the opposition party (PDP) presidential aspirants
By the last count, there were over 7 major declared candidates vying for the PDP’s presidential nomination.
Former Vice-President Abubarkar Atiku, was one of the first to declare.
The field includes Makarfi,the loyal party chairman, who kept the party together in its difficult days; Senate President Bukola Saraki, whose supporters are calling for the presidential nomination to be zoned to the North Central; former Senate President David Mark, Sokoto State governor, Tambuwal; among others.
Opinion is divided as to whether this is a good development for the resurgent opposition PDP. One view is that the intense and extensive lobbying for the presidential aspirants is galvanising the party faithfuls and stalwarts.
Another view is that the party would have a hard time keeping unsuccessful aspirants united behind the victor of the presidential nomination process.
Most PDP party chieftains appear to lean towards the view that the crowded fields strengthens the party. ‘We’ll deal with the aftermath when the time comes”, one of them declares.
A battle royal shapes up in Anambra Central Senate Constituency
Bianca, the widow of the late Biafran leader, Odumegwu Ojukwu is pitted against Ifeanyi Ubah, an oil magnate and popular football, club owner for the APGA party nomination to contest the Senatorial election in 2019.
Bianca is regarded as the establishment candidate- APGA is the ruling party in Anambra State- and is reportedly by a group of Igbo millionaires, who vow to provide the funds to counter Ubah’s riches.
Ubah, who backed APGA massively during the last gubernatorial elections, which APGA won, refuses to step down for Bianca.
Bianca’s late husband, Ojukwu who hails from Nnewi, commands a great deal of respect in the large industrial area. It would be a contest of titans to watch.
