By Henry Umoru
POLITICAL activities at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have been brought to a halt literally in the last few weeks following the change of the 2011 polls time table by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

But with the release of another timetable by the electoral body, it became imperative for the PDP to toe the same line by making available its time table and guidelines for aspirants vying for elective positions in the elections.

On Thursday, the party held its 55th National Executive Committee, NEC, meeting where members approved, among others, January 13, 2011, for the Special National Convention where its presidential candidate is expected to emerge, just as the governorship primaries have been fixed for January 9.

Mohammed Buba Marwa , OtunbaOlufemi-Pedro, Senator Felix Kola Bajomo and Aliyu Akwe Doma

Going by the new guidelines of the PDP, political activities, especially campaigns, will kick off in the battle for who gets the PDP  ticket in the states. The states will in the next few days become a beehive of activities as intrigues, power play, backsliding and permutations come into play.

All first term PDP governors have picked forms to contest for second term in office.
215 aspirants are jostling with 12 governors of the PDP in 12 states for the gubernatorial tickets while six have no challengers.

They are the Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio; Christopher Alao-Akala of Oyo; Nasamu Dakingari of Kebbi; Aliyu Shinkafi of Zamfara; Gabriel Suswan of Benue; Sule Lamido of Jigawa; David Jonah Gang of Plateau; Mauzu Babangida Aliyu of Niger; Patrick Yakowa of Kaduna; Theodore Orji of Abia; Danbaba Suntai of Taraba; and Ibrahim Shema of Katsina.

Others are Aliyu Akwe Doma of Nasarawa, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi, Timipre Sylva of Bayelsa, Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Magatakarda Wammako of Sokoto, Martin Elechi of Ebonyi,  Sullivan Chime of Enugu; Ikedi Ohakim of Imo; and Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers.

In Plateau, there are  eight aspirants, viz, Jimmy Cheto; Fidelis Tapgun; the deputy governor, Mrs. Paullen Tallen; Danladi Atu;  Chris Giwa; John Alkali; all set for the primaries where they will fight it out with the incumbent, Jonah Jang.

In Gombe State, a former PDP national publicity secretary, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali,  will wrestle with  seven other aspirants who have submitted forms to take over from Danjuma Goje. Also in the race in Gombe for the PDP ticket are the accountant general of the federation, Ibrahim Dankwambo Hassan; Alhaji Yahaya, the commissioner for finance;  the deputy speaker, House of Representatives, Usman Bayero Nafada, among others. In the race for the PDP gubernatorial ticket in the state equally  is a former ECOMOG commander, Maj. General Timothy Shepidi.

In Kogi State, there are 20 aspirants angling for the PDP ticket to succeed the governor, Ibrahim Idris, who will not return. They include the former attorney-general and minister of justice, Bayo Ojo; the deputy governor, Philips Salawu; Samuel Abiodun Ojo; Senator Nicholas Ugbane; Musa Ahmadu, the secretary to the government of Kogi, Senator Alex Kadiri and Jacob Abdullahi; former deputy chief of staff in the Presidency, Chief Shola Akanmode; Dr. J.J. Abubakar and Col. Bello Fadile.

In Yobe, Minister of Police Affairs, Waziri Maina, Garba Umar and Usman Alabishi, others will slug it out during the primaries.

In Taraba State, Senator A.A. Abdulazeez, Gidado Mohammed Abana are out to fight the incumbent, Danbaba Suntai.There are strong indications that Abdulazeez and others in the camp of Jolly Nyame are not happy with the incumbent whom they helped to get there, but thereafter decided to sidetrack them. It is time to fight back.

In Borno State,  presently an All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, state, Kashim Ibrahim Imam, Saidu Shettima Pindar, Mohammed Umara Kumaila and a former governor of the state, Mohammed Goni, are out on the platform of the PDP while in Bauchi, there is Senator Baba Tella, who is out to remove Isa Yuguda, the incumbent governor.

In Adamawa State, the PDP aspirants are over ten ready to oust the governor, Admiral Murtala Nyako, ‘’Mai Magoro’’. Here we have the High Commissioner to South Africa and former Lagos State military administrator, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa; the minister of state, foreign  affairs, Dr. Idi Hong;  the chief of staff to the governor, Alhaji Bello Tukur; the commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Abubakar Madawaki,  and Dr. Umaru Ardo.

In Imo State, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume and Sir Uche Iheakanwa have submitted their forms to oust the governor, Ikedi Ohakim, while the chairman, House Committee on Education, Faruk Lawan is  set for the Kano State primaries.  Lawan will wrestle with Rabiu Kwankwaso, Senator Mohammed Bello who have  picked forms.

Though Mohammed Abacha, the son of the late head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha, also picked the form and submitted, there are strong indications that he may not vie in the 2011 polls on the platform of the PDP.

In Bayelsa, President Goodluck Jonathan’s home state, we have 11 aspirants jostling for the PDP ticket. They include Francis Doukpala, Christopher Enai, Ebebi Peremobowei, Imoro Kubor, Beinmonyo Spiff Rufus to sludge it out with Timipre Sylva.

In Kwara State, Governor  Bukola Saraki  is rounding off his eight-year tenure, but his sister, Senator Gbemisola Saraki, is  interested in succeeding him, but she has other five aspirants to contend with for the PDP ticket.

A former minister, Demola Seriki, in Lagos, will fight it out with Olufemi Pedro, Qudus Folami and others for the PDP gubernatorial ticket.

The list of the aspirants in the states: ABIA STATE
1. Chief Ikechi Emenike
2. Chief Thordore Orji

ADAMAWA STATE
1.Dr. Umar Ado
2.Admiral Murtala Nyako
3.Senator Jonathan Zwingina
4. Dr. Aliyu Idi Hong
5.Hon. M.I. Yahaya

6.Alhaji Bello Tukur
7. Mohammed Buba Marwa
8. Chief Joel Madaki
9.Abubakar Buba Madawaki
10. Awwal D. Tukur

AKWA IBOM STATE
1.Chief Godwill Akpabio
2.Hon. Imo Edet Udo

BAUCHI STATE
1.Senator Baba Tella
2.Mallam Isa Yuguda
. Ahmed Iliyasu

BAYELSA STATE
1. Chief Timipre Sylva
2. Hon. Christopher F. Enai
3. Francis Doukpola

4. Admiral John Kpokpogri
5. Dunbo Hinks
6.Hon. Dimaro Denyanbofa
7. Dr. Imoro Kubor

8. Ebebi Peremobowei
9. Beinmonyo Spiff Rufus
10. Ombeh George
11. Fred Korobido Eiliyegha

BENUE STATE
1.Hon. Gabriel Suswan

BORNO STATE
1. Kassim Ibrahim Imam
2. Saidu Shetima Pindar
3. Alhaji Mohammed Goni
4. Mohammed Kumalia
5. Kassim Muktar Mahmud

CROSS RIVER STATE
1. Senator Liyel Imoke

EBONYI STATE
1.Chief Martin Elechi

.ENUGU STATE
1.Chime Sullivan Iheanacho
2.Onwuegbu Anayo Befford

GOMBE STATE
1.Dankwambo Hassan
2. Hon. Usman Bayero Nafada
3. Pro Rufai Ahmed Alkali
4. Hon. M.I. Yahaya

5. Umar Faruk Musa
6. Abdulkadir Hamma Saleh
7. Maj-Gen Timothy Shepindi

IMO STATE
1. Chief Ikedi Ohakim
2. Chukwuemeka Nwajuba
3. Godwin Ifeanyi Ararume
4. Mr. Peter Orji
6. 5.Hon. Ike Ibe

JIGAWA STATE
1. Alhaji Sule Lamido

KADUNA STATE
1. Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi
2. Patrick Yakowa
3. Shuaibu Idris Mikanti
4. Mrs. Mairo Baturiya Habib

KANO STATE
1. Habibu Idris Shauibu
2. Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwakwaso
3. Faruk Lawan
4. Senator Mohammed Bello
3. Mohammed Sani Abacha

KATSINA STATE
1.Ibrahim Shema

KEBBI STATE
1.Saidu Usman Nasamu
2. Sadiq Marafa Diggi
3. Abubakar Mallam

KOGI STATE
1.Simeon Omaha
2. Ocholi Enejo James
3.Abdulrazak Isa Kutepa
4.Gabriel Oduma Musa

5.Senator Nicholas Ugbane
6.Ubolo Itodo Okpanachi
7. Akanmode Olusola
8.Dr. Sani Shaibu Teidi
9. AVM Saliu Atawodio, Rtd

10. Chief Bayo Ojo
11.. Samuel Abiodun Ojo
12. Dr. Philips Salawu
13. Amb. Yusuf Abubakar
14. Hon. Clarence Olufemi

15. Dr. Alex Kadiri
16.Alhaji Musa Ahmadu
17.Chief (Mrs.) C. A. Ayopeku
18. Dr. Jacob Abdullahi
19. Yakubu Mohammed
20. Col. Bello Fadile

KWARA STATE
1.Razak Olatunde Atunwa
2.Bashir Omolaja Bolarinwa
3. Senator Gbemisola Saraki

4. Yakeen Olayinka Alabi
5. Senator Suleiman Ajadi
6.Theophilus Bamigboye

LAGOS STATE
1.Owolabi Salis
2. Babatunde Gbadamosi
3.Fatai Akinbade

4.Ade Shamshideen Dosumu
5.Otumba Olufemi Pedro
6.Engr. Kamson
7.Qudus Folami

8. Adenola Seriki

NASARAWA STATE
1. Aliyu Akwe Doma
2. Umaru Tanko Almakura
3.Rakiya Haruna Idris

NIGER STATE
1.Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu

OGUN STATE
1. Chief Mrs Ogbara Kafilat
2.Dr. Femi Majekodunmi
3. Gboyega Nasir Isiaka

4. Chief Jide Taiwo
5. .Hon. Abiodun Akinlade
6. Wasiu Kolawale Lawal
7. Senator Felix Kola Bajomo

8. Asiwaju Olajide Oluomo
9.. Makinde Omololu Adeleke

OYO STATE
1. Christopher Alao Akala

PLATEAU STATE
1. David Jonah Jang
2. Jimmy Cheto
3. Damishi Sango

4.Arc. Pam Gyang
5.Dr. Danladi Atu
6.Arc. John Alkali
7. Mrs Pauline Tallen

8. Christopher Musa Giwa

RIVERS STATE
1. Hon.Rotimi Amaechi
2.Omehia Celestine
3. Dr. More Oja-Chinda

SOKOTO STATE
1. Mahmud Aliyu Magatakarda

TARABA STATE
1.Danbaba Suntai
2. Mohammed Abana
3. Senator A.A. Abdulazeez
4. Kabir

YOBE
1. Engr. Yakubu Bello
2. Senator Usman Albisir
3. Garba Umar

4. Adamu Maina Waziri

ZAMFARA
1. Alhaji Aliyu Shinkafi