By our reporter
Hon. Abdullahi Idris Turaki, has won the primary election of the New Ningeria People’s Party (NNPP) for Lokoja / Kogi Federal Constituency ahead of the 2023 General Elections.
The election which took place on Friday in Lokoja, was keenly contested by two aspirants, Pastor Zac Jonathan and Abdullahi Idris Turaki.
Earlier, Lokoja Local NNPP Chairman, Hon, Alhaji Alhaji, while addressing the aspirants and delegates before the commencement of the exercise, declared that he had no preferred candidate among the two aspirants jostling for the ticket of the party.
Alhaji, who declared that he was not supporting anybody in the primary election, encouraged all delegates to vote according to their conscience.
Before the commencement of the exercise, a total of 86 delegates were acredicted by the electoral officer.
Announcing the result,the returning officer, Malam Abdullahi Aliyu, Said two aspirants contested the primary election, but Hon. Abdulahi Idris Turaki emerged the winner with 71 votes, while Pastor Zac Jonathan took the second position with 14 votes with 1 invalid vote recorded.
In his victory speech, Hon. Turaki thanked pastor Jonathan and delegates after the exercise for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner to sustain the existing peace in the interest of the party and commended the party leaders and the electoral officers for conducting a peaceful, transparent and rancour free election.
The exercise was withnessed by the representative of Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) Mr Abdulwahab MJ, party supporters and stakeholders.