The Labour Party on Tuesday announced that the cost of nomination and expression of interest forms for its governorship aspirants interested in contesting the off-season elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo states has been pegged at N15 million naira.

The cost of the forms, which was formally pegged at N25 million was slashed to N15 million to allow for more participation.

The party national chairman, Julius Abure, revealed this while addressing journalists shortly after the political roundtable at Denis Hotel, venue of closed-door meeting between the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi and the LP senators and House of Representatives members-elect in Abuja.

The PUNCH reports that there were stern-looking security agents, who mounted guards at each entrance to the venue and were seen frisking participants and guests coming for the event.

The heavy flow of both human and vehicular traffic caused a bit of stir as bystanders and residents in the area watched as the politicians strolled into the venue with their orderlies.

But when Obi turned up for the meeting, the ambience was charged with many party supporters screaming ‘Peter Obi’ and ‘Ellu P.’

The parley, which was held to fine-tune strategies ahead of the inauguration of lawmakers for the 10th National Assembly, failed to commence at 12 noon as earlier scheduled.

Abure stated that both Obi and the party’s National Working Committee were impressed with the quality, willingness to address issues and composition of the new lawmakers-elect.

He said, “Today, we had a very robust engagement with our senators and House of Representatives members-elect. We agreed that we must always remember the magnanimity of the people who freely gave us their mandate.

“Our members in the National Assembly will make the difference in their conduct, utterance and the quality of legislation.”

Continuing, Abure also announced a slash in the cost of nomination and expression of interest forms for the LP governorship aspirants interested in contesting the off-season elections in Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo.

He said, “After considering the complaints and the intervention of our presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, we have reviewed downward our governorship nomination fees, for Bayelsa, Kogi, and Imo, we have reduced our nomination fees from N25 million to N15 million for the governorship.

“We have also resolved to return the N25 million nomination fees paid by one of our aspirants in Imo State, Humphrey Anumudu who lost his life last week.”

The Peoples Democratic Party has won majority seats of 22 out of the 31 Bauchi State House of Assembly seats in the March 18 governorship and state Assembly elections.

This is contained in the list issued by the Deputy Director, Voter Education, Independent National Electoral Commission, Bauchi, Mr Aliyu Shaba, on Tuesday.

The list also showed that the All Progressives Congress won eight seats while the New Nigeria People’s Party clinched one seat.

In the results announced by INEC, the constituencies are Duguri Gwana, Abdullahi Dan-Bala – PDP; Kirfi, Umar Habibu – PDP; Bauchi – Jamilu Dahiri – PDP; Zungur Galambi, Yusuf Ahmed – PDP, Dass, Abdullahi Ahmed – PDP, and Bogoro, Musa Nakwada – PDP.

Others are Lame Toro, Lawal Garba – PDP; Toro Jama’a, Saidu Hamza – PDP; Ningi, Abubakar Sulaiman – PDP; Ningi Bura, Tanko Bura – PDP; Hardawa Misau, Babayo Akuyam – PDP; and Dambam Dagauda Jalam, Mohammed Garba – PDP.

The PDP also won Ganjuwa East, Ladan Mohammed; Ganjuwa West, Adamu Kawu; Katagum Zaki, Bello Maiwa; Sakwa Zaki, Wanzam Mohammed; and Itas Gadau, Abdullahi Yusuf.

Similarly, Disina Shira constituency was won by Hodi Jibir – PDP; Shira, Hassan Auwal – PDP; Giade, Adamu Abubakar – PDP; Madara Chinade, Katagum, Ala Ahmed – PDP, and Gamawa, Sarkin-Jadori Bello – PDP.

The APC won Azare Madangala Katagum, Saleh Zakariyya; Udubo Gamawa, Lele Mohammed; Pali Alkaleri, Garba Aminu; and Darazo, Sulaiman Darazo.

Malam Dauda Lawal of APC also won Sade Darazo state constituency; APC’s Yahaya Maikudi for Chiroma Misau; Abdul Rishi for Lame Toro – APC; and Abdulrasheed Adamu for Lere Bula – APC, while Mubarak Haruna of NNPP won in Jama’are constituency.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 9th Assembly have no female member.

Former Imo State Governor, Emeka Ihedioha, has announced his withdrawal from the Peoples Democratic Party, governorship primaries in the state.

In a letter dated March 27, 2023, addressed to the office of the National Chairman of the party, Ihedioha said, “As I turned 58 years last Friday, March 24, I had cause to reflect on so many things, including the state of the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Having been a member since formation in 1998, I align myself with the request made by our state chapter to the National Working Committee, for a consensus choice of candidate regarding the 2023 governorship primaries.

“In the interest of harmony and unity of the party, I have elected to make the personal sacrifice of withdrawing from further participation in the processes leading to the emergence of the gubernatorial candidate.”

“I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to have served my various constituencies both as a legislator and governor. I am also proud of the positive impact I made, particularly in the seven months I served as the Governor of Imo State.”