May 22, (THEWILL) — The governorship race ahead of the 2027 general elections gathered momentum on Friday as Ahmed Tijani Galadima emerged the winner of the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress in Adamawa State, while Dr. Emmanuel Unuafe secured the ticket of the African Democratic Congress in Delta State.
Galadima was declared the winner of the Adamawa APC governorship primary on Friday evening by the committee from the party’s national secretariat that supervised the exercise.
Chairman of the primary election committee, Professor Innocent Bariko, announced that Galadima polled 414,444 votes to defeat other contenders by a wide margin.
According to the results declared by the committee, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas came second with 86,004 votes, while Abdulrahman Haske secured 65,934 votes to place third.
In his acceptance speech, Galadima expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, Adamawa State Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu for what he described as their leadership and contributions to strengthening the APC in the state.
He said the party had grown in strength and popularity, positioning it for victory in the 2027 governorship election.
Galadima also appealed to members of the APC to unite behind his candidacy and work collectively to ensure the party’s success at the polls.
Meanwhile, in Delta State, Dr. Emmanuel Unuafe of the ADC emerged as the party’s governorship candidate through a consensus arrangement adopted during the party’s primary election held in Asaba.
The 45-year-old academic and politician was returned unopposed after delegates and party stakeholders endorsed the consensus process during the exercise.
The motion for the adoption of the arrangement was moved by Mr. Timi Julius, a member of the screening committee and ADC chairman in Warri North Local Government Area, and seconded by the party’s legal adviser.
Addressing party members after his emergence, Unuafe thanked the delegates and party leadership for entrusting him with the mandate to lead the party into the 2027 governorship contest.
He pledged to restore public confidence in governance and reposition Delta State through economic diversification, infrastructure development, and expanded investment in agriculture.
According to him, his administration would reduce the state’s dependence on oil and gas revenues by developing rural and riverine economies and transforming the Delta into a major economic hub in Africa.
Unuafe also promised to prioritise youth development through job creation initiatives and the establishment of sports academies across the state to discover and nurture talents.
“Delta State will witness exponential growth in all sectors. I will also ensure the welfare of workers in the state and improve their working conditions,” he stated.
The ADC governorship candidate further vowed to block leakages and curb waste in government to increase revenue available for development projects and improve living standards across the state.
Speaking after the primary election, Delta State ADC Chairman, Mr. Austin Okolie, commended party members for conducting themselves peacefully throughout the exercise.
He assured residents that the ADC was prepared to provide purposeful leadership and deliver democratic dividends if elected into office in 2027.
Also speaking, Chairman of the ADC Screening Electoral Committee, Jerry Ojale, described Unuafe as the most qualified aspirant to fly the party’s flag in the election.
Ojale said several aspirants had shown interest in the contest but noted that the screening process and consultations eventually produced Unuafe as the consensus candidate.
He also dismissed reports of factionalisation within the ADC in Delta State, insisting that the party remained united under the leadership of Austin Okolie.
“There is no faction in the ADC in Delta State. We have only one party chairman whose name is on the INEC portal, in the person of Austin Okolie. There is no alternative chairman and we have only one Delta State secretariat here in Asaba,” he said.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies monitored the ADC primary, which party officials described as peaceful and orderly.
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