By Chukwudi Nweje
The defeat of seven of the 10 sitting governors that contested in the February 25, 2023, parliamentary elections is a strong statement that the National Assembly is no longer a guaranteed retirement place for state governors who had completed their terms of office.
Governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Ben Ayade (Cross River) all lost their bid to metamorphose from their executive seats to the legislative chamber. The fate of Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is twisting in the wind as the Independent National Electoral commission (INEC) declared the three senatorial seat elections in the state inconclusive.
Governors Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and Abubakar Bello (Niger) were however elected.
The defeat of the governors at the senatorial polls is instructive because since the advent of the 4th Republic in 1999, particularly from 2007 when the first set of elected governors completed the maximum two-terms of four years each, many of them have conveniently transformed into senators using the power of incumbency at their disposal to pave their way.
The results of the already conducted National assembly elections indicate that Nigerians have had enough of governors automatically retiring to the Senate by flexing their power of incumbency which they use to pick the ticket of the dominant parties as it were.
Prior to the 2023 poll, elections in Nigeria had been a two-horse race whereby merely picking your party’s ticket is an almost guarantee of victory depending on the state of the country.
The 2023 election is different because it is a three-horse or perhaps a four-horse race depending on the analyst.
The election has seen the ‘big’ parties ─ the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC) ─ and their ‘powerful’ candidates lose election in states previously thought to be their stronghold.
Analysts argue that the craze of governors to transform to legislators at the upper legislature is not unconnected to the largesse and perks of public office in Nigeria.
For instance, the allowances and resources controlled by the governors are so enormous that many of them cannot imagine of a life without such after their two-terms in office, thus they desire to move on to the National Assembly where there is no term limitation.
Governors who lost the
Senate bid
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi
Enugu State, like most other states in the South East, had been a PDP stronghold since 1999 but Gov Ugwuanyi lost his senatorial bid to a much smaller and newer party, the Labour Party (LP). The LP candidate, Okechukwu Ezea trounced Ugwuanyi by a whooping 104,948 votes as against the 46,948 votes garnered by the sitting governor.
Ben Ayade
Ayade, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial candidate for Cross River North failed in his attempt to return to the Senate where he represented his constituency from 2011 to 2015. He was defeated by the incumbent, Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe of the PDP who polled 76,145 votes against his 56,595.
Darius Ishaku
Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku could not deliver the Southern Senatorial District of the state to PDP as he lost to Mr David Jimkuta of the APC. Jimkuta polled 85,415 votes to defeat Gov. Ishaku who polled 45,708 votes.
Simon Lalong
The Plateau State governor who is also the Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) lost his bid to clinch the Plateau South Senatorial District seat to Retd AVM Bali Ninkap Napoleon of the PDP.
Napoleon scored 148,844 votes while Lalong polled 91,674.
Atiku Bagudu
Governor Baguda of Kebbi lost the Kebbi Central Senatorial election to the PDP candidate, Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero, who incidentally is both former governor and former Senator.
Aliero served as Senator from May 29, 2007 to December 2008 when he was appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. He scored 126,588 votes as against Bagudu’s 92,389 votes.
Samuel Ortom
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, an avid critic of the APC-led Federal Government lost the Benue North-west Senatorial seat to his former aide, Titus Zam of the APC. Zam polled 143,151 to defeat Ortom who scored 106,882.
Aminu Tambuwal
Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is neither a loser nor a winner for now.
The INEC declared the three senatorial seats in the state inconclusive following the cancellation of some polling units due to over-voting and disruption of election.
Sokoto South Senatorial district is being contested by Gov. Tambuwal of PDP, the incumbent, Sen. Abdullahi Danbaba, of the APC, among other candidates.
Sokoto North Senatorial district was declared inconclusive following the cancellation of some polling units involving 121,010 registered voters.
Sokoto East Senatorial district was also declared inconclusive.
Governors going to the Senate
While some governors would be retiring to their private businesses if they have any, some others would be metamorphosing from chief executive to lawmaker.
The list of sitting governors who won their election include:
Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi will represent Ebonyi South Senatorial district in the 10th National Assembly. Umahi polled 28, 378 votes to defeat his closest rival, Linus Okorie of the Labour Party, who scored 25, 496 votes. The incumbent Senator, Michael Nnachi of the PDP scored 11, 398 votes.
Abubakar Sani-Bello
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State will also be going to the Senate to represent Niger South. Sani-Bello scored 100,197 votes to defeat the PDP candidate, Shehu Abdullahi who scored 88,153 votes and Wali Ibrahim of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), scored 13,886 votes, while Sani Sule of All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, got 2,747 votes and Musa Yakubu of ADC scored 636 votes.
Ex-Governors who won
Senate seat
Dr Orji Uzor Kalu
Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, two term Governor of Abia State from 1999 to 2003, is the Chief Whip of the 9th Senate and the candidate of the APC for Abia North Senatorial district election.
Uzor-Kalu won his election with a total of 30,805 votes to defeat his closet rival, Nnamdi Iroh of the Labour Party, who polled 25,540 votes, while Chief Mao Ohuabunwa of the PDP scored 15, 175 votes.
Adams Oshiomhole
Former National Chairman of the APC served as Governor of Edo State from 2008 to 2016. He will be representing Edo North in the 10th Senate having polled 107,110 votes to defeat the incumbent Francis Alimikhena of the PDP who scored 55,344 votes.
Godswill Akpabio
Akabio was governor of Akwa Ibom State from May 29, 2007, to May 29, 2015. He also represented Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District from 2015 to 2019. He will be returning to the red chamber.
Akpabio, a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs polled 115,401 valid votes to defeat PDP’s Mr Emmanuel Enoidem, who polled 69,838 votes.
Gbenga Daniels
Daniels, a former Governor of Ogun State from May 29, 2003, to May 29, 2011, won the Ogun East Senatorial seat on the platform of the APC.
Daniels secured 115,147 votes to defeat other candidates in the contest for the senatorial seat. He won the election in all nine local government areas (LGA) in the senatorial district.
Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwambo
Former Governor Dankwambo of Gombe State from May 29, 2011, to May 29, 2019, won the Gombe Central North Senatorial District. He defeated the incumbent Alhaji Saidu Alkali of the APC.
Others who retired to the Senate
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso Presidential Candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and former Governor of Kano State from 1999 to 2003 and 2011 to 2015 before proceeding to the Senate that year.
Bukola Saraki
Bukola Saraki was the Governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011 before he went to the Senate in 2011, under the PDP. He replaced his sister, Gbemisola Saraki-Forowa as the Kwara Central Senatorial District representative, he was reelected to the Senate in 2015 and was elected President of the Senate.
Other former governors who retired to the Senate for some time include Governors George Akume of Benue State, Sani Yerima of Zamfara State, Abdullahi Adamu of Nasarawa State, Danjuma Goje of Gombe State, Theodore Orji of Abia, Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Aliyu Wammako of Sokoto, and Sam Egwu of Ebonyi State.