The curtain was at the weekend drawn on the general elections, with the election of governors in 29 states and lawmakers in 36 states. Deputy News Editor Bunmi Ogunmodede, Assistant Editors, Leke Salau and Sina FadAre present some of the winners and losers in the governorship polls.
Tinubu, proving a point in Lagos
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) affront to unseat the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Lagos in Saturday’s election was to humiliate the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in his stronghold. But Tinubu proved that his hold on the politics of Lagos since 1999 is not a fluke. His preferred candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, won the keenly-contested governorship election with 811,994 votes to beat PDP’s Jimi Agbaje, who polled 659,788 votes.
The PDP wanted to demystify APC chief in his domain in retaliation of the dislodgement of the PDP government at the central and in many of the states under its control. Tinubu is at the vanguard of the coalition of the opposition that humbled President Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential election on March 28.
After the APC lost five House of Representatives seats to the PDP and another to the Accord party at the National Assembly election, Tinubu summoned a meeting of APC stakeholders last Thursday and encouraged the leaders to double up efforts.
The President also flew into Lagos late last Thursday and met with key PDP men to perfect strategy on how to demobilise Tinubu’s political machine. Although, the margin was a far-cry from the figures of 2003, 2007 and 2011, the former Lagos governor has proved a point that he is a hard nut to crack in the politics of Lagos. The victory has given enough room to the APC to return to the drawing board.
Fashola: Maintaining the chain of development
After serving for eight years as Governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, had a burden of not allowing the chain of development to break and he fought relentlessly to ensure this. He was the chief marketer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, who was until last year, his Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance. With the emergence of Ambode as his successor, Fashola can sleep with two eyes closed after bowing out of office on May 29. He is sure that Ambode will keep the tradition of raising the bar of governance in the Centre of Excellence.
In an emotion-laden message to Lagosians last week, Fashola stated more than a dozen of reasons the electorate should vote for Ambode.
Nasir El-Rufai, Kaduna
Former Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nasir El- Rufai won the Kaduna State governorship election by a landslide based on 80 per cent results from polling units across the state. The diminutive former minister defeated the incumbent governor of the state, Ramalan Yero, by a wide margin in most of the 23 local government areas of the state. El Rufai was leading Yero by at least 500,000 votes in 16 out of the 20 local government areas announced by the Kaduna office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Even with the results still being collated, incumbent Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) conceded defeat to El-Rufai of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Yero, a political godson of Vice President Namadi Sambo was elevated as governor after the death of Governor Patrick Yakowa in an air mishap from Yenagoa. Spokesperson of the Kaduna State APC Campaign Council, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed Yero’s concession yesterday.
In a statement, Aruwan said Yero called El-Rufai at around 3pm to congratulate the latter on his victory.
Aruwan said: “He (Yero) congratulated El-Rufai and wished him success. He prayed for peace and development of Kaduna state and Nigeria at large. El-Rufai in his response thanked Yero and wished all the best and hope to see you him soon.”
Amosun…against all odds in Ogun
Against all odds, Governor Ibikunle Amosun was declared winner of Ogun State governorship election. He polled 306, 988 to beat the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) Gboyega Isiaka, who scored 201, 440. Incidentally, Isiaka, who was the standard bearer of the Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) in the 2011 governorship election, trailed Amosun of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the parties that fused to form the APC. In the run-up to weekend’s election, all the three APC Senators, his deputy, Prince Segun Adesgun and some bigwigs the party, defected from the party to a new political platform, Social Democratic Party (SDP). One of the Senators, Akin Odunsi challenged Amosun under the auspices of the SDP. Yet, Amosun won in a fantastic manner, all because of his sterling performance. Odunsi’ SDP polled 25, 826 votes. The state’s Collation and Returning Officer, Prof. Duro Oni, who is the Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, declared that Amosun polled the highest number of votes in Saturday’s governorship election, having won in 11 out of the 20 local government areas in the state.
Ahmed: Keeping the tradition in Kwara
Kwara State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Abdulfatah Ahmed, was leading with a landslide margin in the race to be re-elected as the governor of Northcentral state. In the 14 local government results announced so far, the APC had polled 262,218 votes to beat Senator Simeon Ajibola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to a distant second with 102,911 votes while Dr. Mike Omotoso of the Labour Party (LP) trailed with 2,840. The state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Emmanuel Onucheyo, announced a break of the collation session pending the arrival of the collation officers from the two remaining council areas of Kaima and Baruten. Ahmed had defected with his predecessor and political mentor, Senator Bukola Saraki from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. The duo defected with the entire PDP machinery in the state.
Senator Bukola Saraki
With the victory of the APC in the March 28 presidential and National Assembly elections and the governorship and House of Assembly elections at the weekend, Senator Saraki may have stepped into the shoes left behind by his father, the late Dr. Olusola Saraki, who was the strongman of Kwara politics. The elections were battles for the former governor, whose authority was challenged by the Labour Party (LP’s) candidate in the weekend’s governorship poll, Dr. Mike Omotoso. Omotoso had boasted to trounce incumbent Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to end the Saraki’s hegemony in Kwara politics.
Ambode:= Keeping the flag flying
The 156,106 difference separating Akinwunmi Ambode’s victory from the loss of Mr. Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was good enough to put to rest the keenly-contested governorship election between the ruling APC and the PDP in Lagos State. Ambode’s APC polled 811, 994 to beat the PDP for the record fourth time. Agbaje, whose PDP scored 655,788, conceded victory to Ambode last night. This was after initially expressing optimism that he would win the election. The governor-elect has a great task of not only maintaining the record laid by his predecessors – Tinubu and Fashola, he has to work extra hard to surpass them by raising the bar of development in Lagos. As a seasoned public administrator, who rose through the ranks to become the State Accountant-General and Permanent Secretary in the public service, Ambode has no reason not to build on the legacies of Tinubu and Fashola, who were both his supervisors. In his acceptance speech last night, he congratulated Lagosians for entrusting him with their mandate and asked for their cooperation.
Oshiomhole: Proving a point in Edo
Saturday’s House of Assembly election meant a lot to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, who will be serving out his two-term tenure next year. Members of his All Progressives Congress (APC) have to dominate the 24-member House for the smooth implementation of the APC manifesto in Edo State. Although he lost the presidential election and two Senatorial seats to the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on March 28, the governor led his APC to floor the PDP in the House of Assembly election at the weekend. The APC won 21 out of the 24 seats in the House of Assembly. Oshiomhole also scuttled the PDP plan of blocking the APC presidential candidate, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, from securing 25 per cent in any of the states in the Southsouth geo-political region. He secured more than 25 per cent of the total votes in Edo State for Buhari, who eventually won the election to defeat incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP.
Besides the three State Constituencies in the Edo Central Senatorial District, which is the zone of the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, the APC candidates swept all 21 seats in the Edo South and Edo North Senatorial Districts.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Enugu
Polling 482,277 as against his closest rival, Okey Ezea of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who polled a distant 43,837, House of Representatives member, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was yesterday declared winner of the govership election in Enugu State. Ugwuanyi was the preferred candidate of incumbent Governor Sullivan Chime.
The ruling party also cleared all the 24 House of Assembly seats in the results that were announced by the INEC Returning Officer in the state, Prof Hillary Edogawho, who is the Vice Chancellor of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike in Umuahia, Abia state.
But the opposition APC has however called for the cancellation of the entire election in the state, alleging widespread irregularities in all the 17 council areas. The party in a joint press conference addressed by Ezea, his running mate, Mrs. Juliet Ibekaku and the state chairman, Ben Nwoye, said it was rejecting the results because the PDP did not only collude with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police to manipulate the process but their members were seriously attacked in most of the polling units in the state.
Aminu Bello Masari, Katsina
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari, was yesterday declared winner of the governorship election in Katsina State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Masari was Speaker between 2003 and 2007 during the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo
The Returning Officer, Lawal Bilbis, said the ex-Speaker polled 943,085 votes to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Musa Nashuni, who scored 476,768 votes in the Saturday election. Seven political officers participated in the election.
Mr. Bilbis said the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) candidate, Yakubu Lado, got 50,361 votes and Umar Abdullahi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) secured 42,302 votes.
Ajimobi…breaking the second term jinx in Oyo
Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s victory in Saturday’s governorship election has broken the jinx that no sitting governor can keep his seat for a second term in Oyo State.
Incumbent Governor Ajimobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 327,310 to win a fresh four-year mandate in the Agodi, Oyo Government House.
Two of his predecessors in the Pacesetter State- Alhaji Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja and Adebayo Alao-Akala – tried to retain their seats but they were rejected at the polls in 2007 and 2011. They were both of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Interestingly, the duo of Ladoja and Alao-Akala, flying the banners of the Accord party and Labour Party (LP) contested against Ajimobi but lost to the incumbent. Ladoja’s Accord party scored 254,520 and Alao-Akala’s LP polled 184,111. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate and former Senate Leader, Teslim Folarin scored 79, 019.
Dankwabo: The lucky survivor in Gombe
Ibrahim Dankwambo yesterday retained his seat as the Gombe State governorship seat under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after polling 285,369 votes to beat All Progressives Congress (APC’s) Inumwa Yahaya, who pulled 205,132 votes, in the results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday. In a rare display of sportsmanship, the APC candidate conceded defeat in the election. Dankwanmbo, who lost the state to the APC in the presidential and National Assembly polls on March 28, thanked the people of Gombe in his reaction to the victory yesterday. He dedicated the victory to the electorate.
The lucky survivor said: “We will continue to ensure that we live in peace and we will continue to ensure that the dividend of democracy reaches to the down trodden people of Gombe state.
“I assured them once again that we will do everything possible to ensure that we develop, enhance and create wealth for the ordinary person in Gombe state. I assure you that we will not fail them.”
Tambuwal, transiting from lawmaking to CEO in Sokoto
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal was yesterday declared the winner of the Saturday Sokoto State governorship election.
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated his main rival of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Abdalla Wali in the contest.
Announcing the result collated in the auditorium of the Sultan Muhammadu Maccido Institute for Koranic and General Studies, Sokoto, the Returning Officer, Prof Abdul Bagudu, who is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) of the Usman Danfodio University, said Tambuwal polled the highest votes and has been returned as the winner of the contest.
lOSERS
Yero
The incumbent governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Ramalan Yero failed to secure a second term as he lost the election to Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Yero had boasted that he was sure of winning the election given his performance. He even told opposition that there was no vacancy in the Government House.
Namadi Sambo
Vice President Namadi Sambo is perceived as political godfather of Yero. Sambo was Kaduna State governor until 2010 when he was appointed Vice President by President Goodluck Jonathan. Dr. Jonathan assumed office as President following the death of Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua. The former deputy governor of Kaduna State, the late Patrick Yakowa stepped as replacement. in as governor. Sambo influenced the appointment of Yero as deputy to Yakowa. He has remained loyal to Sambo. Observers believe Sambo is ruling Kaduna from Aso Rock, Abuja.
Suswam
The outgoing governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswan failed in his bid to make the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Terherse Terzor his successor. He was defeated by the APC’s Samuel Ortom. Suswam frustrated Ortom out of the PDP by imposing Terzor as candidate against the popular wish of the people. Suswam also lost in the senatorial election which was won by Senator Barnabas Gemade, who defected to the APC few weeks to the general elections. Suswam lost at the senatorial election to Gemade.
Agbaje
The PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, has crashed out in his bid to govern the state. Agbaje had boasted that he would win and be sworn in as the next governor. This is not the first time that the pharmacist-turned politician would lose election. In 2007, he contested on the platform of Democratic Peoples’ Party (DPP) and lost woefully. He scored three per cent of the total votes cast. He told some reporters at the Protea Hotel, GRA, Ikeja shortly after he clinched the PDP ticket that he would not want to add a former, former governorship candidate to his resume. He conceded defeat to the APC candidate, Akinwunmi Agbaje last night.
Wada
There was no governorship election in Kogi State. But Governor Ibrahim Wada failed to deliver the House of Assembly seat to the PDP. They were swept by the APC, which had on March 28, won the presidential and National Assembly elections in the Northcentral state. The APC won many state constituency seats in Saturday’s election. To observers, it is an indication that the PDP has lost grip in Kogi.
President Goodluck Jonathan
After the shock of being the first incumbent President to be defeated in an election conducted by him, Jonathan mustered the last courage in him to join forces with other PDP members to ensure that the party wins Lagos, Akwa Ibom and Rivers State, to fund the rebuilding of the party. It was even alleged that he stormed Lagos in the eve of election with N10 billion to sway the support of Lagosians. Unfortunately, the President lost everything.
Bode George
The embattled PDP chieftain had dreamt of becoming a political god-father by backing the party’s governorship candidate in Lagos state, Jimi Agbaje. George had initially threatened to go into exile if Buhari wins the presidential election. But he mustered the last courage in him to see whether he would make history by installing Agbaje as governor. Like he failed in 2011 in the bid to install Dr. Ade Dosumu as governor, George lost again in the second attempt. Political pundits are still expecting when the ‘Lagos boy’ will bid Lagos bye state as he had earlier threatened.
Musiliu Obanikoro
Obanikoro is the Minister of Foreign Affairs II. He is most controversial minister, a position he got after losing the party’s ticket to Agbaje. Obanikoro was roundly criticised by stakeholders, who believed the slot should have gone to another person. Though his political balloon was punctured mid-way, Obanikoro still believes that if the PDP could win Lagos, it would be the beginning of political reformation for him as a politician, unfortunately the party lost to APC.
Nuru Ribadu
Ribadu was the former anti-graft czar, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) who made his mark as anti-corruption crusader, a platform that gave him a political leverage when he veered into politics. Ribadu, who in his early political life pitched his tent with the progressives by joining the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). He was the ACN standard bearer at the presidential election in 2011. However, he defected to the PDP where he was the party’s candidate in Saturday’s governorship election where he lost the battle to APC.
Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa
Attahiru Bafarawa was the two-time governor of Sokoto State under the platform of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). After his tenure, he was a frequent guest to the EFCC for an alleged N6 billion fraud. In order to be left off the hook, he joined the PDP and contested for president in 2007.
Saturday’s election in the state eroded his political credentials as the APC candidate, Speaker Aminu Tambuwal won the governorship election.
Ibrahim Shekarau
Shekarau was one of the chieftains of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), where he was elected as governor twice. When the political storm blew across ANPP to the extent that the party was on verge of collapse, Shekarau remained the last man standing, a feat that attracted the Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka to visit him. The literary icon gave him a pat on the back for withstanding the political storm of that era.
Shekarau, the current minister for Education, eventually pitched his tent with the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and was a party to the formation of the APC. At this point, he fell apart with the progressives and joined the PDP. He was quickly compensated with a ministerial slot.
With the new political order in the state and the political revolution going out in the country, Shekarau the great mathematician failed to deliver Kano State to PDP when it mattered most.
Tom Ikimi
Chief Tom Ikimi was former Foreign Affairs Minister. In his recent political sojourn, he pitched his tent with the progressives and was one of the frontliners to negotiate the merger of the defunct ACN with other political parties to become APC. However shortly after the merger, Ikimi, who was eyeing the chairmanship of the APC, lost to his kinsman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun. This forced him to his former party, the PDP. With Saturday’s defeat of the PDP candidate in his Edo state, once again he has been given the humble pie to eat and possibly put where he belong politically.
Tony Anenih
Chief Tony Anenih in the last 20 years has been in the main stream of the nation’s politics. He used to play the role of the ‘Big Boss’. At a point, he was nick-named ‘Mr. Fix it’. His voice is always loud in the PDP. He is the chairman of the Board of Trustee (BoT) of the PDP, a position he has used to his advantage to become a king maker. However, his political balloon was deflated when APC candidate, Comrade Adam Osihomole defeated him at home and made nonsense of his so -called larger than life image. He managed to win only three seats in the 24-member House of Assembly in Saturday’s election, losing the rest to the APC.
Rasheed Ladoja
Ladoja was the former governor of Oyo State on the platform of PDP. He was however caught in the political storm of the party when he parted ways with his political god-father, the late Chief Lamidi Adedibu and he was impeached. Though the impeachment was reversed by the Supreme Court, things never remained the same for Ladoja in the PDP.
By the time he re-launched himself into politics, the PDP was in tatters in the state. This forced him to form the Accord party where he made some impacts and taught he could ride on the party’s platform to the Government House in Ibadan. But the election proved to the ship the magnate and businessman that politics in not a tea party.
Adebayo Alao-Akala
Alao-Akala is the former governor of Oyo State. The former police officer is a grassroots mobiliser, a feat he used in getting the ticket to the Government House under the PDP. When Alao-Akala wanted to re -contest, the Ogbomoso-born politician could not withstand the storm in the PDP. He defected to Labour Party (LP).
Alao-Akala, who believes he can rely on his previous political sagacity to turn things round in his new LP, he met his political waterloo.
Dr Mike Omotosho
Omotosho was in supply Chain Management and Distribution before he veered into politics. He joined the PDP in Kwara State and participated in the House of Representatives primaries, which he lost. He crossed to the LP and decided to give a shot at the governorship. Omotosho, whose nickname is Omotosure boasted to his supporters he was on a mission to take Kwara out of bondage by uprooting the political dynasty of the former governor of the state, Senator Bukola Saraki.
With the Saturday elections, Omosoho’s ambition was just a mere wish and an illusion. He lost to incumbent Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of the APC.
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