By: Taoheed Adegbite
Following Saturday’s presidential and national assembly election, at least, six outgoing governors have failed in their bids to secure a seat in the Nigerian senate which has been over time, described as a ‘retirement home’ for former governors.
The governors, after their two terms in office, lost the election in their respective districts to cross over to the 10th national assembly.
Meanwhile, in 2019, about 20 former governors were elected into the current Ninth National Assembly. Among them, who are still in the race to return to the red chamber, are; Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), ), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Kabiru Gaya (Kano), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Orji Kalu (Abia), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), and Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano).
However, while some outgoing governors like Governors David Umahi of Ebonyi State, Abubakar Bello (Niger), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) have been elected as senators in the 10th assembly, others like Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto) still have their fate hanging as they are yet to be announced by the electoral body.
Here are the governors that failed in their bid to cross over to the ‘retirement home’.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State)
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State is a member of the five aggrieved governors in the PDP – dubbed G5 – and lost his bid to represent Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly after being defeated by Okechukwu Ezea of the Labour Party.
After his eight years in office, Ugwuanyi scored 46,948 votes to concede defeat in a landslide victory for Ezea who polled 104,948 votes to emerge the winner.
Samuel Ortom (Benue)
Samuel Ortom is another member of the G-5 who is seeking to cross over to the Senate after the expiration of his eight years as Governor of Benue State.
However, Ortom lost his bid to represent Benue North West Senatorial District in the National Assembly after losing to his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Titus Zam.
While Ortom polled 106,882 votes, Zam who was his former aide appointed in 2015, won the election under the umbrella of the APC after polling 143,151 votes.
Darius Ishaku (Taraba)
Next on this is the outgoing PDP governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, who lost his senatorial bid to represent Taraba South Senatorial District after losing to David Jimkuta of the APC who polled 85,415 to defeat Ishaku who scored 45,708 votes.
Simon Lalong (Plateau)
Not only did Simon Lalong, who is the Director General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), fail to deliver his state to his party candidate, but also made to eat humble pie in his senatorial bid.
Lalong, who is a former chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum, lost the bid to clinch the Plateau South Senatorial District seat, after he polled 91,674, losing to Bali Ninkap Napoleon of the PDP who scored 148,844 votes.
Ben Ayade (Cross River)
Ben Ayade of Cross River is a professor, known for ‘crying’ and using highfalutin words to name state appropriation bills. However, none of the grammars could save his bid to retire at the Senate after completing his eight-year tenure as governor.
Meanwhile, Ayade secured the governorship ticket of the PDP in 2015 as a serving senator and had hoped to represent the people of Cross River North again at the red chamber but he was defeated by the incumbent, Agom-Jarigbe of the PDP who polled 76,145 votes while Ayade polled 56,595.
Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi)
Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State is not just a governor on the platform of the APC but also the Chairman of the APC Progressives Governors. However, the people of Kebbi Central Senatorial District thrashed him to re-elect Senator Adamu Aliero of the PDP.
Adamu Aliero scored 126,588 votes as against the outgoing governor Bagudu, who polled 92,389 votes.
Note: The results of the national assembly seats are trickling in and we are very likely to see more shockers with the possible unseating of lawmakers who have spent more than 20 years as Senators.
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