Ahead of the 2023 general elections, former and incumbent governors are already positioning themselves to emerge the president of the 10th Senate.
No fewer than 28 serving and former governors in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are in the senatorial race for their constituencies.
While the North has 18 serving and former governors competing for the seat, the south has 11 serving and former governors.
The former and serving governors contesting in the 2023 Senatorial election are: Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Kabiru Gaya (Kano), Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Tanko Al-makura (Nasarawa), Danjuma Goje (Gombe), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Sani Bello (Niger), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Theodore Orji (Abia).
Others are: Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe), Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Gabriel Suswan (Benue), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Adamu Aliero (Kebbi), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Orji Kalu (Abia).
There are 109 senators in the Nigerian Senate, including the Senate President.
In the current National Assembly whose life will expire on June 11, 2023, there are 14 former governors serving as senators, representing districts from the north and south of the country.
LEADERSHIP’s checks however revealed that the top contenders for the Senate Presidency are Sokoto State governor, Aminu Tambuwal, on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu who is currently the Senate Chief Whip. Also eyeing the seat is Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State even though he is a first timer. Kalu and Umahi are of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
LEADERSHIP gathered that Tambuwal’s Senate presidency ambition was part of his trade-off to step down for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, during the May presidential primary.
It was also learnt that his emergence as director general of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council was strategic to enable him retain his place should PDP win the presidency in 2023.
Tambuwal is not new to the National Assembly. He was a former Speaker of the House of Representatives before he contested and won the governorship seat in Sokoto State.
Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, during one of his rants against the party, hinted at Tambuwal’s positioning for the top legislative seat ahead of the election.
In the APC, it was gathered that the serving Senate chief whip and former governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, who currently represents Abia North, fancies his chances of emerging the chief lawmaker in Nigeria.
It was learnt that besides leveraging on his friendship with the APC presidential candidate Bola Tinubu, Kalu has positioned himself to push the Tinubu presidency in the South East in the hopes that the region would get the Senate top seat.
He is also hoping to build on his legislative experience as a ranking and principal member in the 9th Senate.
The Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, is also said to be eyeing the top position. Although he does not have much legislative experience, he is said to be poised to fight for the seat once his party, APC, zones it to the South East.
Another contender for the top seat is Senator Kabiru Gaya of the APC from Kano State. He is the incumbent senator representing Kano South and is regarded as one of the longest serving lawmakers.
They’re turning Red Chamber into a retirement home – CSOs
Meanwhile, political parties and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have disagreed over the fielding of 28 former governors as senatorial candidates by APC and the PDP.
While the CSOs said former governors are mostly rushing to the red chamber to expand or protect their business connection, the political parties fielding candidates said it is purely a party affair, adding that Nigerians can decide what they want in the election.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP, the chairman, Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC), an umbrella body of all the political parties in Nigeria, Yabagi Sani, said fielding candidates does not mean an outcome of the election.
“I can’t say who Nigerians will choose. I cannot dictate to the parties who they should field as a candidate. It is purely about people that will elect them. If they elect them, fine.
If Nigerians elect them to go to the Senate, fine. If you elect them, you will have to make do with what you have,” Sani added.
But the CSOs decried the fielding of 28 former governors in just two political parties adding that if they succeed in the election, the red chamber would lose vibrancy.
The CSOs who spoke to LEADERSHIP are Transparency International (TI), the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG).
Speaking through their leader, Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, the CSOs said:
“Actually, going by the figures of the election where the former governors have occupied seats in the Senate, they didn’t show more vibrancy and dedication.
“The Senate has become much more like a place for retirement for governors. It has become more of a place where people who are politically irrelevant find their ways.
“We do not think having former governors in the Senate is progress. It appears that they are looking for these positions for political relevance and continuation of building their network and connection, not really for legislative purposes, ” he said.
Speaking further, Rafsanjani said: “In some instances, they have failed in their states; coming to the National Assembly does not mean they are coming to do better than what they were doing in the states.”
Sam Egwu and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi)
In Ebonyi State, while the first civilian governor of the State, Dr. Sam Egwu, would be contesting to represent the people of Ebonyi North Senatorial Zone under the platform of the PDP for the third term, his counterpart, the outgoing governor of the state, Chief David Umahi will be contesting to represent the people of Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone under the platform of the APC.
Abdul’Aziz Yari (Zamfara)
Following the reconciliation of the state governor, Hon. Bello Matawallle, with the former Governor Abdul’Aziz Yari, a senatorial ticket for the Zamfara West was given to him.
Yari was the sole candidate of the APC in Zamfara West ahead of the primaries. Yari served two terms as the governor of Zamfara State from 2011 to 2019.
He was at the House of Representatives. He contested for the senatorial ticket in 2019 and won but the Supreme Court voided the victory of APC in Zamfara State.
Gbenga Daniel (Ogun)
Former governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel is the Senatorial candidate of the APC for Ogun East Senatorial district.
Daniel, a two-term governor, whose tenure spanned year 2003 till 2011, is being fielded by the Ogun State chapter of APC after taking the party’s Senatorial ticket from the incumbent, Senator L’ekan Mustapha.
Theodore Orji, Orji Kalu and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia)
LEADERSHIP checks indicated that while the former Abia State governor and Senator Theodore Orji (Abia Central) of the PDP will be stepping down after two consecutive terms at the Red Chamber, his predecessor on the executive seat, Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North) of the same APC is seeking to return there.
In the same vein, his successor, Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia South), who is of the same party with him and was elected into the office in 2015 is seeking to move to the Upper House at the end of his second term on May 29, 2023.
Kalu served as the first governor of the state in the 4th Republic from 1999-2007 as PDP member and was elected into the Senate in 2019. His successor, Orji has been there earlier from 2007 till date.
Samuel Ortom And Gabriel Suswam (Benue)
Senator Gabriel Suswam, Benue governor between 2007 and 2015, currently represents Benue North East Senatorial District, popularly called zone ‘A. He was also a former House of Representatives member.
The incumbent Benue Governor Samuel Ortom is also contesting for Senate in the 2023 elections. He is contesting the North-West (Zone ‘B’) Senatorial district.
Adamu Aliero
Senator Mohammad Adamu Aliero was two-time governor of Kebbi State between 1999 and 2007. He was in the Senate briefly in 2007 representing Kebbi Central senatorial district until he was appointed minister of FCT, Abuja, by late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration.
After death of president Yar’Adua he came home and contested Senate again in Kebbi central senatorial under PDP in 2011-2019.
Simon Lalong (Plateau)
State Governor Simon Lalong will complete his second term in office in May next year.
The governor is the Plateau South Senatorial candidate of the ruling party the APC in next year’s election.
Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu)
Former governor of Enugu State, Dr. Chimaraoke Nnamani, has been given a nod by the PDP to contest the Senatorial election for Enugu East Senatorial Zone in the 2023 general elections.
After serving two tenures as governor of Enugu State between 1999 and 2007, Nnamani won the senatorial seat under the PDP. He was senator from 2007 to 2011.
He was replaced by Senator Gilbert Nnaji of the PDP. Nnamani returned to the Senate in 2019 and will be returning to the Senate for a 4th tenure if he wins in 2023.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is also contesting Enugu North senatorial seat.
Attahiru Bafarawa and Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto)
Out of the two former governors of Sokoto state, Alhaji Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa and Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko respectively and the incumbent, Alhaji Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, only Bafarawa never nursed the ambition of retiring into the Senate; instead, he aimed higher, contesting for the Presidency in 2017 under Democratic People’s Party, DPP.
While Bafarawa now assumes the role of an elder statement, the duo of Wamakko and Tambuwal will still be on the ballot as Senatorial candidates for APC (Sokoto North) and PDP (Sokoto South) respectively.
Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko, who succeeded Bafarawa after completing two terms as governor, is currently a two-term Senator and will be aspiring for the third term come next year’s election.
Danjuma Goje and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe)
Senator Danjuma Goje, representing Gombe central, was a two-term governor of Gombe State from 2003 to 2011. He is currently serving his third term in the red chamber of the National Assembly.
Ibrahim Dankwambo was a one-time accountant general of the federation and governor of Gombe State from 2011 to 2019. Dankwambo is contesting against the sitting senator representing the zone, Sa’idu Alkali, who defeated him in the last election in 2019.
Sani Bello (Niger)
In Niger State, incumbent Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has picked the ticket of the party for Niger North (Zone C) senatorial zone, defeating the incumbent Senator Sabi Abdullahi.
Adams Oshiomhole (Edo)
Former Governor Adams Oshiomhole is the APC Edo North Senatorial Candidate. He was a former APC national chairman and Labour leader.
Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa)
Senator Tanko Al-Makura served as a governor between 2011 and 2019 under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) which subsequently merged into the APC in Nasarawa State. Al-Makura is seeking to represent Nasarawa South senatorial district.
Saminu Turaki Jigawa
Senator Ibrahim Saminu Turaki was Jigawa State governor between 1999 and 2007 under the defunct All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). He had also served in the Senator representing Jigawa South West between 2007 and 2011 on PDP’s platform.
He rejoined PDP in 2019 and contested for the Senatorial seat but lost to the APC candidate. Currently he is the PDP flag bearer in the forthcoming election.
