Serving and former state governors seem to have found the Senate a comfortable retirement haven. Ahead of the 2023 general election, many of them have secured the tickets of political parties in their bid to represent various constituencies. Checks by The Nation revealed that not less than 30 serving and past governors will be contesting for seats in the National Assembly next yea
Since the return to democracy in 1999, several former governors have passed through the National Assembly, especially the Senate and many are still seeking to be there. Among those who have passed through the Senate are former Kaduna state governor, Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi, former Kano state governor, Rabiu Musa Kwakwaso, former Plateau state governors, Joshua Dariye and David Jonah Jang and former Ogun state governor, Ibikunle Amosun.
Others are former Akwa Ibom state governor an immediate past Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, former Nasarawa state governor and current National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, former Anambra state governor and Minister of Labour and Employment, Chirs Ngige, former Kwara state governor and immediate past Senate President, Abubakar Bukola Saraki and former Zamfara state governor, Sani Ahmed Yerima, among many other.
Ahead of the 2023 general election, serving and former governor are as usual, angling to proceed to the Senate chamber. The past and serving governors interested in either going to, or returning to the Senate are:
Adams Oshiomhole
The former Edo state governor has secured the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to fly the flag of the party for Edo North Senatorial District. Many believe that Oshiomhole has all it takes to lead the party to victory in the election. He served as National Chairman of the APC for two years, overseeing the 2019 election. He is very versed in the politics of the state.
Oshiomhole, who is the leader of the APC in Edo state, has an edge over his opponents and many pundits are giving him victory at the poll. But he will have to first stave off the stiff opposition planned against him by the governor of the state, his erstwhile political son, Godwin Obaseki and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.
Aliyu Wammako
Wammako has been in the Senate since leaving office as the governor of Sokoto state in 2015. A grassroots politician and a man regarded by many has being in control of Sokoto politics. Wamakko currently seats at the head of two major committees in the Senate; he’s chairman of the committee on Defence and deputy chairman of committee on Anti-Corruption.
Wammakko is perhaps one of very few Nigerians to have resigned as deputy governor. He left the position in 2006 due to what many regarded as irreconcilable differences between him and then Governor Attahiru Bafarawa. He is a founding member of the APC after joining the party along with some other PDP governors in the build up to the 2015 elections. he looks good to retain his seat.
Abdulaziz Yari
Yari is a former chairman of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) in Zamfara state. He later served as National Financial Secretary of the party before being elected as a member of the House of Representatives to represent Anka/Talata Mafara Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. From the House, he was elected governor in 2011, succeeding Mahmud Shinkafi who defected from the ANPP on whose platform he was elected governor to the PDP.
His insistence in anointing his successor in 2019 led to the unending fight between him and Senator Kabiru Marafa, which cost the APC the elections they fought so hard to win as the Supreme Court nullified their participation, paving the way for Bello Matawalle of the PDP to become governor. Yari’s ambition was to become the National Chairman of the APC. But that was not to be as the position was zoned by the party to the north central and way from his reach.
With Matawalle now a member of the APC, Yari felt that his political future was threatened and held several discussions with the PDP with the view to teaming up with them. The APC has however offered him the Senatorial ticket in a deft political move by Governor Matawalle. Pundits say with his feud with Marafa now over, and Governor Mattawale willing to support him, Yari looks pretty good to win the election and join other former governors at the senate in 2023.
Kabiru Gaya
Gaya is one of the oldest serving members of the Senate having been elected into the red chamber in 2007. He was elected governor of Kano state under the defunct National Republican Convention (NRC) in the ill-fated third republic. He currently occupies the position of the chairman, Senate Committee on Electoral Matters and helped midwife what is regarded as the best electoral law in the country so far.
Gaya’s tenure as governor of Kano state was short lived by the military, but he has been an integral part of the legislature since he was elected in 2007. He remained one of those that the APC looked up to in the state and is likely to have an easy ride back to the Senate, especially with Governor Abdullahi Ganduje solidly behind him in his quest to remain in the red chamber.
Atiku Bagudu
The Kebbi state governor left the Senate to become governor of his home state in 2015 and wants to return to the red chamber in 2023. He is currently the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum comprising all elected APC governors. Bagudu was succeeded in the Senate by former governor, Adamu Aliero whom he has had a running battle with for a while because of his ambition to return to the Senate.
The capacity to buy into the Anchor Borrowers programme of the Federal government which has turned the state into one of the major rice producing state in the country is one thing that he has going for him. Aliero pulled out of the Senatorial contest of the APC to pick the ticket of the PDP. The contest between the duo promises to be a very interestingly fierce one as both are well grounded grassroots politicians.
Chimaroke Nnamani
The former Enugu state was first elected to the Senate in 2007 immediately after his eight year tenure as governor. He was re-elected in 2019 and is seeking a third term in the red chamber. Popularly known as Ebaeno by his supporters, Nnamani will be banking on the popularity of the PDP in Enugu state to return to the Senate.
But it is left to be seen whether the people of the senatorial district will stick with him amidst the ongoing clamour for zoning from a section of the district. Another issue of concern is the general disenchantment with the PDP in the southeast for not considering the region for its presidential ticket. But be that as it may, Nnamani remain one of the numerous ex-governors seeking to be part of the lawmaking process in the country from 2023.
Tanko Almakura
Since leaving office as governor in 2015, Al-Makura has been a member of the red chamber. For eight years, he was the only governor elected on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) established by President Muhammadu Buhari. He contested for the National Chairmanship position of the APC at its national convention, but failed to get the seat.
Many had believed that because of his closeness to the President as the only CPC governor to join the merger that gave birth to the APC, President Buhari will back him for the chairmanship position. But they were wrong as the President choose Abdullahi Adamu instead. He got an automatic return ticket to the Senate instead, probably as a compensation for stepping down for Adamu at the convention. But whether he will surmount the challenges ahead is the big question begging for answer.
Danjuma Goje
Goje is a former Minister and two time governor of Gombe state. He was one of those who contested the position of the Senate President in 2019, stepping down for current Senate President, Ahmed Lawan. During the party primaries, his name appeared on the PDP list of aspirants, but he promptly denied the link, insisting that he was not a member of the PDP. He also wrote to the PDP National Chairman threatening legal action.
Serving as Minister, then governor and now Senator, gives Goje an edge over his opponents. But there are those who believe he has a tough battle to fight to return to the Senate following the face-off between him and the Governor Inuwa Yahaya, which lingered for years and polarized the APC in Gombe state until the resolution of the crisis a couple of months ago by the national leadership of the party as part of effort to ensure the party wins the 2023 elections.
Simon Lalong
Simon Lalong is currently the Chairman of the Northern Governors Forum and he is completing his second term as governor of Plateau state. A former Speaker of the Plateau state House of Assembly, Lalong has the legislative experience needed to be a member of the red chamber. As governor, many have often accused him of not doing enough to halt the killings on the Plateau.
Interestingly, it was his supporters led by a member of the House of Representatives, Adamu Yusuf Gagdi, who once served as his deputy that bought his nomination form to run for the Senate seat. His predecessors in office, Joshua Dariye and David Jonah Jang, have also served in the Senate at one time or the other.
Orji Kalu
Orji Uzor Kalu is another former governor seeking a return to the Senate to represent Abia North. He was first elected to the Senate in 2019, taking over from Mao Ohuabuwa. Orji won the Senate seat at a time when the APC was not popular in Abia state. He was elected governor on the platform of the PDP, before forming the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA).
He was the first to back out of the APC presidential race when it became clear that the southeast will not be getting the opportunity to pick the party’s presidential ticket. He opted to support Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, for the presidential ticket. But whether that will give him the opportunity of returning to the national assembly in 2023 is left to be seen.
Gbenga Daniel
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