15 ex-governors, governors battle for APC Senate seats

15 ex-governors, governors battle for APC Senate seats

The All Progressives Congress, APC, has submitted the full list of its senatorial candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

In the list, there are 15 candidates who are either ex-governors or incumbent governors.

The Majority Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, is seeking for re-election to the Senate. He served as Governor of Abia State from 1999-2007. He was Godswill Akpabio, the former Governor of Akwa-Ibom State from 2007-2015 was in the 8th Assembly. He lost his re-election bid but was compensated with Ministerial slot, a position he resigned from to contest for Presidential ticket of the APC.

At the convention, Mr Akpabio stepdown and endorsed Bola Tinubu, the eventual winner of the primary.

Kashim Shettima, the former Governor of Borno State (2011-2019) is also seeking re-election to the Senate. Whereas, Adams Oshiomhole, the former Governor of Edo State is seeking election as a first timer.

Danjuma Goje, despite the supremacy battle with Governor Inuwa Yahaya, has gotten a nod to recontest Gombe Central Senatorial District election.

Mr Goje served as Gombe State governor from 2003 to 2011. He was first elected to the Senate in 2011 and re-elected in 2015 and 2019.

Kabiru Gaya served as Governor of Kano State in the third republic from 1992 to 1993.

He has been in the Senate since 2007and has gotten the nod to recontest Kano South Senatorial District.

Tanko Almakura was the governor of Nasarawa State from 2011-2015. He moved to the Senate in 2015 after his tenure as governor.

In March, Mr Almakura sought to transit to party administration when he contested the position of National Chairman of the APC. He, however, stepped down for Abdulahi Adamu.

Gbenga Dainel was a former Governor of Ogun State. Mr Daniel served as governor of his state from 2003-2011. The former Governor of Sokoto State, Aliyu Wamako also got a nod to re-contest Sokoto North senatorial district. He was governor from 2007-2015.

Ibrahim Geidam, the former governor of Yobe State also got the nod of the APC to recontest Yobe East senatorial district. He was governor from 2011 to 2019.

Abdulaziz Yari, the former Governor of Zamfara State, won the 2019 election to the Senate. However, a court decision disqualified all APC candidates in the election.

For the past 4 years, he has been engaging in supremacy battle with his successor, Bello Matawella. Mr Yari got the senatorial ticket as part of the political compromise between himself and the governor.

Mr Yari was governor from 2011-2019.

Governor Abubakar Bagudu will be rounding off his second term next year, and he is seeking to be at the Red Chamber by representing Kebbi Central

Former Governor Adamu Aliero, who currently represents that district, has decamped to the PDP after he was denied the return ticket.

Sani Bello the governor of Niger State will also be completing his tenure by 2023. Like some of his colleagues, his eyes are set on Red Chamber.

He is seeking to represent Niger North in the upper chamber.

David Umahi, the governor of Ebonyi State, contested the APC presidential election. However, he lost to the eventual winner.

He has decided to fall back on Senate as option B.

Mr Umahi is seeking to represent Ebonyi South Senatorial District.

ABIA STATE

Chief Hon. Emeka Atuma (Abia Central)

Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North)

Hon. Blessing Nwagba (Abia South)

ADAMAWA STATE

Abdulaziz Nyako (Adamawa Central)

Elisha Cliff Ishaku (Adamawa North)

Adamu Ismaila (Adamawa South)

AKWA IBOM STATE

Emaeyak Ukpong (Akwa Ibom North East)

Sen. Godswill Obot Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North West)

Martins Udo-Inyang (Akwa Ibom South)

ANAMBRA STATE

Okelekwe E. Boniface (Anambra Central)

Ify E. Anaozuonwu (Anambra North)

Hon. Chukwuma Umeoji (Anambra South)

BAUCHI STATE

Uba Nana Umar (Bauchi Central)

Sirajo Tanko Mohammed (Bauchi North)

Shehu Buba Umar (Bauchi South)

BAYELSA STATE

Timipa Orunimighe (Bayelsa Central)

Degi-Eremienyo (Bayelsa East) *****

Wilson Dauyegha (Bayelsa West)

BENUE STATE

Hon. Emmanuel Udende (Benue North East)

Titus Zam (Benue North West)

Daniel Onjeh (Benue South)

BORNO STATE

Kashim Shettima (Borno Central)

Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno North)

Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South)

CROSS-RIVER STATE

Hon. Eteng J. Williams (Cross-River Central)

Hon. Martin Orim (Cross-River North)

Asuquo Ekpeyong (Cross-River South)

DELTA STATE

Ede Dafinone (Delta Central)

Peter Nwaoboshi (Delta North)

Joel Onowakpo Thomas (Delta South)

EBONYI STATE

Emeka Kenneth Eze (Ebonyi Central)

Onyeka Nwaebonyi Peter (Ebonyi North)

Dave Nweze Umahi (Ebonyi South)

EDO STATE

Monday Okpebholo (Edo Central)

Adams Oshiomhole (Edo North)

Valentine Asuen (Edo South)

EKITI STATE

Michael Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central)

Cyril Oluwole Fasuyi (Ekiti North)

Adaramodu Adeyemo (Ekiti South)

ENUGU STATE

Adaku Ogbu Aguocha (Enugu East)

Simon Ejike Eze (Enugu North)

Oby Nwofor (Enugu South)

GOMBE STATE

Mohammed Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central)

Sa’idu Ahmed Alkali (Gombe North)

Joshua M. Lidani (Gombe South)

IMO STATE

Prince Alex Mbata (Imo East)

Hon. Patrick Ndubueze (Imo North)

Sen. Osita Izunaso (Imo West)

JIGAWA STATE

Ahmed Abdulhamid (Jigawa North-East)

Babangida Hussaini (Jigawa North-West)

Tijjani Ibrahim Kiyawa (Jigawa South-West)

KADUNA STATE

Muhammad Sani Abdullahi (Kaduna Central)

Suleiman Abdu Kwari (Kaduna North)

Bulus Audu (Kaduna South)

KANO STATE

Abdulsalam Zaura (Kano Central)

Sen. Barau Jibrin (Kano North)

Sen. Kabiru Gaya (Kano South)

KATSINA STATE

AbdulAziz Musa Yar’Adua (Katsina Central)

Nasiru Sani Zangon Daura (Katsina North)

Mukhtar Muhammed Dandutse (Katsina South)

KEBBI STATE

Sen. Atiku Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi Central)

Hussaini Sulaiman Kangiwa (Kebbi North)

Sen. Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South)

KOGI STATE

Ohere Abubakar (Kogi Central)

Sen Isah Jibrin (Kogi East)

Karimi Sunday Steve (Kogi West)

KWARA STATE

Saliu Mustapha (Kwara Central)

Sadiq Suleiman Umar (Kwara North)

Sen. Lola Issa Ashiru (Kwara South

LAGOS STATE

Hon. Eshilokun Wasiu Sanni (Lagos Central)

Sen. Mukhail A. Abiru (Lagos East)

Idiat Oluranti Adebule (Lagos West)

NASARAWA STATE

Danladi Halilu ESQ (Nasarawa North)

Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa South)

Shehu Tukur (Nasarawa West)

NIGER STATE

Mohammed Sani Musa (Niger East)

Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger North)

Bima Muhammad Enagi (Niger South)

OGUN STATE

Shuaib Salisu (Ogun Central)

Olugbenga Daniel (Ogun East)

Sen. Olamilekan Adeola (Ogun West)

ONDO SOUTH

Adeniyi Adegbonire SAN (Ondo Central)

Ipinsagba Olajide (Ondo North)

Jimoh Ibrahim (Ondo South)

OSUN STATE

Ajibola Basiru (Osun Central)

Israel Famurewa (Osun East)

Amidu Tadese Raheem (Osun West

OYO STATE

Dr. Yunus Akintunde (Oyo Central)

Sen. Fatai Buhari (Oyo North)

Sarafa Ali (Oyo South)

PLATEAU STATE

Hon. Diiket Satso Plang (Plateau Central)

Christopher Giwa (Plateau North)

Rt. Hon. Simon B. Lalong (Plateau South)

RIVERS STATE

Ndubuisi U. Nwankwo (Rivers East)

Oji N. Ngofa (Rivers South East)

Asita Honourable O. (Rivers West)

SOKOTO STATE

Ibrahim Lamido (Sokoto East)

Sen. Aliyu Magatakarda Wammako (Sokoto North)

Ibrahim Danbaba Abdullahi (Sokoto South)

TARABA STATE

Marafa Bashir Abba (Taraba Central)

Sani Danladi Abubakar (Taraba North)

Danjuma Usman Shiddi (Taraba South)

YOBE STATE

Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe East)

Sen. Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North)

Sen. Mohammed Bomai (Yobe South)

ZAMFARA STATE

Sen. Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara Central)

Sen. Sahabi Alhaji Ya’u (Zamfara North)

AbdulAziz Yari Abubakar (Zamfara West)

FCT

Hon. Zakaria Angulu