Party Primaries: Senators Who May Not Return In 2023

Party Primaries: Senators Who May Not Return In 2023

According to reports, some serving senators who suffered defeat during the recently held primary elections conducted by the various political parties to nominate their candidates for the 2023 General Election and those who withdrew from Senatorial Primaries

There was a lot of drama and intrigues in the just concluded primary elections conducted by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Many senators considered prominent either by the offices they occupy or their period of service at the Senate, lost to their opponents at the shadow polls or resigned their membership of the parties through which they were elected and defected to other parties to contest positions of their interest. Over 43 senators, representing about 47 per cent of the 109 senators in the Ninth Senate may not return to the apex legislative Assembly after the 2023 general election. Meanwhile, some states are having problems and have not concluded their primaries. Therefore, they are still having results of their primary elections in contention, indicating that the number of senators that may not return to the Red Chamber in the next Assembly may be higher than the current figure. Some of those who may not return to the apex Assembly are those who failed to secure tickets at the primaries, some are presidential aspirants, others won governorship tickets, while some lost gubernatorial ambitions in their various states.

Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi)

The highest ranking senator to suffer embarrassing defeat in the primaries is the Leader of the Senate, Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi), who contested the APC governorship primary for Kebbi State and was beaten by National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Dr. Nasiru Idris. It was actually a poor outing for the Senate Leader as he did not get even a single vote at the election. The Returning Officer and Chairman, APC National Monitoring Committee, Alhaji Idris Yahuza, declared the results at the end of voting, said the NUT president won with 1,055 votes out of the total 1,090 votes casted, while Alhaji Abubakar Gari-Malam, took the remaining 35 votes to place

Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger North)

Another principal officer in the Senate, who suffered defeat in the primary election, is Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC, Niger North). He is the Deputy Chief Whip of the apex legislative Assembly. He contested for a return ticket but he was defeated by the governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, who won the senatorial ticket for the Niger North. At the primary, which held in Kontagora, the governor polled 335 votes, while the incumbent, Senator Sabi had only seven votes. The senator was in high spirit, believing that his constituents, who reportedly bought the nomination forms for him will overwhelmingly nominate him to return to the Senate for the third time.

 

Smart Adeyemi (APC, Kogi West).

Senator Adeyemi is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Aviation. He represents Kogi West Senatorial District on the platform of the APC. Just like others, Adeyemi, who is one of the most vocal members of the current Senate, lost his ambition to return to the Red Chamber. He was defeated by Sunday Karimi, who polled 288 votes to floor him and four other aspirants in the election that took place in Kabba. Adeyemi scored 43 votes to come third after Dr. Muri Aina, who got 73 votes to come second.

Ibrahim Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central)

Senator Oloriegbe is the senator representing Kwara Central. He defeated the immediate past President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki in 2019 elections. He is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Health. Apprehensive of his impending loss at the primary election, he appealed to his constituents on the need to re-elect him for him to continue with what he described as his “good representation.”

This appeal notwithstanding, they did not support his second term bid. Oloriegbe lost the primary election to Saliu Mustapha, who polled 136 votes. Yahaya Seriki polled 77, while Oloriegbe scored 15 votes. Other senators who lost tickets at the primaries are Danjuma La’ah (PDP, Kaduna South), Cleopas Zuwoghe (PDP, Bayelsa Central), Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo South), Ayo Akinyelure (PDP, Ondo Central), Nicholas Tofowomo (PDP, Ondo South), Ezenwa Onyeawuchi (PDP, Imo East) and Danlandi Sankara (APC, Jigawa North West). Also on the list of losers at the primaries include Senators Tolu Odebiyi (APC, Ogun West), Bulus Amos (APC, Gombe South), Bello Mandiya (APC, Katsina South), Barkiya Abdullahi (APC, Katsina Central), Olubunmi Adetunmbi (APC, Ekiti North) and Frank Ibezim (APC, Imo North). There are those who crashed out of the governorship race in their states and are likely not to return to the Senate.

They are George Sekibo (PDP, Rivers East), Gershom Bassey (PDP, Cross River South), Yusuf Yusuf (APC, Taraba Central), James Manager (PDP, Delta South), Ike Ekweremadu (Enugu West). Another category of non-returnees comprises those who withdrew from the race. They include Chairman Senate Committee on Customs, Excise and Tariff, Francis Alimikhena, Godiya Akwashiki (APC, Nasarawa South) and Adamu Aliero (APC, Kebbi Central). Others who did not seek re-election are Oluremi Tinubu (APC, Lagos Central), Chukwuka Utazi (PDP, Enugu North), Emmanuel Orker-Jev (PDP, Benue North West), Oseni Yakubu (APC, Kogi Central) and Theodore Orji (PDP, Abia Central).

 

The current National Chairman of APC, Abdullahi Adamu and Abubakar Kyari, who is the party’s Deputy National Chairman (North) are also not going to return to the 10th Senate. Those contesting the presidential primaries of their party (APC) are the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan; Ajayi Boroffice and Ibikunle Amosun. Senators who have won governorship tickets of their parties are Uba Sani (APC, Kaduna Central), Teslim Folarin (APC, Oyo Central), Sandy Onor (PDP, Cross River State), Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (APC, Adamawa Central), Emmanuel Bwacha (APC, Taraba South) and Ovie Omo-Agege (APC, Delta Central). Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, who was until last week the Minority Leader of the Senate, defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and was handed a ticket to run for Abia South Senatorial District seat.

Similarly, Senators Francis Alimikhena and Adamu Aliero, resigned their membership of the APC after they lost out in the battle for return tickets at the primaries. However, they did not decamp to other political parties. Meanwhile, Ebonyi State PDP is still having pending crisis, which has not allowed the conduct of the primaries to be concluded. So, the fate of Senators Sam Egwu and Ama Nnachi is not yet known. This can change the figure when they are through with the exercise.