Regardless of accusations and counter-accusations, the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections saw lots of political surprises and unexpected outcomes as many who were considered veterans in the political ring hit the canvas in the course of February 25, 2023 poll. Some hitherto big fishes were fried and delivered into the belly. Some have described the development as one of the gains of a genuine intention to have a free, fair and credible election while others attributed it to the increased awareness among the electorates. Whichever, histories have been made and some shall become reference materials.
ValidViewNetwork takes a look at those big fishes that were fried during the election.
How are the mighty falling, captures the outcome of last Saturday Presidential and National Assembly elections where the big giants in the Nigerian political sphere were defeated and some with the aura of invincibility were reduced to mere mortals. The political landscape has been charged and it can never remain the same again.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Popularly known as ‘The Jagaban Borgu’ and the ‘Asiwaju of Lagos’ or City Boy. Bola Tinubu – the All Progressive Congress presidential candidate was regarded as the godfather of Lagos politics. He is seen by many as the kingmaker without whom no one has been able to govern the state post 2007. Prior to the February 25 election, he has never lost Lagos state in any election but all that changed when he was defeated by the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi. Obi who is contesting for the president for the first time polled 582664 while Tinubu got 541850 votes in Lagos.
The APC flagbearer is the only one among the four leading candidates that lost his home state during the election.
President Muhammadu Buhari
Though the president did not contest, he lost his home state to the opposition’s Peoples Democratic Party. President Buhari like Tinubu has always won his home state even when he lost the presidential election.
Governors Who Lost Their Senatorial Bid
Before this election, it was almost as certain as human’s death that a siting governor who contest for senatorial seat would win, because of the power of incumbency which they weigh; however that was not so this time around as nothing less than 7 current governors lost their senatorial bid. The National assembly has been seen as their retirement package but these governors would go home to be with their family atleast for the next four years.
Samuel Ortom (Benue)
Ortom is one of the G5 governors who worked against the presidential candidate of their party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. The incumbent governor didn’t just lose the Benue North West contest, but he lost to one of his former aides, Titus Zam of the APC.
Zam was a Special Adviser on Local Government Affairs to Ortom from 2015 to 2018 but resigned when the governor decamped from the APC to the PDP.
Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia)
Another of the G5 governors is Okezie Ikpeazu who lost Abia South senatorial seat to incumbent senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of APGA. Ikpeazu polled 28, 422, while Abaribe scored 49, 693 votes.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu)
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Another G5 member, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi lost his bid to represent Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly. Ugwuanyi scored 46, 948 while Okechukwu Ezea of the Labour Party polled 104, 948 votes.
Darius Ishaku (Taraba)
Another outgoing two term governor who lost his senatorial bid is Darius Ishaku of Taraba State. The outgoing governor lost to David Jimkuta of the APC, who polled 85, 415 to defeat Ishaku who scored 45,708.
Simon Lalong (Plateau)
Lalong is another big fish that got fried during the contest for the senate seat. Lalong isn’t just the sitting governor of Plateau state, he is also the Director General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council as well as former chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum.
He lost by over 50, 000 votes to Bali Ninkap Napoleon of the PDP.
Ben Ayade (Cross River)
Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade also suffered a similar blow like other governors. The two-term governor was hoping to return to the senate after serving 8 years as governor. He however lost to the incumbent senator, Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe of the PDP.
Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi)
Another heavyweight that lost in last Saturday’s election is the chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Atiku Bagudu. Bagudu was bidding to represent Kebbi Central in the 10th assembly. He lost to his estranged godfather and former governor of the state, Adamu Aliero of the PDP who scored 126, 588 as against his score of 92, 389. Aliero who had been in the senate since 2015 left the APC for PDP after he learnt that Bagudu would eye the Senatorial seat.
Exit of veteran lawmakers
The February 25 election also saw the exit of some long term lawmakers who were swept away by the election wave. These lawmakers include:
Senator Kabiru Gaya
Gabriel Suswam (Benue North East)
Former Benue State governor Gabriel Suswam, lost to Emmanuel Udende of the APC in the contest for Benue North East Senatorial District.
Suswam got 103,303 votes while Udende polled 141,405, to emerge victorious.
Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South)
Another popular senator who lost his reelection bid is Bala Ibn Na’Allah of the APC. He lost to the PDP’s Garba Maidoki in the contest for the Kebbi South Senatorial District.
Mr Na’Allah got 70,785 while Mr Maidoki polled 75,232 votes to clinch the seat.
Tanko Al Makura (Nasarawa South)
Former Nasarawa State Governor, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura failed in his bid to get re-elected for a second term to the senate after he could only garner 76,813 votes as against Mohammed Onawo of the PDP, who scored 93,064 total votes.
Ahmad Babba-Kaita (Katsina North)
For Senator Ahmad Babba-Kaita, his loss is shocking to many because of his popularity. Ahmad Babba-Kaita, the Katsina North senator of the PDP lost his re-election bid to Nasir Zangon-Daura of the APC.
Ahmad Babba-Kaita had a running battle with both President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Aminu Masari, which led to his exit from the APC. He scored 163,586 while Zangon-Daura got total votes of 174,062.
Biodun Olujimi (Ekiti South)
One of the leading female legislators, and a former deputy governor of Ekiti State, Abiodun Olujimi is one of the many faces that would be missed when the 10th assembly is inaugurated in June. The minority leader in the Red Chamber who has been representing Ekiti South Senatorial District on the platform of the PDP since 2015, lost her re-election bid to the candidate of the APC in last Saturday’s election.
Yakubu Dogara
Dogara is the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, representing Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa federal constituency in Bauchi State. He joined the House in 2007. Dogara who is a serial defector did not contest for the seat during the election.
Ike Ekweremadu
Senator Ekweremadu, is serving his fifth consecutive term, having been in the Senate since 2003. He was Deputy President of the Senate for three consecutive terms – in the 6th, 7th and 8th assembly – covering 12 years. Ekweremadu joined the 2023 governorship race in Enugu but lost the PDP ticket.
Ibikunle Amosun
The two term Ogun state governor has been at the senate at two different times representing Ogun Central Senatorial District. To Amosun who is considered by many as a strong force in the state, contested for the presidential ticket under the All Progressive Congress, but stepped down for the eventual winner, Bola Tinubu.
March 11 is around the corner. Hopefully, it will also spring up surprises, ValidViewNetwork reports.