Though senatorial elections are yet to hold in some zones, not less than seven sitting governors who contested for the red chamber were halted so far.
Since 1999, the senate has been described as a ‘retirement home’ for ex-governors who ride on the power of incumbency to win elections into the red legislative chambers.
About 20 former governors were elected into the 9th National Assembly in 2019 and presently, there are ex-governors like Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Kabiru Gaya (Kano), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Orji Kalu (Abia), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), and Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), amongst others in the Senate.
Here are the outgoing governors who lost their bid to move to the National Assembly after their tenure on May 29, 2023.
Simon Lalong (Plateau State)
Simon Bako Lalong, the two-term governor of Plateau State emerged as the winner of the gubernatorial race under All Progressive Congress (APC) in 2015 and was reelected in 2019.
He was the Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum before he was appointed as the Director
General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, the position he was holding to the presidential election.
However, Lalong failed in his attempt to win the seat to the green chambers at the 2023 general elections at the Plateau South Senatorial District.
He was defeated by Bali Ninkap Napoleon, the People Democratic Party (PDP) candidate who received 148,844 votes against 91,674 votes.
Darius Ishaku (Taraba State)
He is another outgoing two-term PDP governor who lost his senatorial ambition to represent Taraba South Senatorial District in the forthcoming 10th National Assembly.
The governor lost to his APC counterpart in the district, David Jimkuta, who polled 85,415, while Ishaku received 45,708 votes.
Samuel Ortom (Benue State)
He is a vocal figure of five aggrieved governors of the PDP known as the G5, who lost his election bid for Benue North West Senatorial District to his former aide Titus Zam who contested under APC, the party Governor Ortom dumped about five years ago.
The Returning Officer, Rufus Shaa’ato, announced that Mr Zam got 143,151 votes, defeating his former boss who garnered 106,882 votes, and Mark Gbillah of the Labour Party (LP), who received 51,950 votes.
Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi State)
Abubakar Bagudu, the chairman of the APC presidential campaign council (APC PCC) agricultural development committee, was defeated by the state’s former governor Sen. Adamu Aliero of the PDP.
Aliero defeated Governor Abubakar Bagudu to win the seat, according to INEC Returning Officer Prof.
Abbas Yusuf-Bazata, who announced the results on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi where Aliero received 126,588 votes and Bagudu, got 92,389 votes.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State)
Another member of the G5, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State lost his bid to represent Enugu North Senatorial District, and was defeated by Okechukwu Ezea of the LP.
Ugwuanyi has been governor of the South-East state since 2015 and his eight-year constitutional limit will end in May. He was a member of the House of Representatives before being elected governor in 2015.
While Ezea scored 104,948 votes to emerge the winner, Ugwuanyi came second with 46,948 votes.
Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State)
He is also a G5 member, Governor. He lost his bid to represent Abia South Senatorial District, polled 28,422 and lost to Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) who got 49,693 votes.
Prof. Georgina Ugwuanyi, the Returning Officer for the Abia South National Assembly elections, announced this in front of party agents at the Aba collation center.
She stated that Abaribe, received the most votes in the election and that the LP’s Chinedu Onyeizu received 43,903 votes, while Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu received 28,422 votes to finish third.
Ben Ayade (Cross River)
Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River also suffered a fatal defeat in his bid to return to the Senate after completing his eight-year tenure as governor.
Ayade, who was in the Senate from 2011 to 2015, had hoped to return to the role as Senator representing cross River North but he was defeated by the incumbent, Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe.
Sen. Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe of the PDP, the sitting senator for Cross River North, defeated Gov. Ben Ayade in the race for re-election to the Senate.
Agom-Jarigbe received 76,145 votes and defeated Ayade, who clinched 56,595 votes.
