On March 18, Nigerians came out to vote for their preferred governorship candidates across different political parties in 28 states of the federation.
Recall that eight of the 36 states are on off-season electoral cycles thus limiting the states participating in the governorship election to just 28. The eight states on off-season electoral circle are; Imo, Edo, Anambra, Kogi, Bayelsa, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti states.
The 28 states where INEC conducted the governorship polls are; Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
The Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and Returning Officers of each state have since declared winners of the poll.
In many states, the dynamics changed after the presidential election with political parties clinging to victories after losing to the opposition during the 25 February presidential election.
First Term Governors
In total, Nigeria now has 18 new governors-elect, who’ll be assuming office on May 29th, 2023. These Governors-elect join existing governors who have been re-elected for office. Cutting across political parties, these governors will lead their states for the next four years.
ALEX OTTI: ABIA STATE, LABOUR PARTY (LP)
ENO UMO BASSEY: AKWA IBOM STATE (PDP)
ALIA HYACINTH IORMEM: BENUE STATE (APC)
OTU BASSEY EDET: CROSS RIVER STATE (APC)
UBA SANI: KADUNA STATE (APC)
OBOREVWORI OROHWEDOR: DELTA STATE (PDP)
PETER MBAH: ENUGU STATE (PDP)
NAMADI UMAR: JIGAWA STATE (APC)
UMARU DIKKO RADDA: KATSINA STATE (APC)
YUSUF ABBA KABIR: KANO STATE (NNPP)
MOHAMMED BAGO: NIGER STATE (APC)
CALEB MUFTWANG MANASSEH: PLATEAU STATE (PDP)
NWIFURU OGBONNA: EBONYI STATE (APC)
NASIR IDRIS: KEBBI STATE (APC)
ALIYU AHMED SOKOTO: SOKOTO STATE (APC)
KEFAS AGBU: TARABA STATE (PDP)
DAUDA LAWAL: ZAMFARA STATE (PDP)
SIMINALAYI FUBARA: RIVERS STATE (PDP)
Re-elected Governors
So far, nine out of the 11 governors seeking re-election have won their seats. Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State (APC) lost his re-election bid to Dauda Lawal of the PDP. Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri is fighting it out against Aishatu Ahmed Binani of the APC. INEC has suspended collation process in the state.
BABAJIDE SANWO-OLU: LAGOS STATE (APC)
SEYI MAKINDE: OYO STATE (PDP)
DAPO ABIODUN: OGUN STATE (APC)
ABDULRAHMAN ABDULRAZAQ: KWARA STATE (APC)
INUWA YAHAYA: GOMBE STATE (APC)
NASARAWA STATE: ABDULLAHI SULE (APC)
BALA MOHAMMED: BAUCHI STATE (PDP)
MAI MALA BUNI: YOBE STATE (APC)
BABAGANA UMARA ZULUM: BORNO STATE (APC)
AHMADU FINTIRI: ADAMAWA STATE (PDP)
