Prior to the March 28 and April 11, 2015 general elections, state governors were the most dreaded elected officials in the country. They wielded enormous powers that some commentators tend to address them as emperors. They run the government in the state and control party machinery both at the state and national levels. As a result, no governor or his candidate hardly lost elections.
But the introduction of the card readers has changed the entire scenario and most of them have been reduced to paper tigers. Hence, at the end of the general elections, quite a number of them have been left licking their political wounds, while a few who aspired for the Senate won, others decided not to contest with the end of their second tenure. Out of the 36 states, gubernatorial election was conducted in 29 states while similar election had earlier held in Ekiti and Osun states in 2014.
The governorship elections in Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Kogi and Ondo states are to hold at different times in 2016. Out of the 29 states, only nine old governors are returning while 20 of them are bidding farewell to the Government Houses. The returnees are: Governors Kashim Shettima (Borno), Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Umaru Tanko Al-MakuraNasarawa), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun) Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe) and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara).
While Governors Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso (Kano), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Theodore Orji (Abia) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu) were able to deliver their states to their parties, the likes of Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Usman Dakingari (Kebbi), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) and Martin Elechi (Ebonyi) lost in their bid to move to the Senate as well as gettheir anointed candidates installed as governors respectively.
On May 29, these governors left their various State Government Houses, but the questions are: What will be their political future? How many of them are going to be part of the new administration? How many of them will still be relevant in the political calculus of the Muhammadu Buhari administration? For those who lost in their bid to be senators, would they bounce back or go into political oblivion?
Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers)
It will not be out of place to describe Amaechi as a cat with nine lives. He is one of the most controversial former governors yet the most determined, courageous and successful. He revels in political crisis and has won several political duels since 2007. In 2007, he reclaimed his mandate in controversial circumstances through a historic Supreme Court ruling that shook the judiciary in the country.
Since then, the former Rivers State governor fought many other political battles. Regarded by many as one of the shinning stars of the change mantra that facilitated the victory of General Buhari in the last presidential election, Amaechi has served out his second term but did not contest for any elective office.
The gregarious and controversial former governor was the Director General of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council. He is set to partake in gover-nance at the national level. As the director general and a strategic player in the mobilisation and alliance that ensured General Buhari’s victory, Amaechi will be influential in the new government. Buhari’s victory has indeed feathered his political nest, which may continue to soar. He is the indisputable leader of the APC in the South-South and will continue to call the shots at least for the next four years.
Before the elections, he had a running battle with outgone President Goodluck Jonathan, instigated by the former First Lady, Dame Patience. The no love lost between him and Jonathan consequently extended to the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) where a faction loyal to the former president set up a parallel body after Amaechi trashed Governor Jang of Plateau State in a transparent election.
He later joined his colleagues to float the New PDP and was suspended indefinitely from the PDP. He defected to the APC, survived several impeachment attempts and clashed with the security agencies a couple of times. His battles with AIG Joseph Mbu, then Commissioner of Police in Rivers State would not be forgotten in a hurry.
The only battle Amaechi has lost is the governorship election, where his candidate, Dakuku Peterside, lost to Barrister Nyesom Wike of the PDP. Wike scored 1,029,102 while Peterside polled 124,896 votes. Peterside has since taken the case to the election tribunal to challenge Wike’s emergence. The election in Rivers has been described by many including international observers as a sham; a point Amaechi, Peterside and APC are hinging their case on.
Sullivan Chime
The outgone governor of Enugu State like Amaechi did not contest in the general elections. But his anointed candidate, Hon. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, was elected in the April 11 gubernatorial election. With the loss of PDP at the national level, Chime may settle down to play the role of godfather.
Having served as governor for two terms and judging by his antecedents, Chime is in a pole position to metamorphose into a full-time godfather outside Government House. In the run up to the general elections, Chime had a running battle with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu over his bid to displace the senator.
The governor’s ambition caused a lot of ripples in the party and was almost torn apart. But the national executive and the Presidency waded into the matter and was able to impress on Chime to leave the ticket for Ekweremadu. In the governorship primaries of the PDP, he frustrated every other aspirant and pitched tent with Ugwuanyi.
In spite of the opposition from aggrieved aspirants such as chairman of the Senate Committee on Works, Senator Ayogu Eze, Chime was unfazed until he ensured that Ugwuanyi emerged victorious in the gubernatorial polls. Chime, like Amaechi, has also been controversial. He caused his erstwhile deputy, Sunday Onyebuchi, to be impeached on allegations of operating a poultry farm in the Government House. Onyebuchi was subsequently redeployed to the state civil service.
Muazu Babangida Aliyu
The former Niger State governor remains one of the most inconsistent state chief executives in the outgone dispensation. Politically, he has lost it all and it may take him a long while to recover from the electoral tragedy that has befallen him. Aliyu lost his Senatorial bid to his old political foe, Senator David Umaru of the APC. His political career has begun a downward slide and may descend into oblivion should he not make conscious efforts to get himself back on track. The PDP has lost the Presidency and his state has been taken over by the APC, meaning that he has no where to exert any influence.
Aliyu, who just handed over as chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF), was defeated in the nine local government areas of the Niger East Senatorial District. As a sitting governor, it was so embarrassing that a serving governor could only manage to garner 46,459 votes as against 149,443 votes recorded by his opponent, Umaru, indicating that the people are disenchanted with his leadership.
The Chief Servant anointed governorship candidate, Alhaji Gado Nasko, was defeated by the APC’s Alhaji Sani Bello thereby ending his eight year hold on the state ignominiously. He has been described by the likes of Amaechi and Kwankwaso as a betrayer because after agreeing to move en masse into the APC from the New PDP, Aliyu and Governor Sule Lamido of Jigawa State retreated when the other five moved.
The duo suddenly became campaigners for President Jonathan whom they had as a common enemy two years back. It was the same Aliyu who championed the cause for the zoning of the Presidency to the North kicking against Jonathan’s bid for a second term. In fact, the former Niger governor was the one who disclosed that Jonathan had entered a written agreement that he would run for only one term.
Emmanuel Uduaghan
Uduaghan did not contest for any elective position and is also leaving after eight years in office. Even though a cousin to the jailed former governor, Chief James Ibori, he has been very supportive of President Jonathan. Uduaghan had wanted to contest for a in, the Senate but was prevailed upon to drop his ambition for Senator James Manager to continue representing Delta Central.
The former governor’s ambition almost tore the party into shreds. In his eight years as governor, he had a swell time until his last year in office, whereby he could not install his preferred candidate, Tony Obuh as the PDP governorship nominee. Although his candidate failed to make it at the primaries, he ensured that Senator Ifeanyi Okowa emerged as governor thereby creating history by facilitating the emergence of the first governor from the Igbo speaking area of Delta. Uduaghan may still be relevant in Delta politics after handover. As one of the governors that gave maximum support to outgone President Jonathan, he would still command some level of influence in the state and the party.
Liyel Imoke
Senator Imoke is one of the few PDP governors that have exercised absolute control over the party structure in their states and were able to deliver. Although, his control over the party set him against some party chieftains in the state such as the Senate Leader, Senator Victor Ndoma-Egba, Imoke trudged on.
Imoke single handedly stopped Ndoma-Egba to have a fourth attempt at the Senate. He instead brought in Hon. John Enoh from the House of Representatives to replace the Senate Leader. His name has featured prominently amongst the likely candidates for the PDP national chairmanship.
He will definitely play a major role in the politics of Cross River for sometime to come and the PDP at the national level. The outgone governor was also able to ensure that his anointed candidate, Prof. Benedict Ayade, emerged as the governor of the state in the last general elections.
He virtually foisted the senator on the party and campaigned vigorously for him to win the election. In fact, the former governor was able to install his own people in most of the key elective positions in the state. Apart from Enoh, he ensured that Hon. Rose Okoh, also a member of the House of Representatives crossed over to the Senate.
Babatunde Fashola
Fashola is one of the most outstanding governors in the immediate past dispensation. His achievements in Lagos in the last eight years have been acknowledged by many. Based on his performance, Fashola is touted to be one of the pillars of the Buhari administration.
He may man one of the key ministries in the Buhari government. Although, Fashola’s preferred aspirant, Olasupo Sasore, for the office of governor was defeated at the APC primaries by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, he gave maximum support to the candidate to emerge. With his antecedents as a performer, Fashola will surely be part of government in the next four years. He may be overshadowed by the larger than life influence of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, but he cannot be lost in the politics of Lagos State and the APC in general.
Bala Ngillari
Nigillari is one of the luckiest deputy governors privileged to succeed their principals. He was the deputy to the impeached governor of Adamawa State, Admiral Murtala Nyako but fought his way back through the court and was installed as the governor. However, due to high wire intrigues within the PDP, he was forced to drop his ambition to seek election in the April 11 governorship election and supported former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Even when he was handed with PDP senatorial ticket, he lost to the APC candidate. Ngillari, a former member of the House of Representatives, is not so influential in the state and with the defeat of PDP in the last election; he may find it difficult to play a leadership role even in the state. The way the party is structured in Adamawa, he may not wield substantial powers in the scheme of things in the PDP and the state as a whole.
Danbaba Suntai
Most people may have forgotten that Danbaba Suntai was the substantive governor of Taraba State until May 29. Since he was involved in an unfortunate plane crash flew by him in 2012, the former governor never performed any official duty. Shortly before the accident, Suntai played an active role in the impeachment of his deputy, Alhaji Sani Danladi, who incidentally came back as acting governor.
Due to his long absence on medical grounds, several attempts were made by his opponents to oust him from office but leaders like the former Defence Minister, General Theophilus Danjuma, rose in his support. After he was hurriedly brought back to the country, his relationship with his then acting governor, Alhaji Garba Umar deteriorated. Since after the ouster of Umar and reinstallation of Danladi as acting governor through the court, Suntai’s camp regained its control over the PDP structure in the state. Umar’s plan of contesting for governorship in 2015 was truncated while a Danjuma ally, Darius Ishaku, was brought in and consequently emerged as governor.
The acting governor was rewarded with a Senate ticket and is now senator-elect for Taraba North. As things stands today, Suntai may not be active in Taraba politics after May 29 due to his ill health. He has been bedridden and it seems he may not be active soon. Hence, his influence in the party and state politics will certainly dwindle. By now, he is expected to have been moved out of the Government House where he has been holed.
Ibrahim Shema
Shema, like some of his colleagues, could not deliver his state – Katsina – to the PDP. Although, he did not contest in the election, the APC trounced his party in virtually every position because of the Buhari factor. A statement credited to him at the beginning of the campaigns for the 2015 elections to the effect that APC members are ‘cockroaches’ and should be ‘killed’ rubbished whatever support his party had in the state. The former governor was one of those that showed interest in the vice presidential slot when rumours were rife that President Jonathan might drop former Vice- President Namadi Sambo for another candidate.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari of the APC, defeated the PDP candidate, Engr. Musa Nashanu, in a landslide. Following Shema’s failure to deliver Katsina State to the PDP and the emergence of Buhari as president, he may find it difficult to find his feet in the state politics. Buhari is a cult figure in Katsina and the North generally and with the likes of Masari who are also well respected in the state in the corridors of power, Shema may be off the political radar for a while. Nevertheless, he will continue to play the role of a godfather in the PDP in the state.
Sa’idu Dakingari
Dakingari could not withstand the wind of change that blew across the North as he was defeated by the APC candidate, Bello Argungu, in his attempt to move to the Senate. He also failed to produce a successor as the APC routed his party, the PDP, in the state. Dakingari’s eight years as governor of the state were uneventful and his performance is said to be nothing to write home about. Out of office, he may descend into political oblivion and would find it extremely difficult to regain relevance in the state politics. Before the May 29 handover date, Dankingari disappeared from the state.
Isa Yuguda
Yuguda has been accused of being among the PDP governors that betrayed President Jonathan. As governor of Bauchi State, the president’s convoy was stoned during his campaign visit to the state. He had a strained relationship with the then PDP national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu and the immediate past Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed.
The no love lost amongst the three costs the PDP both the presidential, governorship and National Assembly elections in the state. In the early days of the Jonathan administration, he was very close to Aso Rock and was touted as the likely vice presidential candidate to replace Namadi Sambo in 2015.
Yuguda lost his bid to represent Bauchi South Senatorial District in the Senate as he was defeated in a landslide victory by Mallam Ali Wakili, a retired Comptroller of Customs who contested on the platform of the APC. He is a businessman and may decide to retire into business and leave politics. But if he remains in politics and keeps faith with the PDP, he may be a likely presidential aspirant in 2019 to challenge the APC.
Sule Lamido
Lamido and Aliyu played a similar role in the build up to the 2015 general elections. Initially, the Jigawa governor had wanted to challenge President Jonathan for the PDP ticket but his ambition was cut short when all the PDP organs endorsed Jonathan as the sole candidate. He was a member of the New PDP but suddenly retreated when five of the governors crossed over to the APC in protest.
He remained in the PDP and many people doubted his commitment to the party even though he continued to lampoon the APC and its presidential candidate, General Buhari. A close ally of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, many had expected that he would quit the PDP after the former leader tore his membership card and bid bye to the party. It was alleged that his children cases with the EFCC was responsible for his inability to leave the PDP, fearing that the anti-corruption agency may be sent after him should he defect to the opposition party.
In spite of his posturing, Lamido could not win the state for PDP in the presidential election. Buhari defeated Jonathan candidate with a wide margin. In the governorship election, the PDP candidate, Alhaji Ibrahim Ringim, was also out-powered by the APC standard bearer, Alhaji Badaru Umar.
Lamido is out of the country on lesser hajj and was not around to even handover to his successor. Perhaps, he will like to remain with the PDP to contest the 2019 presidential election. But with the current realities on ground, Lamido may be having his last days of dominance in the state politics. He is said to have performed very well in terms of development of the state but this could not win votes for his party. This is an indication that the people are tired of his politicking.
Jonah Jang
The retired military officer against all odds was able to win a Senate seat. The erstwhile factional chairman of the NGF has absolute control over the PDP structure in the state and this informed why he was able to foist his cousin, Senator Gyang Pwajok, as the party’s gubernatorial candidate.
This did not go down well with political leaders in the state who fought against him and even supported the opposition candidate. Hence, Senator Pwajok eventually lost to Barrister Simon Lalong of the APC in a keenly contested governorship poll. In the presidential election, Plateau was one of the two states in the North Central to have delivered for the PDP because it has since 1999 being a traditional PDP state.
Even with the APC in charge, the PDP will continue to be a force to reckon with and Jang will still be relevant in the scheme of things, especially that he is now a senator. He may not be so influential at the national level but he will make inroads at the state level.
Martins Elechi
Chief Elechi is the only governor to have lost at the primary election. An old war horse, he could not contain the political might of the immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, and former governor, Dr. Sam Egwu. Buoyed by the federal might, Anyim and his group ensured that the then incumbent governor was cut to size. Elechi survived an impeachment threat.
The governor’s supporters moved en masse to the Labour Party (LP). His attempt to foist former Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, as the PDP candidate was unsuccessful as his deputy, Chief Dave Umahi, who teamed up with the governor’s opponents defeated him.
Umahi eventually won the election, defeating Edward Nkwegu of the Labour Party, who was the governor’s preferred candidate. In fact, Elechi’s son, Nnanna, had contested for Ebonyi Central senatorial seat on LP platform but lost to Obinna Ogba of the PDP.
Elechi and Umahi were said to have mended their relationship after the elections, but it is clear that the former governor will be rendered politically irrelevant after May 29. A new generation has taken over the state from the governor who has been at the helm of affairs for eight years. Just like Uduaghan, Elechi could not secure senatorial seat and failed to influence the choice of his successor.
Muktar Ramalan Yero
The former Kaduna State governor lost his return bid to former FCT Minister, Mallam Nasiru El- Rufai in the April 11 governorship election. Yero, the political godson of Sambo, is not grounded in the politics of the state but became governor perhaps by default.
A former Commissioner of Finance in the administration of Sambo as Kaduna governor, Yero became deputy governor when Sambo was made vice president in 2010 and his then deputy, late Patrick Yakowa, was elevated as governor. Yero’s opponents have said his performance in office since 2010 have been nothing but abysmal and this may have contributed to his loss in April. As a beneficiary of Sambo’s political empire, Yero may not jump ship in his political sojourn. Age is on his side, so he may rebound in the near future. Nevertheless, he is out of contention for the next four years.
Aliyu Wamakko
As one of the five governors that caused the fall of the PDP after their defection to the APC, Wamakko has proven that he is a force to reckon with in the politics of the Seat of the Caliphate. Apart from winning a senatorial seat by defeating a sitting senator, he ensured that his anointed candidate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal succeeds him as governor.
Wamakko is set to play a leading role in the politics of the state and the incoming government for some time. He will be a key player in the Buhari administration and continue to call the shots in Sokoto as far as his political soul mate, Tambuwal, remains as governor.
Godswill Akpabio
Chief Akpabio is amongst the governors that transformed to legislators after eight years as state chief executives. He polled a total of 422,009 to defeat APC’s Inibehe Okorie in the senatorial election. As governor, he has been in firm control of the party machinery in the state and was able to get his anointed candidate elected as governor in the last elections.
He was also part of the forces that ensured that Jonathan got automatic ticket to contest the March 28, presidential election as a sole candidate of the PDP. As the former chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, Akpabio was instrumental in whittling down the powers of the Amaechiled NGF.
He is said to have a heavy financial war chest and will be a rallying point in the Senate especially for the PDP lawmakers. Already, he is leading a pack of the opposition senators planning to thwart the emergence of an APC endorsed candidate as Senate President. He is a major financier of the PDP and in the days ahead, will be among those that will call the shots in the party.
Theodore Orji
Former Governor Orji is also a senator-elect and exercised absolute control over the PDP in the state in the eight years that he reigned. Orji’s administration has been dogged by controversy and allegations of impunity and financial malfeasance. He is said to be well heeled and so would continue to dictate things for the party in the state. But whether this may continue for a long time remains to be seen since some commentators believe his political son may also dump him after finding his feet as governor.
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso
Kwankwaso, like Akpabio and Orji won Kano Central senatorial seat, beating the incumbent, Senator Basheer Lado. Kwankwaso, a thoroughbred grassroots politician delivered Kano State almost 100 per cent to the APC in the presidential, governorship and state assembly elections. He was one of the five PDP governors that left the party for the APC. He contested the APC presidential primaries and not a few people were surprised that he even came second beating former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to the third position.
It is rumoured that the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives still has his eyes on the presidency and may work towards taking over from Buhari in 2019. Although, some groups are drumming support for him to emerge as Senate Leader, there are rumours that he may be appointed FCT Minister by Buhari.
As it is today, Kwankwaso has effectively taken full control of Kano politics and having supported his deputy, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje to succeed him, the former Defence Minister will pull the strings in the party both at the state and national levels. He has pushed out of reckoning erstwhile political heavyweights in the state such as former governor and Jonathan’s Education Minister, Ibrahim Shekarau.
Gabriel Suswam
Suswam suffered the political misfortune, which some of his colleagues such as Yuguda, Dakingari, Aliyu and Elechi experienced. He was defeated by incumbent Senator, Barnabas Gemade, in the race for the Benue North-East seat. Gemade, who defected to the APC a few months before the election, defeated Suswam in a tension soaked election that almost tore the state into pieces. Worst of all, his anointed governorship candidate, Hon. Terhemen Tarzoor, also lost to former Minister of State for Industries, Dr. Samuel Ortom, who was rejected by the PDP and had to cross over to the APC.
The loss has already polarised the party as Suswam is said to be at warpath with Tarzoor for challenging the victory of Ortom at the tribunal. Suswam may go into political oblivion because his popularity in the state has waned significantly given that he failed to pay civil servants salaries for about eight months. His performance has been described as appalling even as his opponents accuse him of high level corruption. Although, he is said to have mended fences with Senator George Akume, his former benefactor and has been in the lead campaigning for Akume’s Senate Presidency bid, it will be difficult for him to break into the Buhari government.
He cannot be made a minister in the incoming administration and the possibility of him even being nominated for any position in the next four years is bleak. Majority of Benue people are disappointed with his performance in the last eight years and are threatening to petition the EFCC for the governor to be investigated and tried on different allegations.
It is very difficult to fathom how Suswam, who was the darling of majority of Benue people particularly the youth in 2007, when he was first sworn in, has ended up this way. In his years as governor, he was popularly called “Mr. Infrastructure” but that has since changed as he is insulted and booed all over the place till he left office on May 29.
