10 Incumbent, Ex-Governors Who Lost 2023 Elections

By Linda Ike

The 2023 Presidential and National Assembly election has brought surprises to the nation as ten serving and ex-Governors lost their elections.

The Governors failed in their attempt to be elected into the 10th Senate to represent their senatorial Districts.

The Nigeria’s National Assembly has been described as a retirement home for former governors since the return of democracy in 1999.

Recalled that 20 Ex-Governors were elected in the 9th National Assembly in 2019 .

The former Governors who are presently in the 9th Assembly and were also in the race to return to the Senate include: Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Orji Kalu (Abia), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Kabiru Gaya (Kano), Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa), amongst others.

The Ex-Governors who won the elections to represent their Senatorial Districts in the 10th Senate are Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) and Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom).

The Governors who lost their seats in the just concluded elections are:

Ifeanyi Ugwanyi

The Enugu state Governor, Ugwanyi lost his election to Labour Party candidate,
Okey Ezea to represent Enugu North Senatorial District in the National Assembly.

Ezea who got a landslide victory as he polled 104, 492 votes to defeat the governor who scored 46, 948 votes.

Ben Ayade

The Cross River state Governor, Ayade who hoped to return to the senate to represent cross River North Senatorial Zone was defeated by the incumbent Senator, Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe of the Peoples Democratic Party who scored 76,145 votes, while Ayade polled 56,595.

Ayade was in the senate from 2011 to 2015; however, his attempt to return to the Senate was aborted.

Okezie Ikpeazu

Governor of Abia State, Ikpeazu was defeated by the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Enyinnaya Abaribe.who was the Senate Minority Leader.

Ikpeazu came a distant third as the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Chinedu Onyeizu came second.

Darius Ishaku

The Governor of Taraba State and candidate of PDP also lost tbe election to represent Taraba South Senatorial District in the National Assembly

He was beaten by David Jimkuta of the APC.who got 85,415 votes and the Governor polled 45,708 votes.

Sam Egwu

Egwu, the former Governor of Ebonyi state was defeated at the poll on Saturday by the candidate of the APC and former State Chairman of the PDP, Peter Nwebonyi.

Nwebonyi emerged the winner of the election with a total votes of 65,863,
Anselem Enigwe of the Labour Party came second with 42,283 votes while Senator Egwu of PDP came a distant third with 26,569 votes.

Abubakar Bagudu

The Governor of Kebbi State, Bagudu lost his election bid to the former Governor of the state, Adamu Aleiro of the PDP.

Bagadu lost his bid to represent Kebbi Central Senatorial Zone in the National Assembly.

Aleiro scored 126,588 votes as against Bagudu, the Chairman APC Progressives Governors Forum who scored 92,389 votes.

Samuel Ortom

The Governor of Benue state, Orton’s ambition to also retire in the Senate was truncated as he was defeated by Titus Zam, his former Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

Zam polled 143,151 votes to defeat Ortom who scored 106,882 to represent Benue North West Senatorial District.

Tanko Almakura

Almakura, the former Governor of Nasarawa State was also stopped from his ambition to participate in the 10th National Assembly as he lost his re-election bid for Nasarawa South senatorial district.

He was defeated by Mohammed Onawo of the Social Democratic Party who got 93,064 votes and Al-Makura polled 76,813 votes.

Simon Lalong

The Governor of Plateau State and Director General of Bola Tinubu presidential campaign council was defeated by Bali Ninkap Napoleon of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Napoleon got 148,844 votes to defeat Governor Lalong of APC with 91,674 votes.

Lalong , the former chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum lost the bid to clinch the Plateau South Senatorial District slot.

Kabiru Gaya

The former Governor of Kano was defeated by Kawu Samaila of the New Nigeria Peoples Party.

Gaya was a Governor in the short-lived third republic.

The incumbent Governors who won their election bids are David Umahi (Ebonyi), and Abubakar Bello (Niger).

Also, the Governor of Delta State, Ifeanyi Okowa who is the Vice Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) lost his seat.

The Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar had picked Okowa as his running mate but was defeated by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who emerged the winner of the Presidential election.