March 18: Full List Emerges as Sanwo-Olu, Makinde, Other Top Govs Seek Re-election on Saturday
Nigeria's governorship and state assembly election is scheduled to hold on Saturday, March 18, 2023 and 28 out of Nigeria’s 36 states will hold the poll.
While some of these states will definitely get new governors in office, there are other states with sitting governors, who emerged victorious in the year 2019 and are hoping to get another four years on Saturday, to serve the good people of their respective states.
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The state's election will hold
Ahead of the big day, eight of the 36 states — Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun, and Ondo — have governorship elections “off-season” due to litigations and court judgements.
Interestingly, the 28 states where governorship elections will hold on March 18, 2023, 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, Zamfara.
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Of the 28 states, 11 serving governors are seeking re-election while 17 outgoing governors are in the final weeks of their constitutional two-term limits of eight years, having been sworn in on May 29, 2015.
Below is the list of 11 governors seeking re-election and are contesting keenly with some new breeds of politicians in the country's major opposition parties, interestingly some of the candidates are part of the new political parties, the Labour Party and the Social Democratic Party (SDP);
1. Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos state
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All eyes are on Lagos state.
The election in Lagos state is not one that would be easy for the sitting governor who is also seeking re-election on Saturday, March 18, 2023.
This is as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu would be contesting keenly with the Labour Party's candidate Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and the Peoples Democratic Party’s Olajide Adediran aka Jandor.
For Nigeria’s economic capital city of Lagos in the South-West zone, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC will be slugging it out with 15 co-contestants on Saturday, a few hours from now and his major contenders are LP's GRV and PDP’s Jandor.
2. Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state
Source: Facebook
Governor Dapo Abiodun’s second-term bid is very important for his party, the ruling APC as well as the good people of Ogun state.
For continuity of his developmental projects in the state, Abiodun is in the race with 12 others including PDP’s Ladi Adebutu who is no newcomer in the game as well as Biyi Otegbeye of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) who has the backing of former governor and serving APC senator, Ibikunle Amosun.
3. Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo state
Source: Facebook
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde is seeking re-election with 15 others including Labour Party’s Akinwale Tayo as well as a serving senator, Teslim Folarin of the APC.
Makinde is the last of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) G5 or Integrity Group with an election. With the defeat of three of his comrades, all eyes are now on Makinde come March 18.
4. Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State
Source: Facebook
It has not been a smooth ride for the governor of Borno state who has stood on his feet to make sure his people are safe even with the recurring attacks from terrorists.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State is also seeking reelection in the North-East geopolitical zone.
Zulum, who is contesting under the ruling APC, would slug it out with 11 other candidates in the state including PDP’s Mohammed Jajari and LP’s Goni Abdullahi.
5. Governor Muhammad Inuwa of Gombe State
Source: Facebook
In the North-East, Governor Muhammad Inuwa of Gombe State is seeking re-election on the platform of the country's ruling APC.
Inuwa will be slugging it out at the polls with 13 others including PDP’s Muhammed Barde and Labour Party’s Amuga Esau.
Interestingly, the Gombe state Christian community has pledged to work assiduously towards Inuwa's second term in office and his fate would be determined by the electorates during the poll.
6. Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State
Source: Facebook
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State also in North-East Nigeria is seeking re-election under the PDP platform.
Mohammed is in the race, a tight one at that with 13 other candidates including Senator Halliru Jika of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) as well as APC’s candidate, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who is Nigeria’s immediate past Chief of Air Staff and is giving the sitting governor a run for his money.
7. Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state
Source: Facebook
Hon Mai Mala Buni, the governor of Yobe state and a former caretaker chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is seeking reelection, an opportunity to serve the good people of his state.
As Mai Buni seeks another term in office as governor of Yobe State, he is in the race alongside 10 other candidates like PDP’s Shariff Abdullahi and NNPP’s Umar Garba.
8. Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State
Source: Facebook
The governor of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Fintiri in North-East Nigeria is a serving governor under the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and a strong ally of PDP flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar.
Fintiri is seeking reelection for another four-year term on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The sitting governor is in the race alongside 14 other candidates including Labour Party (LP)’s Mustapha Madawaki as well as All Progressives Congress (APC)’s Senator Aishatu Dahiru famously known as Binani.
9. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State
Source: Facebook
The governor with the “Otoge” wave.
In the North Central, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State seeks a return to office on the platform of the ruling APC.
Governor AbdulRazaq, age 63, of the APC contested unsuccessfully for the governor of Kwara State in 2003, 2007 and 2011 before he finally won in 2019 with the “Otoge” wave. He’s contesting again for another term.
He is in the race this year with PDP’s Abdullahi Yaman, LP’s Abubakar Kabir and 11 others.
10. Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state
Source: Facebook
The governor of Zamfara state, Bello Matawalle Matawalle, is a Nigerian politician and teacher who has served as the Governor of Zamfara State since 2019.
Matawalle is contesting keenly in the race under the APC platform, with the Peoples Democratic Party’s Dauda Lawal, Labour Party’s Ahmed Yahuza, and 11 others.
11. Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa state
Source: Facebook
The governor of Nasarawa is also seeking re-election into office on March 18, 2023.
Interestingly, the reelection bid of Governor Abdullahi Sule of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a tight one because 13 others, including Labour Party’s Ewuge Joseph and Mohammed Alfa of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) are vying for the same position on Saturday, March 18.
Sanwo-Olu, Jandor or GRV? Lagos-Based RCCG Pastor speaks on preferred candidate ahead of Saturday
Pastor Oluwole Sola of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) in Lagos has revealed his preferred candidate ahead of the forthcoming March 18, governorship and legislative elections.
In a chat with Legit.ng on Monday, March 13, he revealed Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour is not a corrupt politician hence he deserves his vote.
Speaking further, he noted further that GRV is capable and competent for the state's most powerful position, the office of the governor.
2023 election: 6 outgoing governors who lost senatorial seats
In what could be described as a shocker, is the loss of the senatorial seats of some prominent Nigerian governors who are known in the country's political arena, to be calling shots in their domain.
In fact, they are losing to candidates who cannot level up to their current political careers in the country.
But these candidates that managed to poll intriguing votes margins are known to be strong men in the political landscape of their territory.
Source: Legit.ng
