2023 Elections: 7 sitting governors who lost their senatorial bid

Former governors currently serving in the National Assembly include 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).

Governors David Umahi (Ebonyi), and Abubakar Bello (Niger) all won parliamentary elections on Saturday.

Ex-governors who have been elected to the Senate include Adams Oshiomhole (Edo) and Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom).

The following is a list of departing governors who failed in their attempt to be elected to the National Assembly on May 29, 2023:

1. Gov. Ben Ayade (Cross River)

Gov Ben Ayade of Cross River State (Daily Post) Pulse Nigeria

Sen. Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe, the sitting senator for Cross River North, defeated Gov. Ben Ayade in the race for re-election to the Senate.

Agom-Jarigbe of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 76,145 votes, defeated Ayade, who served in the Senate from 2011 to 2015, for the National Assembly with 56,595 votes.

2. Samuel Ortom (Benue)

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state. Pulse Nigeria

Titus Zam of the All Progressives Congress, a former aide of Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, defeated Ortom in the race for the Benue North-West Senate seat (APC).

The Returning Officer, Rufus Shaa'ato, announced the results and stated that Mr. Zam received 143,151 votes, defeating Mr. Ortom of the People Democratic Party (PDP), who received 106,882 votes, and Mark Gbillah of the Labour Party (LP), who received 51,950 votes.

3. Abubakar Bagudu (Kebbi)

Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (TheMail) Pulse Nigeria

Sen. Adamu Aliero of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been declared the victor of the Kebbi Central Senatorial District election, which took place on February 25.

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.

According to him, Aliero received 126,588 votes to defeat Bagudu, the incumbent governor of Kebbi and the APC candidate, who received 92,389 votes.

The Returning Officer also stated that Umar Rufa'i of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) received 992 votes, while Abubakar Bello-Tilli of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) received 1,874 votes.

4. Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu)

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi Pulse Nigeria

Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State was defeated in his race for the Senate by Okechukwu Ezea of the Labour Party.

Chukwuemeka Ubaka, the returning officer for the election, announced the results at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation center in the Nsukka Local Government Area headquarters on Monday. He stated that Ezea received a total of 104,492 votes, defeating PDP candidate Ugwuanyi, who received 46,948 votes.

He claimed that Ejike Eze, the district's All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, received 6,816 votes and finished a distant third.

5. Darius Ishaku (Taraba)

Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state ece-auto-gen

Darius Ishaku of Taraba State is another outgoing two-term PDP governor who gave up his bid for the Senate. In the upcoming 10th National Assembly, he was unsuccessful in his bid to represent Taraba South Senatorial District.

David Jimkuta, the district's All Progressives Congress (APC) rival, defeated the governor with 85,415 votes, while Ishaku received 45,708 votes.

6. Simon Lalong (Plateau)

Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong Pulse Nigeria

Simon Lalong, the governor of Plateau State and director general of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has failed to win the ticket to the green chambers at the 2023 general elections.

The former chairman of the Northern Governors' Forum and a political heavyweight failed in his attempt to win the Plateau South Senatorial District seat.

He was defeated by PDP candidate Bali Ninkap Napoleon, who received 148,844 votes to the governor's 91,674.

7. Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia)

Abia state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu Pulse Nigeria

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe the winner of Saturday's Senate election in Abia South on Tuesday.

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, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, received the most votes in the election, receiving 49, 903 votes.

She went on to say that the LP's Chinedu Onyeizu received 43,903 votes, while Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu received 28,422 votes to finish third.