6 Politicians' children who won in party primaries

Pulse brings you a list of some children of politicians who celebrated victories in the All Progressive Congress and the People Democratic Party primaries.

Abdullahi Ganduje's Son

Engr Umar Abdullahi Ganduje abba Pulse Nigeria

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje is a Nigerian politician who is currently serving as the Governor of Kano State. He took over office in 2015. He previously served as Rabiu Kwankwaso's deputy governor twice, between 1999 to 2003 and 2011 to 2015.

Governor Ganduje’s son, Engr. Umar Abba Ganduje, secured the House of Reps APC party ticket for Dawakin Tofa, Rimingado, and Tofa federal constituency while the incumbent, Tijjani Ahmad Jobe, secured his ticket under NNPP.

You may recall that last year, another son of Ganduje, Abdulaziz, wrote a petition to the EFCC against his mother, Hafsat, in a bungled multi-million naira land deal he (Abdulaziz) facilitated.

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State and his wife, Hafsat Ganduje. [Vanguard] Pulse Nigeria

Earlier this year, he threatened legal action against the government of his father for failure to pay the sum of N82 million to his company, Global Firm Nigeria Limited, being final payment of a contract he executed.

James Ibori's daughter

Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu Pulse Nigeria

James Onanefe Ibori is a Nigerian politician who was Governor of Delta State in Nigeria from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007. An ethnic Urhobo by descent, Ibori is a member of the People's Democratic Party. He is a leader in the Niger Delta region and a national figure in Nigeria.

Erhiatake Ibori-Suenu, daughter of James Ibori, won the House of Reps PDP re-run primary for Ethiope Federal Constituency. She defeated her closest rival, Ben Igbakpa, a serving lawmaker, polling 46 votes. Igbakpa scored 22.

It can be recalled that on 27 February 2012, accused of stealing US$250 million from the Nigerian public purse, James Ibori pleaded guilty to ten counts of money laundering and conspiracy to defraud at Southwark Crown Court, London.

Ex-Delta state governor James Ibori ece-auto-gen

Ibori, who was once a cashier at UK DIY stores, stole public funds to buy luxury properties and cars and a private jet. He served four years of a 13-year jail term, which anti-corruption campaigners hailed as a rare victory in the fight against international graft.

Abiola Ajimobi's son

Idris Ajimobi Pulse Nigeria

Senator Isiaka Abiola Adeyemi Ajimobi was a Nigerian politician from Oyo State, south-western Nigeria. He was formerly the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company, a subsidiary of Shell Petroleum, Nigeria.

Idris Abiola-Ajimobi, only son of the late former governor, has emerged the APC House of Reps candidate for Ibadan South-West II State Constituency. Idris is married to Abdullahi Ganduje's daughter, Fatima.

Late Ajimobi left the oil sector in 2002 after 26 years of meritorious service and was elected in 2003 as a Senator of the Republic of Nigeria representing Oyo South Senatorial District on the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD).

Abiola Ajimobi Pulse Nigeria

After one term in the senate, he contested in 2007 for the governorship seat of Oyo state under the banner of the All Nigeria People's Party, a bid which he lost. He contested again in the April 2011 gubernatorial elections under the Action Congress of Nigeria and was elected Governor of Oyo State in a closely contested vote. In 2019, he was succeeded by Oluwaseyi Makinde. He contested for Senator for his senatorial district but lost.

In June 2020, he was confirmed COVID-19 positive and was announced dead on the 25th of June.

Nasir El-rufai's Son

Bashir and Nasir El-Rufai Pulse Nigeria

Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai is a Nigerian politician who is the Governor of Kaduna State, in office since 2015. He was previously the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory from 2003 to 2007; and the director of the Bureau of Public Enterprises. He is a co-founder of the ruling APC.

Bello El-Rufai, one of Kaduna State Governor's sons, has won the APC Kaduna North Local Government House of Representatives primary.

Bello's father has in an unending romance with controversy. From demolition of buildings to the mass sack of workers in Kaduna, as well as a Muslim-Muslim ticket during the last elections and an unpopular security measure, the governor has continued to attract both fans and critics.

Bello and father, Nasir El-Rufai Pulse Nigeria

While his fans see him as a reformer and brilliant politician who is not afraid to make tough decisions, his critics say he is arrogant, impulsive and a ‘tyrant’; Tweeps nicknamed him 'Hell-rufai'.

Before his most recent confrontation with the organised Labour, El-Rufai had a faceoff with the union when, in 2017, he sacked about 21,000 teachers for failing primary four tests. He also sacked workers from various ministries and departments, as well as some traditional rulers, as part of his attempt at reforming and restructuring traditional institutions in the state to reduce the burden of bloated payrolls on local government councils.

Ifeanyi Okowa's daughter

Marilyn Okowa Pulse Nigeria

Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa is a Nigerian politician who is the Governor of Delta State. He was inaugurated as a governor on 29 May 2015 after winning the state elections conducted in April 2015.

Barr. Marilyn Okowa-Daramola, the daughter of the Delta State Governor won the Ika North East House of Assembly ticket of the PDP.

In December 2021, a two part investigation by the International Centre for Investigative Reporting found irregular expenditures, disregard for financial regulations, and evidence of financial misappropriation in the Delta State Auditor-General’s annual report for 2019. Several ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) along with the State House of Assembly were implicated for irregularities in the investigation of the report.

Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa (AsabaMetro) Pulse Nigeria

Some notable findings include: Office of the Secretary to State Government's inability to account for ₦278.5 million in public funds, members of the Okowa administration illegally ignoring Freedom of Information requests, State Board of Internal Revenue's questionable use of ₦107.74 million in funds and the extra-budgetary expenditures of the ministries of Health and Agriculture along with inflated costs for House of Assembly members' vehicles.

Officials mainly ignored requests for comment or referred the matter to Auditor-General Paul Aghanenu, who stood by the report but stated that he could not answer further questions without the approval of the Secretary to State Government

Sani Abacha's Son

Muhammed Abacha Pulse Nigeria

Sani Abacha GCFR was a Nigerian general who ruled as the military head of state of Nigeria from 1993 until his death in 1998. He seized power on 17 November 1993 in the last successful coup d'etat in the military history of Nigeria.

Alhaji Muhammad Abacha, son of former military leader, has emerged governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 general election in Kano State.

Abacha's son polled 736 votes to defeat his closest rival, Jafar Sani-Bello, who scored 710 votes in the parallel primary election on Wednesday, May 25, in Kano state.

The unprecedented economic achievements during Sani Abacha's regime coincided with the rapid expansion of embezzlement hitherto unseen in the history of corruption in Nigeria in the alleged saga known as "Abacha loot". Abacha's national security adviser, Alhaji Ismaila Gwarzo, was accused by the government of President Olusegun Obasanjo to have played a central role in the looting and transfer of money to overseas accounts. Abacha's son, Mohammed Abacha and best friend Alhaji Mohammed M. Sada were also involved, according to the Obasanjo-led administration.

Late Nigerian dictator, Sani Abacha ece-auto-gen

A preliminary report published by the Abdulsalam Abubakar transitional government in November 1998 described the process. The report mentioned that Sani Abacha told his National Security Adviser, Ismaila Gwarzo, to provide fake national security funding requests, which Abacha approved. The funds were usually sent in cash or travellers' cheques by the Central Bank of Nigeria to Gwarzo, who took them to Abacha's house. Mohammed Sada then arranged to launder the money to offshore accounts. An estimated $1.4 billion in cash was delivered in this way.