Governors that did not face elections
Given the irregularities that characterised the 2003 and 2007 elections, 10 governorship elections, at different dates, were nullified and fresh elections were conducted, which led to the affected governors being sworn into office on dates other than May 29, 2007.
In this boat are Governors Peter Obi (Anambra), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Aliyu Wammako (Sokoto) and Timipre Sylva (Bayelsa).
The rest are Murtala Nyako (Adamawa), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun) and Ibrahim Idris (Kogi). Among this group only Obi and Ibrahim Idris are second term governors.
Governors that fought polls
The absence of the 'automatic 10' meant that governorship elections were fought in only 26 states. Out of the 26 governors, 17 sought re-election and succeeded.
They include Theodore Orji (Abia), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Isa Yuguda (Bauchi), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Emmanuel Uduaghan (Delta), Martins Elechi (Ebonyi), Sullivan Chime (Enugu), Sule Lamido (Jigawa) and Patrick Yakowa (Kaduna).
Other successful governors are Ibrahim Shema (Katsina), Saidu Dakingari (Kebbi), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Aliyu Babangida Mu'Azu (Niger), Jonah Jang (Plateau), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Danbaba Suntai (Taraba) and Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe).
Successful outgoing governors
For the remaining nine states, five governors were out-going while four were first-timers.
Among the second-timers, Governors Bukola Saraki (Kwara), Danjuma Goje (Gombe) and All- Modu Sheriff (Borno) successfully ensured that candidates of their parties won the guber polls in their states. However, while Sheriff ensured that Kashim Shettima won the guber election, he failed to win his election and lost the bid to return to the National Assembly as a senator. Conversely, Bukola Saraki and Danjuma Goje got elected as senators-elect
The losing governors
In all, six governors – Ibrahim Shekarau (Kano), Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Aliyu Shinkafi (Zamfara), Akwe Doma (Nasarawa), Christopher Alao-Akala (Oyo) and Ikedi Ohakim (Imo) lost their states. Daniel and Shekarau are second time governors. Shekarau ran for the presidency on the banner of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP and lost in his home state to President Goodluck Jonathan of the PDP.
What next for losing governors
Before the elections, the affected governors were so sure of their chances such that some of them are yet to come terms with their poor performance at the polls. They are obviously not prepared for what may pan out as a bleak political future.
Alao-Akala
Although Oyo State is one where no governor has ever been re-elected, Governor Alao-Akala was upbeat about his chances. And this was in spite of a threatening opposition from the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which fielded Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi and the Accord Party that had his immediate predecessor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, as flagbearer.
The governor had no inkling of his imminent loss such that he assured Oyo State civil servants of N18,000 minimum wage on March 29, 2011. Now that he has lost, the promise is raising dusts in Oyo with Ajimobi, his successor-in waiting, asking him not to start paying the minimum wage to avoid creating problems for the incoming administration.
Having lost out, the retired police officer has a number of options before him: retire into private business or lobby for federal appointment and use the opportunity to rejuvenate Oyo PDP in readiness for another shot at Agodi Government House in 2015. That is if he fails to overturn Ajimobi's victory. Akala, who had earlier congratulated ACN's Abiola Ajimobi, is said to be preparing to fight the outcome of the guber polls in Oyo at the law courts.
Ibrahim Shekarau
The two-time governor of Kano State may be considered one of the biggest flops of the 2011 polls. Not only did he lose the presidential election on all fronts, he could not deliver Kano State in any of the elections.
Although his ANPP won three states, seven Senate and 20 House of Representatives seats, Shekarau's dismal performance at the polls leaves a question mark on his future political path. The retired teacher may have to return to the drawing board to re-strategise for 2015. Then, Dr. Musa Rabiu Kwakwanso, whom he succeeded and who will be succeeding him will be finishing his second term as governor of Kano. It will afford him and his ANPP faithful a chance to attempt a return to the Kano Government House because as of now, the ANPP does not seem set to play effectively at the national level.
Ikedi Ohakim
But for his alleged arrogant posture and brush with the Catholic Church after his security aides manhandled a Reverend Father, Ohakim had everything going for him to retain his governorship seat. He had reconciled aggrieved elders especially those of the PDP in the state. Hailing from the Okigwe zone, he had the zoning factor in his favour and had recorded modest achievements.
However, immediately a large chunk of Imo citizenry perceived him as arrogant, which was worsened by the Reverend Father harassment sage, his political fortunes took a nose dive. The Catholic Church accounts for about 55 per cent of Imo State voters. Try as he could, the handwriting of his imminent loss was palpable. And lost he did to Chief Rochas Okorocha of the All Progressives Grand Allaince, APGA.
A smart politician, Ohakim has congratulated his conqueror and offered himself to serve Imo State in any capacity in future. Sources said Ohakim would not mind serving as a minister under President Goodluck Jonathan and has commenced moves to realise the goal.
If the ministerial lobby failed, he may have to wait for another four years to stage a comeback bid for the Owerri Government House.
Gbenga Daniel
A year into Governor Gbenga Daniel's second term, it became clear that the 2011 political contest would be tough nut to crack in Ogun State. The terminal differences between him and majority of members of the state legislature, who were bent on impeaching him and failure to resolve same after a series of peace meetings indicated that the PDP would approach the elections with a disunited front.
PDP did not only approach the election with a divided front, some disaffected members defected to another party – Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN), picked up tickets and contested with the backing of Daniel. The outcome: PDP and PPN lost to ACN. Perhaps, the result would have been different if PDP was not factionalised.
With his poor runs at the polls, Daniel is faced with an uncertain political future. He initially wanted to go to the Senate like a host of out-going governors do but jettisoned the idea at the last-minute amid a web of high-wire intrigues.
As the campaign co-ordinator of President Jonathan in the South-West, Daniel, ordinarily should have no qualms picking a ministerial portfolio or other appointment in President Jonathan's new cabinet. But his roads are not paved. He has a formidable foe in former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a major decider of South-West beneficiaries, to face. Daniel's backing of PPN candidates against PDP flagbearers may also count against him.
However, Daniel, who was an accomplished engineer and successful businessman before joining politics, may have to return to his businesses in the interim before relaunching himself into the political arena, if the move to go to the centre failed.
Akwe Doma
Doma of Nasarawa State is another governor that may face political hibernation. He lost his seat to CPC's Al-Makura. His poor relations with critical stakeholders in Nasarawa PDP was said to have informed his narrow loss to the CPC. It is to be seen how far he would fare in Nasarawa without the backing of his estranged backers.
Aliyu Shinkafi
Shinkafi made history in 2007 when he became the only deputy governor that succeeded his boss among his class. He got elected for his first term on the plank of the ANPP. Midway into his first term he became estranged with his predecessor, Senator Ahmed Sani and decamped to the PDP, thereby making Zamfara State, an otherwise ANPP stronghold to become a PDP state.
Sani and other ANPP stalwarts mobilised and taught him a political lesson at the April 26 governorship election, which he ran on the banner of the PDP. Initially, he conceded victory to his son-in-law and ANPP flagbearer, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari.
However, when the certainty of life outside Government House dawned on him, Shinkafi a few days later made a U-turn. Last Sunday, the Zamfara State PDP Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Mallaha together with the governor told reporters in Gusau that the PDP would challenge Yari's victory at the tribunal. The party chairman said the PDP would also challenge the victory of some national state assembly elections won by ANPP in the state.
Obviously, Shinkafi's political future, in the interim, rests on how far he would go at the tribunal.
Source:
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/05/what-next-for-governors-who-could-not-deliver-their-states/
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