26 SENATORS WHO WANTS TO BE GOVERNORS OF THEIR STATES. Of the 109 Senators in the hallowed red chamber, at least 26 of them are bracing up to become executive governors next year. Most of them have already gone far in their bid to actualize their dreams. During committee or plenary sittings, those known to have such ambitions are usually referred to as ‘Excellencies.” Our correspondent reports that almost all of the 26 Senators who want to be governors are banking on their friendship and closeness to their state governors for them to be endorsed as their successors. This was manifested in the pattern of voting during consideration of the constitution amendment bill in July, last year when the senators overwhelmingly reflected clauses granting financial autonomy to local governments and abolishing state electoral commissions among others. Most of the 26 Senators are from states whose Governors are in their final term in office having spent two consecutive terms from 2007-2015 with the exception of Nasarawa, Ogun, and Zamfara States. Of the 26 legislators angling to be governors next year, only three are women while the remaining 23 are male. Two of the women are from the south while one is from the northern part of the country. They are Chris Anyanwu, Helen Useune and Aisha Jummai Alhassan. Two Senators from Abia State, namely; Eyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South) and Nkechi Nwaogu (PDP, Abia Central), are in the race to succeed Governor Theodore Orji. From Adamawa State, Senators Mohammed Jibrilla Bindo who represents Adamawa North and Bello Mohammed Tukur from Adamawa Central are also in the race to govern the state. While Bindo is a very close associate of Governor Murtala Nyako, Tukur is a core PDP man. Bindo is also among the 11 Senators who announced that they have defected to the APC at the behest of Nyako. Senator Helen Useune from Akwa Ibom south is banking on the zoning arrangement between the Ibibio and the Anang to succeed Godswill Akpabio. Pundits say, Akpabio may prefer to hand over to someone who does not posses much political clout in the state and probably, a woman from the majority Ibiobio ethnic group. The deputy senate leader Abdul Ahmed Ningi who hails from Bauchi central zone has since gone far with campaign and mobilization in his bid to become governor especially with the expectation that the seat will now have to be zoned to either the central or northern zone having been occupied by the southern zone for the last 16 years. With Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu and Isa Yuguda from the zone. Ningi is said to be a grassroot politician who has support from all sections of the state. And now with the coming of Mu’azu as the PDP national chairman, his ambition has received a boost politically because of his known closeness to the new PDP boss. It is also this factor that is propelling his colleague Senator Babayo Garba Gamawa from the northern zone to go for the plum job in 2015. The Senate Leader Victor Ndoma-Egba who represents Cross Rivers Central zone is a very close friend of Governor Liyel Imoke. In Cross River, there are speculations that Ndoma-Egba will succeed Imoke. Senator Simon Ayogu Eze (PDP, Enugu North) is also angling to become governor of Enugu State. Although the deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu, has publicly said that he won’t contest for governor next year, sources close to him are saying that he might change his mind since he is already cementing his frosty relationship with Governor Sullivan Chime. Senator Eze is said to be close to Chime. James Manager (PDP, Delta South), is also rumored to be nursing governorship ambition. However, the challenge before Manager is that he is from the minority Ijaw ethnic group and the majority Orhobo, the ethnic group of Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan may not easily concede the seat to them. But pundits say, being Ijaw is what is working for him since he is from the same tribe with President Goodluck Jonathan who many see as throwing his weight behind Manager. From Edo State, Senator Uzamere Ehigie Edobor who represents Edo South on the platform of the PDP, is angling to become governor. From Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma and Chris Anyanwu are in the race for the governorship. Whereas Uzodinma is of the PDP, Anyanwu is the lone APGA Senator in the red chamber and has been at loggerheads with Governor Rochas Okorocha even before he left for the APC. Senator Paulinus Nwoye Igwe from Ebonyi is also said to be interested. Senator Kabiru Ibrahim Gaya from Kano State has since declared his intention to contest for the governorship in a bid to re-occupy the coveted seat for the second time 22 years after he left it. The deputy minority leader of the House of Representatives Rep. Suleiman Kawu Sumaila is also interested in the seat. Although Senator Solomon Ewuga from Nasarawa State is an APC lawmaker, sources close to him said, he may soon defect to the PDP where he is rumored to be willing to contest for the governorship. Already, two members of the House of Representatives from his constituency have defected to the PDP. Very recently also, Senator Atiku Bagudu who represents Kebbi Central Senatorial District was rumored to be nursing governorship ambition. Whereas Governor Saidu Dankingari is from the northern zone, Bagudu is from the central zone but his ambition may be hindered by the agitation from the Zuru emirate for power shift to the zone which has never produced a Governor since the creation of the state. Sahabi Ya’u, a PDP Senator from Zamfara State is also said to be interested in becoming a governor next year. Ya’u was in the defunct ANPP before he defected to the PDP in the last Assembly and was able to return to the Senate under the PDP. The ambition of Senator Aisha Jummai Alhassan from Taraba North is well known both within and outside the state. She has since opened campaign offices in the state and is among the 11 Senators who defected to the APC recently. Indo, as popularly called in Taraba, is one woman whom her colleagues said has gone far in the race to becoming a governor. Also from Taraba State, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha who represents the southern zone, was seen as the anointed successor to the ailing Governor Danbaba Danfulani Sutai before the October 2012 plane crash. Bwacha is said to be very close to the Suntai family and did stay with him in the German hospital for many months before he was moved to a US hospital. Sources in the Senate said Bwacha may still pursue his ambition despite the coming of acting governor Garba Umar. Senators Ganiyu Solomon and Gbenga Ashafa (APC, Lagos), are warming up to succeed Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State in 2015. Each of them is said to be banking on their closeness and loyalty to APC national leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Senator Nwankwo Chris Chukwuma (PDP, Ebonyi South) is also another legislator that is in the race to become governor next year. From Ogun State, Senator Olugbenga O. Obadara of the APC, is also rumored to be angling to govern the state in 2015. There is also Gyang Pwajok from Plateau, who is believed to be interested in becoming governor of his state after Jonah Jang. There are speculations that the two may do a seat swap where the governor may come to the Senate while the senator would take the number one seat in the state. Senator Victor Lar, is said to be interested also. From 1999, only two Senators have succeeded in becoming governors of their states. Senator Ali Modu Sheriff and late Senator Mamman Ali. With this bleak record and an unpleasant precedence before them, it is left to be seen if these Senators will eventually realize their dreams of becoming governors next year.
Posted on: Wed, 19 Feb 2014 13:48:46 +0000
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