The 2023 general elections are finally winding down and as expected, some of the main actors are licking their wounds while others are basking in joy.
Although 18 parties participated in the presidential contest, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) were at the centre stage.
In this piece, Daily Trust highlights some of the politicians who ended up as losers after the governorship and presidential elections.
DOGARA
If there is any politician who was humbled in this election, it is the former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, a known stalwart of the APC before the presidential primary of the ruling party.
He was one of those who strongly opposed the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party and subsequently went public to endorse the flag bearer of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar against APC’s Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Also, Dogara opposed the reelection of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed of the PDP and expressed support for the APC governorship candidate in the March 18 election in Bauchi, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, who is Nigeria’s former Chief of Air Staff.
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Both candidates the former Speaker supported lost.
TAMBUWAL
During the PDP national convention in May last year, Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State, announced his withdrawal from the presidential race and asked his supporters to back former vice president Atiku Abubakar. Atiku lost to Tinubu of APC in the presidential election.
Tambuwal’s preferred candidate to succeed him as governor, Sa’idu Umar Ubandoma, also lost to APC’s Ahmed Aliyu in the Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
IKPEAZU
Governor Okezie Ikpeazu contested the Abia South senatorial seat under the platform of the PDP, but lost to Enyinnaya Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who represents the district.
The candidate of the main opposition Labour Party in Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, also won the governorship election, defeating Chief Okey Ahiwe of the PDP and anointed candidate of Ikpeazu.
ORTOM
Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, endorsed Peter Obi, the LP presidential candidate, ahead of the February 25 election.
Ortom, a member of the PDP, cited the failure of the PDP and the ruling APC to cater for Nigerians as the reason for supporting Obi, who eventually lost the election.
The governor also lost his senatorial bid for the Benue North West Senatorial District to a former aide, Titus Zam of the APC.
SARAKI
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State was on Sunday declared winner of the Saturday’s Governorship election.
Abdulrazaq won the election to serve a second term of another four years in office on the platform of the APC.
AbdulRazaq polled the highest votes of 273,242, defeating his closest rival, Shuaib Yaman of the PDP, who scored 155,490 votes. Yaman was the preferred candidate of former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki.
Saraki also supported Atiku to become President, but he lost to Tinubu.
LAMIDO
Mustapha, son of former governor of Jigawa state, Sule Lamido lost the state governorship election to Malam Umar Namadi of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In the same vein, Lamido supported Atiku to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, but he lost to Tinubu.
SHEKARAU
Former governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau, formally dumped the NNPP for the PDP.
Shekarau, the senator representing Kano central district in the Senate also announced that he has dumped the senatorial ticket of the NNPP
NNPP gave him ticket when he left APC but he returned the ticket and joined PDP. Like Saraki and Lamido, Shekarau supported Atiku for President.
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