As polls opened in the presidential and national assembly elections today across the country, there are some key Senate races to watch on account of the political pedigree of the candidates; who are either serving governors whose tenures are winding up or former governors who are slugging it out with some political heavy weights, in what arguably will be a clash of the political titans in Nigeria. Words have been exchanged, war songs chanted and battle drums beaten but what is yet to be seen in the unending theatrics of power tussle is who laughs last. Here are some key races to watch:
1-Abia State
In Abia State, the immediate past governor, Chief Theodore Orji who is seeking re-election into the Senate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is squaring off with Senator Nkechi Nworgu who has registered her name in both chambers of the national assembly. She is running under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). It will be a re-match of the 2015 elections when Orji defeated her and also won at the election tribunal to go to the senate.
The Abia North Senatorial District contest will be another re-match pitting former Abia State governor, and APC candidate, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu against incumbent Senator Mao Ohuabunwa of the PDP, who defeated him in 2015 with the support of the PDP-controlled state government. Both men have very deep pockets and have been in the political firmament for as long as anyone can remember. After the Appeal Tribunal nullified the election and ordered a rerun, Ohabunwa defeated Kalu again. Now that Kalu is the candidate of the ruling APC party at centre, will the outcome of the contest go in his favor or will he be humiliated again by Ohabunwa? Won’t Ohabunwa be supported by the state governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, who is also seeking a second term? Besides, Southeast is not APC’s stronghold and that may count against Kalu, but federal power might work in his favor. It will be a fight to the finish.
2-Benue State
Gabriel Suswan, a former Benue governor is vying for the senatorial seat of Benue East under the platform of PDP. He will battle incumbent Senator Barnabas Gemade (SDP) and APC candidate, Mrs Mimi Orubibi. Gemade has become a permanent opposition to everything Suswan. Following the defection of the state governor, Samuel Ortom from APC to PDP, Gemade also defected to PDP, hoping to secure his return ticket. This did not work out for Gemade, as Suswan secured the PDP ticket.
Gemade then defected to SDP and picked the party’s senatorial ticket. It was Suswan’s ambition in 2015 that made Gemade to rush to APC and teamed up with Senator George Akume to defeat Suswan. Will Suswan lose for the second time to Gemade? Will Gemade defeat Suswan and Orubibi on the APC ticket? If Suswan could lose the senate seat as an incumbent governor in 2015, what guarantee that he will survive the Gemade/ APC war on two fronts? It is possible, that with the political atmosphere in Benue coupled with Ortom’s support, Suswan might emerge victorious.
3-Delta State
The battle for the Delta South Senatorial District will pit Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan ex-governor of Delta State and APC candidate against third term senator James Manager of the PDP. Uduaghan’s ambition to contest the seat in 2015 when his tenure as governor expired was truncated by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan and the PDP which backed Manager to continue on the seat. Jonathan saw Manager as a potential Senate leader in 2015 and made sure then Senate Leader, Senator Ndoma Egba was denied return ticket to Senate by PDP in 2015.
Manager has held on to the seat since 2003 after it was relinquished by Senator Stella Omu. Uduaghan defected to APC to contest the seat after failing to win the support of Delta PDP, especially Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa, who backs Manager. This contest will be a battle royal considering the fact that Uduaghan’s cousin and ex-governor of the Delta, James Ibori has pitched tenth with Uduaghan in the battle.
The Isoko people who accuse Manager of stinginess and ignoring stomach infrastructure development may gang up with Uduaghan’s Itsekiri people to vote him out. Manager being a veteran in the battle will leave no stone unturned to hold on to his seat. He can count on Gov. Okowa, who has never forgiven Uduaghan for not supporting him for governor in 2015. In Delta Central, Ovie Omo Agege of the APC will face Evelyn Oboro of PDP. Oboro is a current two-term member of the House of Representatives.
4-Imo State
Incumbent Governor Rochas Okorocha would love to go through the revolving door from the governor’s mansion to the Senate to represent Imo West Senatorial district. In 2011, Rochas was elected governor on the APGA platform; and in 2015 on the APC ticket. But in Osita Izunaso, a former senator of the zone, Rochas faces his toughest political challenge yet. Rochas and Izunaso are up against House Rep, Jones Onyereri, the PDP candidate. Rochas would retire himself if he loses; just as he boasted of having retired political kingmakers in Imo such as Udenwa; former governor, Ikedim Ohakim; and Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu. If he wins, Izunaso will re-write his political obituary and that of the APGA; while Onyeriri, is no pushover as the PDP gears up to snatch power from the APC.
5-Kaduna State
Senator Shehu Sani after a running battle with governor Nasir el-Rufai lost the APC ticket, and decamped from the APC to the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) as their candidate for Kaduna Central senatorial zone. He will face off against Uba Sani, who snatched the APC ticket from him with the support of El-Rufai in a race where the PDP candidate, Lawan Adamu might have the final say.
6-Kano State
The Kano Central Senatorial Zone election will shape the politics of Kano for years to come. The two main contenders for the seat are two ex-governors, who are candidates of the two major parties- APC and PDP. They are sworn political enemies, who could not agree to work after one ousted the other from office as governor. They are Ibrahim Shekarau of the APC and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the PDP. Shekarau will enjoy the backing of Kwankwaso’s estranged son and governor of the state, Ibrahim Ganduje. Kwankwaso will be banking on the support of his political base, Kwakwansiya movement.
In 2003, Shekarau, the ANPP governorship candidate and modest public servant latched on the massive support and popularity of then ANPP presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari in Kano to defeat Kwankwaso, who was an incumbent governor. Shekarau went ahead to break record by winning his second term in 2007; becoming the first governor to do so in the state.
In 2011, Kwankwaso staged a comeback by defeating the candidate of the ANPP. After the formation of APC, of which Shekarau played a significant role ahead of 2015 elections, Kwankwaso defected to APC. Shekarau and his supporters were asked by APC leadership to queue behind Kwankwaso. Shekarau felt betrayed and insulted, and quickly defected to PDP and was made Minister of Education. Shekarau remained in PDP until recently, when Kwankwaso returned to PDP again ahead of 2019 polls. Efforts by PDP leadership to reconcile Kwankwaso and Shekarau to work together for the party proved abortive. Shekarau left PDP to APC and was compensated with the Kano Central senatorial ticket and will face-off with Kwankwaso, who, after losing the PDP presidential primary, picked the PDP senatorial ticket for Kano Central.
7-Cross River State
In Cross River State, Ndoma Egba is the big name in the contest at Cross River Central Senatorial zone under the APC platform, but it remains to be seen whether many communities that make up the Cross River Central senatorial district would make good their threat to vote against the APC and the PDP in the 2019 senatorial election.
8-Governors and the revolving door
Former governor of Ebonyi State, Dr. Sam Egwu is running for the Senate under the PDP for Ebonyi North while Abdullahi Adamu a former governor of Nasarawa State is running under the APC for Nasarawa West senatorial district. The current Governor, Tanko Almakura wants to transit from governor to senator representing Nasarawa South.
In Oyo State, Governor Ajimobi Adeyemi Abiola representing Oyo South on the platform of APC will also make today’s contest interesting. In Ogun, outgoing Governor Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun Central) will be slugging it out with former Speaker Titi Oseni – Gomez. In Anambra, Senator Andy Ubah is also in the race and will be squaring up with his own brother Chris. Oil mogul, Ifeanyi Ubah is also contesting under the platform of the YPP.
Godswill Akpabio APC Akwa Ibom North West is one of the senatorial contestants whose presence on the ballot would make for an interesting result. In Enugu, creator of the Ebeano political dynasty, Chimaroke Nnamani, who was once consigned to political dustbin by those he created has resurrected again and is contesting under the PDP. Ike Ekweremadu is also on the ballot for PDP while in Gombe former governor Danjuma Goje is also gunning for the Senate as well as Ahmed Goni.
In Kwara Central, Oloriege Yahaya Ibrahim though an unknown political quantity, with the backing of the federal government will be leading the APC O to’o ge (enough is enough) charge against incumbent Senate President Dr. Bukola Saraki of PDP, who insists on O tu nyah (let’s do it again).
Post scriptum
It is not that these senate seats are too important or strategic. It is just because of the personality of the candidates, their political status, age-long rivalries and others. Today’s vote is poised to test the might of the political actors and friends turned enemies embroiled in a supremacy battles, which have been fought, at times by unseen hands; in backrooms. Nigerian voters will now deliver the verdict.
