#2016InPreview: 5 Governors Who May Lose Their Seat
As Nigerians enter another year, there are great expectations from the citizens in terms of what will be provided for them in terms of infrastructural development and economic empowerment at all tiers of government.
It should be noted that the curtain will be raised on some governors who may lose their seat as a result of the pendulum of election victory not swinging in their favour after they might have undergone judicial processes.
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Last year witnessed a lot of political drama. The political drama is still going to continue in 2016. Although, some governors were supposedly duly elected while few have their election carried over from the previous year to the present year.
The irony of all the states in which their incumbent governors are in a state of dilemma is that they are states which have always been core Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s states since the return of democracy in 1999.
One of the possible reasons why these states may slip from the hands of the PDP may be anchored on the wind of change of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) or the poor performance of the PDP when it was at the saddle of political leadership of the country for 16 years.
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1. Dr Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia state governor)
The governor served under his predecessor, Theodore Orji before he was anointed governor by Orji. Ikpeazu was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Since he was declared winner at the governorship election of Saturday, April 11, 2015, he has been facing the toughest battle of his political career.
The reason for this is that his closest opponent at the last year governorship poll, Dr Alex Otti of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has been giving him sleepless night since he was sworn in on Friday, May 29, 2015. Otti alleged that the election that brought in Ikpeazu was completely a fraud.
Otti said he should have been declared the actual winner because he won the election alleging that the electoral body colluded with the PDP to rig the election in favour of the present Abia state governor.
The APGA candidate who took his prayers to the Court of Appeal has gotten a favourable judgement. The Appeal Court ruled in favour of Otti. This means that Ikpeazu will need to head to the Supreme Court to challenge the lower court’s ruling.
According to Sun newspaper of Saturday, January 2 with the story “Abia Guber: We'll Win Again At Supreme Court - APGA.” The story had it that since the news of the judgement broke, Abians and supporters of APGA have been celebrating, drinking and making wild merriment. Many in such abandonment have become Father Christmas, offering total strangers free drinks.
As the good people of Abia state patiently await the outcome of the election brouhaha, Ikpeazu should know that he cannot go to bed with both eyes closed as anything could still happen.
2. Nyesom Wike (Rivers state governor)
The lawyer turned politician used to be one of Rotimi Amaechi’s right hand men before party affiliation and loyalty separated them. Wike was the former Minister of State for Education under the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration before he tested the political water of Rivers state under the PDP and clinched the party’s governorship election.
Rivers state was one of the most volatile and one of the states with the highest political assassination during the governorship election last year. Apart from political advocates that were assassinated, innocent and unarmed people were also killed in cross fire before, during and after the election which was also marred by kidnapping and abduction.
Governor Wike may lose his seat to his major challenger and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dakuku Peterside if the people of Rivers state decide not to vote for him in case another election is conducted.
Another twist to Wike’s emergence was that the APC candidate alleged the total number of votes he got to win the election was far more than the total number of duly registered voters.
The Appeal Court last year ruled against the emergence of Wike citing various electoral malpractices during the election. Time will tell if Rivers state will continue to be one of the major strongholds of the PDP when the final decision is taken at the Supreme Court on Wike and Peterside.
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3. Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa state governor)
Dickson was a former House of Representatives member before he threw his hat into the ring to contest the governorship election of Bayelsa. He had little or no hitches when he won his first term election. He is however currently facing brick wall in his bid for a second term.
The former police officer turned governor is locking horns with his predecessor, Timipre Sylva. Both men contested the governorship election of Saturday, December 5, 2015 which was declared inconclusive due to electoral violence and sporadic shootings.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed a date for a supplementary election which will be held in Southern Ijaw local government come Saturday, January 9.
From the results declared so far, Dickson polled 81,929 while Sylva got 56,514. Reports had it that Southern Ijaw is dominated by voters who have more sympathy for the APC. Also, the number of votes left to be cast is far more than the current margin between the two heavyweights. As a result of this, the final result of the election may not be in favour of the incumbent governor. Furthermore, information gotten from the state indicates that some youths believe the sitting governor blocked some of their illegal sources of income like oil bunkering. Due to these reasons, Dickson may not get their votes in Southern Ijaw.
4. Darius Ishaku (Taraba state governor)
The recent ruling of the Court of Appeal vindicated the governor of the earlier judgement of the Electoral Petitions Tribunal which stated that Darius was not duly elected during the primary election of his party, the PDP. The Petitions Tribunal had declared the APC candidate and the present Minister of Women’s Affairs, Aisha Jummai Alhassan who is popularly called Mama Taraba as the winner of the last year governorship election.
A good number of political analysts had argued for and against the Tribunal’s ruling. While some said it was in place, others said the Tribunal lacked the locus standi and judicial power to void the candidacy of Darius.
The current governor may briefly heave a sigh of relief for now based on the Appeal Court’s judgement that was in his favour. It is however likely his final battle may be won or lost at the Supreme Court.
The counsel to Mama Taraba will definitely take their case to the nation’s Apex Court, where Aisha will stand as the Appellant and Darius as the Respondent.
Time will tell if the days of Darius is numbered or not as governor.
5. Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom state governor)
When Udom Emmanuel won the governorship election last year, it was as if he will not be jumping over any political hurdles in his quest to govern Akwa Ibom. His main rival at the last year governorship poll is Umana Umana of the APC.
The governor is at a serious disadvantage position presently because the ruling of the Court of Appeal is that the governorship election will be re-contested in all the 31 local government areas of the state. Umana Umana was very ecstatic when the ruling of the cancellation of the governorship election was made by the Appellate Court. However, Udom will still head to the Supreme Court for further adjudication.
It is important to mention the Kogi state governorship election quagmire also. The death of Prince Abubakar Audu who was the APC candidate has thrown spanner into the wheels of a smooth transition in the state.
The 3 political actors presently are Yahaya Bello, the substituted candidate to Abubakar Audu and the declared winner after the supplementary election of Saturday, December 5, 2015; Abiodun Faleke, the deputy governorship candidate to the late Abubakar Audu and the outgoing governor, Idris Wada who was Abubakar Audu’s main opponent.
The 3 men are all laying claim that they should be sworn in as governor come January 16, 2016 based on various arguments. However, it seems Governor Wada has soft-pedalled because he has set up a transition committee.
Time will tell who will have the last laugh in Kogi state among the 3 politicians as the Courts will surely be their final arbiter.
Source: Legit.ng
