2023 Senate: Govs Run Show As Ortom, Darius, Ikpeazu, Ugwuanyi, Others Bag PDP Tickets

• Ex-Govs Dickson, Suswam, Turaki also on course

BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – Ahead of the 2023 general elections, strong indications are emerging that the 10th Nigeria Senate will be populated by former state governors following the easy manner some of them pocketed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) tickets to fly the party’s flag in the next year’s senatorial contest.

Striving to satisfy its controversial reputation of being described as the ‘retiring home’ for former States’ Chief executives in the country, the governors’ victories in their respective domains have opened up the likely composition of the next upper Legislative Chamber.

Already, things are taking shape as the known names and faces getting set to hit the starting block include Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State; Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State; Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State; and Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State.

Also pocketing the PDP’s tickets to represent their senatorial zones without much ado are former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson; former Governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam; and former Governor of Jigawa State, Saminu Turaki.

Ugwuanyi Intimidates Rivals

In Enugu State, Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi emerged as the candidate for Enugu North Senatorial District, polling 299 votes to defeat his closest rival, Eze Godwin who scored 16 votes while Godsmack Ugwu and Okanya Celestine had zero votes.

The governor is seeking to replace the incumbent senator representing the district, Chukwuka Utazi.

On his part, former governor, Dr Chimaroke Nnamani retained the ticket for Enugu East, beating four others, including the former Chief of Staff in Enugu state, Mrs Ifeoma Nwobodo.

It was a landslide victory for Nnamani, who amassed all the 243 votes cast by the delegates at the primary election held at Agbani. His opponent, Mrs Nwobodo was absent from the primary, while another contestant, Joshua Mba withdrew from the race describing Nnamani as the leader of Nkanu land.

Ishaku, Deputy Manu Ride High 

An interesting scenario emerged in Taraba State as Governor, Darius Ishaku and his Deputy, Haruna Manu, clinched the tickets for Taraba South and Taraba Central respectively.

While Governor Ishaku was the party’s sole candidate for the senatorial district and polled 154 out of a total of 158 votes cast, with four invalid votes, Manu polled 143 votes to defeat two other contestants.

Speaking on the outcome of the election, Ishaku commended the peaceful conduct of the primaries, noting that with what has happened, the party had emerged stronger from the exercise and would continue its dominance in the state.

Gov Ikpeazu Unopposed

In Abia State, Governor Ikpeazu got the ticket to represent Abia South Senatorial District in the 2023 election unopposed as he seeks to replace Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe in the Red Chamber.

For incumbent Senator Abaribe, his eyes are on the Abia Government House in his bid to take over from Ikpeazu as Governor in 2023.

Ortom, Suswam Corner Tickets

The scenario is not different in Benue State as Governor Samuel Ortom and ex-governor Gabriel Suswam also secured the Party’s tickets to represent Benue North West and Benue North-East Senatorial Districts respectively. Suswam is the incumbent Senator representing Benue North-East.

Compromise Gifts Dickson In Bayelsa West

Also, the former governor of Bayelsa State, currently representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Chief Seriake Dickson has pocketed a return ticket for the seat.

He polled a total of 57 votes to emerge as the Party’s consensus candidate following his main challenger, Donald Daunemigha’s decision to withdraw from the race just before the exercise commenced.

Daunemigha, a former aide to Governor Diri and two-time chairman of Ekeremor Local Government Area had earlier resigned his appointment to contest the primary election. He had indicated his intention to withdraw from the race in a private meeting with the Governor.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after being declared winner, Dickson described the process as free, fair, and transparent, saying the outcome was the popular wish of the people.

According to him; “I thank and appreciate the abiding support and solidarity that I have received and enjoyed all these years by the good people of this senatorial district. I thank the elders of our party who have been solidly behind us. I thank the organising team that came, party leaders, INEC, and security for providing a conducive atmosphere. I thank the delegates; they are our bosses in this process.”

The Return Of Turaki

The story is not different in Jigawa State where former Governor Saminu Turaki easily cornered the Jigawa North-West senatorial ticket for the 2023 general election.

Turaki, a former Senator, who recently decamped to the PDP from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), won the ticket after the former Commissioner for Finance during Lamido’s administration, Nasiru Umar Roni withdrew from the contest.