Seventeen of the 28 governors in the states where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct governorship election on March 11 next year will be battling to ensure victory for their successors.
Yesterday’s publication of the final list of candidates for state elections by INEC drew the battle line between the governors who are serving out their constitutional eight years of two-term tenure on May 29, 2023 and other candidates.
According to list published by the electoral umpire, 18 political parties will be fielding 837 candidates for the 28 governors’ offices and 10,231 would be seeking elections into 993 Assembly seats in 36 states.
The names of candidates with pending court cases were missing on commission’s final list.
The outgoing governors include: Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia); Nyesom Wike (Rivers); Ben Ayade (Cross River); Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom); Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta); Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu); Dave Umahi (Ebonyi); Aminu Masari (Katsina); Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna).
Others are: Umar Ganduje (Kano); Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto); Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger); Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa); Dairus Ishaku (Taraba); Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) Simon Lalong (Plateau).
Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Seyi Makinde are seeking re-election in Lagos and Oyo states respectively. They are among the 11 incumbent states’ executives.
