AT A GLANCE: Ikpeazu, Lalong, Ortom — the governors chasing seats in 10th senate

Ahead of the 2023 general election, seven governors have secured their party’s tickets to contest a seat in the senate.

It is common in Nigeria for governors who are completing their tenure to eye a seat in the red chamber.

For governors who want to hold on to power but are uncertain of securing a ministerial appointment, the senate is usually a backup plan, with the aim of wielding influence and remaining relevant in politics.

TheCable highlights governors who secured their party’s senatorial ticket to contest ahead of 2023.

IFEANYI UGWUANYI

Gburugburu, as he is fondly called, defeated three other hopefuls — Ikechukwu Eze, Celestine Okanya and Godsmark Ugwu — to clinch the PDP Enugu north senatorial ticket.

The 58-year-old astute politician was elected on the platform of the PDP in 2015 and re-elected in 2019.

Ugwuanyi is a former member of the house of representatives. He served out two terms as a legislator representing Igboeze north/Udenu federal constituency of Enugu.

Ugwuanyi picked Peter Mbah, his former commissioner of finance, as his preferred successor. The latter has secured the party’s governorship ticket.

SAMUEL ORTOM

Before becoming governor of Benue in 2015, Ortom served as the minister of industry, trade and investment in the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The Benue governor was first elected on the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket in 2015 but was re-elected in 2019 on the PDP platform.

Ortom has moved across different political parties in Nigeria. He was Benue’s publicity secretary of the National Centre Party of Nigeria, state treasurer of the All People’s Party (APP), and state deputy chairman of the PDP.

He will fly the PDP flag in the Benue north-west senatorial district election in 2023.

DARIUS ISHAKU

Before resigning to run for governor of Taraba state in 2015, Ishaku served as the supervising minister for power, supervising minister for the environment, and the minister of state for Niger Delta affairs.

Ishaku won the governorship election in March 2019 for the second time, defeating Abubakar Sani Danladi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), his main challenger at the time.

The governor will contest the Taraba south senatorial district in 2023.

OKEZIE IKPEAZU

Ikpeazu was elected chairman of Obingwa LGA in 2003 following his foray into politics. He was elected governor in 2015 and was re-elected in 2019 on the PDP platform.

Like his colleague in Enugu, Ikpeazu anointed Uche Ikonne, the former vice-chancellor of the Abia State University (ABSU), as his successor.

Ikpeazu will lock horns with Enyinnaya Abaribe, the former senate minority leader, in the Abia south senatorial district election in 2023.

Abaribe, who recently dumped the PDP, secured the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) ticket to re-contest the seat he is currently occupying.

The senator, who was a governorship hopeful of the PDP, resigned his membership of the party after he couldn’t secure the party’s ticket.

ATIKU BAGUDU

If Bagudu wins the Kebbi central senatorial election in 2023, he will be returning to the senate after an eight-year hiatus.

He was first elected to the green chamber in the 2008 by-election after Adamu Aliero was appointed the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT).

He ran successfully for re-election in 2011 on the platform of the PDP.

In 2014, on the eve of the 2015 general election, Bagudu defected to APC and secured the party’s governorship ticket. He won the election in 2015 and was re-elected in 2019.

In his final days in office as governor, the senatorial fortune again smiled on Bagudu as he secured the APC Kebbi central senatorial ticket.

ABUBAKAR BELLO

Bello floored Aliyu Sabi, a legislator representing Niger north senatorial district, in the APC primary last week.

The Niger governor polled 335 votes against Sabi, his only opponent, who got seven votes.

He is currently serving out his second term in office having been elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019.

SIMON LALONG

Lalong won the APC ticket to represent Plateau south senatorial district in 2023.

He previously served in the Plateau state legislature. Between 2000 through 2006, he was the Plateau assembly’s speaker.

During his period as speaker, he was the chairman of the conference of speakers in 2001 and 2002.

Lalong succeeded Jonah Jang in 2015 when he was elected as governor on the platform of the APC. He was re-elected in 2019.

He said he would use his experience as a governor, lawyer, and former speaker of the state house of assembly to attract development opportunities to the zone if elected as a senator.