Politics
2027: Succession Fever As 10 Governors Prepare For Handover
Succession storms are brewing in no fewer than 10 states where governors are nearing the end of their second and final terms in office.
In May 2023, 28 governors were sworn into office, while eight other states held off-cycle inaugurations.
Of the 28, 18 began their first terms, while the remaining 10 commenced their final terms in office.
The 10 governors are those of Oyo, Gombe, Bauchi, Lagos, Ogun, Borno, Nasarawa, Kwara, Yobe, and Adamawa states.
Seven of them are members of the All Progressives Congress, while the remaining three belong to the Peoples Democratic Party.
Findings by The Sunday PUNCH showed that no fewer than 22 politicians have so far declared their interest in Nasarawa, Lagos, and Ogun, while the names of some political heavyweights continue to dominate conversations within both the APC and PDP in those states.
Campaign posters have also started flooding some states, even as outgoing governors keep their succession plans secret.
Lagos and Tinubu’s loyalists
In Lagos, our correspondents gathered that the ball is firmly in the court of the ruling APC, with the final decision resting on President Bola Tinubu, a former governor of the state.
However, underground politicking is intensifying, as five political heavyweights are being linked to the 2027 governorship race, despite none of them making an official declaration yet.
According to a reliable party source, among those being considered are the current Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, and former Governor Akinwunmi Ambode.
Others are Senator Mukhail Adetokunbo, also known as Tokunbo Abiru, who currently represents Lagos East in the Senate; the Chief of Staff to the President and immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, and the President’s son, Seyi Tinubu.
The current Principal Secretary to the President and former Lagos State Head of Service, Muri Okunola, has also been touted as a possible candidate.
“But from my experience, Tinubu may not pick any of these loyalists. History has shown he often brings someone unexpected and gives that person full support. That is how he works. All these people making noise now are just distractions. Tinubu will not pick any of them. I am very sure of that,” the party source stated.
When contacted, the APC Publicity Secretary for the state, Seye Oladejo, said the party was busy with plans for the forthcoming local government election, adding that the 2027 governorship race agenda would come after the LG poll.
However, opposition parties said they had started making plans for the governorship election and were ready to challenge the APC dominance in the state.
The Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Mr Tai Benedict, said some politicians had already indicated interest in contesting the election on the platform of the party.
“One of them is Funso Doherty, and we have others. But not until later we cannot decide. We do not want to be in the same problem we had when Jandor (Abdul-Azeez Adediran) came and stole the show. This time around, we have to look inwards so that we do not pick the wrong candidate,” he added.
The Chairman of the Julius Abure-led Labour Party in the state, Mrs Dayo Ekong, said the party had started making plans for the governorship election.
“We have been doing our grassroots mobilisation and building our structures across all the polling units in the state, and we are sure of building on the gains of the last election,” the Secretary of the party, Sam Okpala, added.
20 aspirants declare interest in Nasarawa
Ahead of the governorship election, political heavyweights across Nasarawa State have started jostling for the state’s number one seat as the second tenure of the incumbent governor, Abdullahi Sule, will soon elapse.
Political observers say the 2027 elections, especially that of the governorship, will be an interesting battle among top politicians in the various parties in the state.
According to the state governor, no fewer than 20 persons from the APC, PDP, among others, have declared interest in contesting for his seat.
Consultations, alignments, and re-alignments across the 13 local government areas in the state have also intensified.
Some of the notable contenders across party lines are a former Minister of the Environment, Muhammad-Hassan Abdullahi; a former governorship candidate of the PDP in the 2023 election, David Ombugadu; Senator Aliyu Wadada (SDP, Nasarawa West), and the Accountant General of the state, Dr Musa Mohammed.
Others are a former head of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure, Prof. Mohammed Haruna; former Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Faisal Shuaibu; a former Inspector of Police of Police, Muhammed Adamu; a top APC stakeholder in the state, Shehu Tukur; Abu Giza, and Mohammad Maikaya from Toto LGA of the state.
Posters of some of the aspirants have already appeared in strategic locations within the Lafia metropolis and other major towns in the state.
One of our correspondents observed that even though zoning is not recognised in the 1999 Constitution, the questions of which zone produces Sule’s successor and whether the zoning formula will count in the contest are generating debate among political actors in the state.
Wale Edun, Yayi warm up in Ogun
In Ogun State, some notable politicians have been identified as the likely successors to Governor Dapo Abiodun. Most of them are within the ruling APC.
Among them is the Senator representing Ogun West in the Senate, Olamilekan Adeola, aka Yayi.
Adeola, who at one time was a member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, House of Representatives member representing Alimosho federal constituency, and a two-term Senator representing Lagos West senatorial district, returned to Ogun State in the build-up to the 2023 general elections to represent Ogun West senatorial district.
Since returning to Ogun state, Yayi has been seen as a frontrunner in the 2027 governorship seat contest. Adeola is said to be enjoying the backing of President Tinubu, having worked with him in Lagos State for a number of years.
Another politician said that the likely occupant of the Oke Mosan Governor’s Office come 2027 is Gboyega Isiaka, currently representing Imeko-Afon/Yewa North Federal constituency.
Isiaka had contested the governorship seat in Ogun State three times: 2011 under the Peoples Party of Nigeria, 2015 under PDP, and ADC in 2019.
He later defected to the APC and was elected to the House of Representatives in 2023.
One other name in the race is a former Minister of Steel and immediate past Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador Sarafadeen Ishola.
Similarly, the Coordinating Minister of Economy, Mr Wale Edun, is another politician said to be warming up for the 2027 governorship race.
The Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, is also said to be eyeing the coveted seat by 2027.
For the opposition parties, only the PDP has a pronounced governorship aspirant, Oladipupo Adebutu, a former House of Representatives member representing Remo federal constituency.
Adebutu was also the opposition party’s governorship candidate in 2023 before he lost to Abiodun.
Saraki spearheads PDP’s Kwara comeback.
The 2027 governorship race is gathering momentum in Kwara State following a resolve of the PDP to reclaim the state from the ruling APC.
Even though the APC is yet to make a public declaration on the 2027 governorship plans, there are indications that the state governor, Mallam AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq, who is the party leader in the state, will try to retain the state.
With the state governor being out of the state for the 2025 Hajj pilgrimage, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who leads the PDP in the state, has taken advantage of the Sallah celebration to restructure the opposition party over the past few days.
Saraki, who supervised the pre-registration of members of PDP, said he received new members into the party in Ajikobi ward in Ilorin West LGA of Kwara State.
Speaking in an interview with journalists recently, Saraki said he was encouraged by the turnout of members for the re-registration into the party, adding that he also received new members into the party.
On the ability of the party to stage a comeback in 2027, Saraki said, “We are even more encouraged by the level of enthusiasm that we are getting. People are coming out to register for the party; people are tired of the state of affairs in the state. New members are coming out to join the party.
“At the same time, all our old members are very active. The members we have seen are very impressive. I think the factors of what people are going through in the state the insecurity, unemployment, hunger, and lack of a lack of governance. So, we are confident that the PDP will bounce back in 2027,” he added.
As of Thursday, only one politician, Ladi Hassan, has declared intention to contest the governorship of the state on the platform of the PDP.
Other aspirants in the party include a former member of the House of Representatives and ex-speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Prof Ali Ahmad.
Saraki, however, said he would give all aspirants a level playing ground, adding that he had no preferred candidate.
In the APC, none of the aspirants has made a public declaration, though there has been an off-the-scene campaign by some of them. But the governor is seen to be favouring the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Yakubu Danladi, who is from the Kwara North Senatorial zone.
Other aspirants, who have also been working underground, include the Senator presently representing Kwara North, Sadiq Umar; Director General of the Nigeria Institute for Legislative Studies, Prof Abubakar Suleiman; Campaign DG of Mallam AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq re-election in 2023, Ambassador Yahaya Seriki; and the senator representing Kwara Central and the Turaki of Ilorin, Senator Saliu Mustapha.
However, the state APC chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, said the party had yet to start its campaign.
Five contenders in Gombe
Though Governor Muhammed Yahaya of Gombe State has not publicly spoken about his preferred successor, his party, the APC, will not take the lead in determining the next governor of the state.
According to sources in the party, the Commissioner for Finance, Gambo Magaji; the current Minister of Transportation and former senator, Saidu Alkali; and former Minister of Digital Economy, Prof Ali Pantami, are among the strong contenders for the race in the state.
For the PDP, it is believed that Jibrin Barde, who was the party’s 2023 candidate, is likely to recontest.
He came in a distant second during the last election.
A former gubernatorial candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party in 2023, Ahmed Mailantarki, who recently defected to the PDP, is another politician being mentioned.
Borno awaits Zulum’s choice.
In Borno State, while it is still unclear who will be Governor Babagana Zulum’s candidate, there are indications that the next governor will be from one of the Senators representing the state in the National Assembly.
A source within the APC expressed confidence that anyone chosen by the governor would get the people’s support.
“Of course, anyone Zulum appoints will emerge. Everyone can not like you, but I can categorically tell you that Zulum is popular and his people are behind him. For any opposition to unseat the party in this state, it is difficult,” the source said.
As of the time of filling this report, no opposition aspirant has spoken about their ambition, but speculations of a coalition is brewing in the state.
Oyo PDP in disarray
Some prominent chieftains of the PDP in Oyo State are set to dump the party.
A party source told our correspondent in Ibadan, the state capital, that the aggrieved members were already in advanced consultations for a coalition with the African Democratic Congress.
The source, who did not want his name in print, said, “The aggrieved chieftains, alongside their followers, are already in advanced consultations with opposition parties and may announce their formal departure in the next couple of weeks.
“The majority of these party chieftains are well-grounded in their wards and local governments within the state. They are grassroots politicians.”
Another source said the planned defection was being fuelled by “mounting dissatisfaction over the party’s internal handling of power distribution, appointments, and continued marginalisation of loyal stakeholders who played key roles in securing victory for the party in the past elections.”
“The aggrieved politicians have endured systematic exclusion and political betrayal under the current party structure in the state. Many of these leaders have been sidelined, used, and dumped. There is no political reward system for loyalty anymore in the state PDP.
“How do you expect men who sacrificed everything for the party to continue to remain silent when they and their followers are consistently ignored?
“These leaders are not just leaving alone, they are leaving with their structures. That’s thousands of committed party loyalists across the state. The PDP leadership should be worried,” the source added.
SOURCE: PUNCH
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
Ten communities that make up Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State are set for a showdown with their traditional rulers following the alleged suspension of the zoning arrangement for the Anambra State House of Assembly elections.
Recall that on April 7, 2022, the traditional rulers, in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), resolved that the House of Assembly seats for Anaocha I and Anaocha II constituencies would rotate among the ten communities, with each town occupying the seat for two terms.
The traditional rulers further resolved that the rotation would subsist irrespective of the political party through which lawmakers emerge, noting that the arrangement was aimed at ensuring that all ten communities have the opportunity to produce members of the State Assembly in the interest of equity and fairness.
However, the Anaocha Equity Forum, shortly after its meeting, expressed concern over the alleged suspension of the zoning arrangement.
Speaking, the Convener of the Anaocha Equity Forum, Mr. Valentine Okoye, said the forum would not take kindly to what it described as acts capable of destabilising the council area, adding that any such move would be resisted.
“This is a Memorandum of Understanding signed by our traditional rulers, and it has been respected until now. We in the Anaocha Equity Forum see this as a slap on the sensibilities of the ten communities that make up the area,” he said.
“We urge members of the public, political parties, and stakeholders to disregard the alleged position of the traditional rulers, as it does not represent the views and aspirations of our people.
“Our traditional rulers should be mindful of their roles as fathers of their respective communities. They should also understand that they would be held responsible for whatever backlash or consequences may arise from this recent position.
“We call on Governor Charles Soludo to call the traditional rulers to order so that the peace currently enjoyed in Anaocha Local Government Area will not be disrupted,” he stated.
The exit of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, two prominent opposition figures, has weakened the African Democratic Congress across both chambers of the National Assembly.
The National Democratic Congress, which received Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso on Sunday, recorded its biggest gains on Tuesday with the addition of 17 House members and a senator. Weeks earlier, its ranks expanded when Seriake Dickson, representing Bayelsa West, defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to join the party.
The development comes a few days after several opposition parties resolved to present a single presidential candidate against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
The wave of defection to the NDC occurred 48 hours after Obi and Kwankwaso, two of the ADC’s most prominent figures, formally exited the party. These moves have significantly altered the opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections, setting the stage for shifting political alliances.
Additionally, the latest defectors, drawn from Kano, Anambra, Lagos, Edo, Rivers, and Kogi States, cited internal disarray within the ADC as a major factor that influenced their decision.
While reading their letters on the floor of the House, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary session, said the lawmakers blamed the party’s instability for their departure, noting that the crisis remained “unresolved starting from the ward to the national level.”
The defectors to the NDC are Yusuf Datti, Sani Adamu, Zakari Mukhtari, Kamilu Ado, Harris Okonkwo, George Ozodinobi, Lilian Orogbu, Peter Anekwe, Emeka Idu, Ifeanyi Uzokwe, and Afam Ogene. Others include Lagos lawmakers Thaddeus Attah, Oluwaseyi Sowunmi, George Olwande, and Jese Onuakalusi, as well as Murphy Omroruyi from Edo and Umezuruike Manuchim from Rivers State.
In a separate move, Kogi lawmaker Leke Abejide defected from the ADC to the ruling All Progressives Congress.
The coordinated nature of the defections is widely interpreted as a show of loyalty to Obi and Kwankwaso, whose switch to the NDC is already reshaping opposition dynamics.
Both men are influential political figures with strong regional bases—Obi in the South-East and Kwankwaso in the North-West—and their exit from the ADC appears to have triggered a ripple effect among lawmakers aligned with their political structures.
The ADC’s current troubles did not emerge overnight. In recent months, tensions within the party escalated over leadership struggles, strategy disagreements, and competing ambitions among top figures.
The situation worsened amid reports of irreconcilable differences between Obi, Kwankwaso, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was also a central figure in opposition coalition talks.
Efforts to build a united front ahead of 2027 reportedly broke down due to mistrust, zoning disagreements, and control of party structures.
Their eventual defection to the NDC marked a turning point. Seen as a more viable platform for consolidating opposition strength, the NDC quickly became a magnet for lawmakers and political actors seeking stability and clearer leadership direction.
With the departure of key figures and a steady decline in its legislative strength, the ADC now faces a daunting struggle to maintain political relevance.
The loss of national figures like Obi and Kwankwaso, combined with the defection of lawmakers across multiple states, appears to have weakened its structure and electoral prospects.
Only last week, the party boasted 24 members of the House of Representatives, but it is now left with six.
Once the dominant opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party may equally struggle to retain its status.
Though still officially the most formidable opposition in the House, the PDP currently has 29 members in the Green Chamber, down from 116 members in its ranks at the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June 2023.
Barely a year to the inauguration of the 11th National Assembly, the Senate on Tuesday moved to tighten its internal rules, effectively narrowing the path to its most powerful offices and edging out a class of incoming lawmakers, including serving governors and former senators eyeing leadership positions.
In a move widely seen as pre-emptive, the red chamber, after about three hours of a closed-door session, amended Orders 4 and 5 of its Standing Rules, restricting eligibility for both presiding and principal offices to ranking lawmakers with defined legislative experience.
The amendments come amid growing interest by outgoing governors and political heavyweights, many of whom are positioning to enter the Senate in 2027 to contest for top leadership roles such as Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
Under the Revised Order 4, the Senate reinforced a strict hierarchy for the emergence of presiding officers, stating that “Nomination of senators to serve as Presiding Officers shall be in accordance with the ranking of senators and shall be strictly adhered to.
“The order of ranking are (i) Former President of the Senate, (ii) Former Deputy President of the Senate, (iii) Former Principal Officers of the Senate, (iv) Senators who had served at least one term of four years, (v) Senators who had been members of the House of Representatives, (vi) In the absence of i to v, senators elected into the Senate for the first time,” it stated.
Beyond this ranking structure, the Senate introduced a more stringent provision in Order 5, effectively excluding first-time and non-consecutive lawmakers from contesting principal offices.
The amended rule states: “Any senator shall not be eligible to contest for any principal office of the Senate unless he has served as a senator for at least two consecutive terms immediately preceding nomination.”
The implication is far-reaching: senators-elect who were not members of both the 9th and 10th National Assembly would be ineligible to vie for key leadership roles in the 11th Assembly.
Presiding offices in the Senate include the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, while principal offices comprise Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Whip, Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip.
The rule changes come against the backdrop of an intensifying scramble for Senate seats ahead of the 2027 general elections, driven largely by governors completing their constitutionally allowed two terms.
No fewer than 10 state governors and several former governors are already angling to secure senatorial tickets, leveraging their influence over party structures to emerge as consensus candidates in their respective states.
At least 12 of the 36 state governors are in their second and final terms, with 10 set to complete their tenure by May 29, 2027.
The looming transition has triggered a wave of political realignments, with many seeking to maintain relevance and influence by moving to the National Assembly.
Eight of the affected governors are from the ruling All Progressives Congress, while Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, belongs to the Peoples Democratic Party, and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed is aligned with the Allied Peoples Movement.
Those expected to exit office in 2027 include AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), alongside Makinde and Bala Mohammed.
Although Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma will complete their tenures in early 2028 due to off-cycle elections, both have been drawn into early permutations for Senate seats.
In Imo State, the political temperature has risen sharply following moves by the All Progressives Congress to position Uzodimma for the Imo West senatorial seat.
Party leaders in the state have already named him as the consensus candidate, even as the incumbent senator, Osita Izunaso, is reportedly seeking a return to the red chamber.
Last Saturday, APC leaders from the Orlu Zone (Imo West), led by the state chairman, Chief Austin Onyedebelu, purchased the 2027 senatorial nomination form for the governor, urging him to accept the ticket.
Onyedebelu, who presented the forms to Uzodimma’s Chief of Staff, Chief Nnamdi Anyaehie, called for pressure on the governor to “accept the plea of Orlu people by filling the forms so that it can be submitted before the deadline of 5th May, 2026.”
The state APC has also warned other aspirants against contesting the seat, insisting that Uzodimma remains the consensus choice.
Complicating the contest, former Governor Rochas Okorocha equally purchased nomination forms in a bid to return to the Senate, a move confirmed by one of his aides, Darlington Ibekwe.
The Orlu Political Consultative Assembly further reinforced Uzodimma’s candidacy, declaring him the sole candidate for the district in what it described as a “total, unanimous, and irrevocable decision.”
The unfolding contest is also shaped by internal power dynamics within the ruling party.
Last month, President Bola Tinubu reportedly rebuffed attempts by National Assembly leaders to secure automatic return tickets for lawmakers, instead reaffirming the authority of state governors over candidate selection.
The stance has strengthened governors’ grip on party structures, enabling many of them to influence senatorial nominations as they prepare for life after office.
Against this backdrop, the Senate’s rule amendments appear designed to preserve institutional hierarchy and prevent an influx of first-time lawmakers, many of them politically powerful, from immediately taking control of the chamber’s leadership.
For ambitious entrants like Uzodimma and others plotting a return or debut in the Senate, the message from the red chamber is clear: experience within its ranks, not political clout outside it, will determine who leads in the 11th National Assembly.
By Okey Maduforo Awka
Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra state has finally submitted the first batch of the list of Commissioners made up of 18 nominees to the Anambra State House of Assembly.
Recall that this reporter had predicted that the Governor would announce the list of his Cabinet members on or before the end of this week.
According to the Special Assistant to the Speaker of the Assembly on New Media Mr Franklin Osankwa , the Speaker Hon Somtochukwu Udeze has already sent the list to the Screening Committee of the legislature.
A breakdown of the list indicates that only four former Commissioners who worked with him during his first term in office were returned .
They include the Commissioner for Health Dr Afam Obidike , Professor Offonze Amucheazi Ministry of Lands , Mr Patrick Agba , Youth Development and Commissioner for Information Dr Law Mefor .
Similarly the list of Special Assistants and Senor Special Assistants and Advisers is being awaited .
No fewer than 10 state governors and former governors are actively working to replace incumbent senators ahead of the 2027 general elections, in what appears to be a sweeping political realignment reshaping Nigeria’s legislative landscape.
The sitting governors, whose tenure will expire by May 2027, are leveraging their control of party structures in their states to secure Senate tickets—largely through “consensus” arrangements.
At least 12 of Nigeria’s 36 incumbent governors are currently serving their second and final terms. Of that number, 10 will complete their constitutionally mandated eight years on May 29, 2027, setting the stage for a high-stakes political transition that is already unsettling party structures nationwide.
Eight of the affected governors are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Seyi Makinde of Oyo State belongs to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State is affiliated with the Peoples Democratic Party, contrary to earlier claims linking him to the Allied Peoples Movement.
Governors expected to complete their tenure in 2027 include AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Muhammadu Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), and Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), alongside Makinde and Bala Mohammed.
Although Governors Douye Diri of Bayelsa and Hope Uzodimma of Imo will also finish their second terms, their exit dates fall in January and February 2028, respectively, due to off-cycle elections. However, their extended timelines have not excluded them from early succession and Senate calculations.
Last month, President Bola Tinubu, during a meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly, rebuffed lobbying efforts by lawmakers seeking automatic return tickets ahead of the 2027 elections. Instead, he reaffirmed the authority of state governors over candidate selection in their respective states.
Sources familiar with the meeting revealed that senators had approached the President to seek assurances for automatic tickets.
“The meeting was to plead for automatic tickets, but the President insisted that governors, as party leaders in their states, must have a decisive say on who gets the ticket,” a source disclosed.
Less than 24 hours later, Tinubu convened another meeting with APC governors, where he reportedly gave them a free hand to conduct party primaries in accordance with the Electoral Act—either through consensus or direct primaries.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Bago confirmed this, stating that the President had effectively empowered governors to drive the primaries process.
Investigations across several states—including Yobe, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Ogun, Gombe, Bauchi, Kwara, and Imo—indicate a growing pattern in which party stakeholders endorse governors or their preferred candidates as sole contenders. In many cases, rivals are pressured to step aside, while primaries are either avoided or reduced to mere formalities.
In Yobe State, Senator Musa Mustapha (Yobe East) stepped aside to support Governor Mai Mala Buni after a stakeholders’ meeting in Damaturu. He also withdrew from the governorship race, pledging full loyalty to party leadership decisions.
Similarly, in Gombe State, former governor and Senator Danjuma Goje lost his bid for a fifth term following a zoning arrangement favouring a candidate aligned with Governor Yahaya.
In Imo State, Governor Hope Uzodimma has been endorsed as the consensus candidate for Imo West, despite the interest of incumbent Senator Osita Izunaso. The move has triggered tension, with former governor Rochas Okorocha also entering the race.
In Ogun State, the consensus model has broken down into open conflict, as Governor Dapo Abiodun’s Senate ambition has put him at odds with incumbent Senator Gbenga Daniel.
In Adamawa, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri has emerged as the consensus candidate for Adamawa North, with the incumbent senator stepping aside in his favour.
Similar developments have been recorded in Nasarawa, Kwara, Delta, and Kogi states, where governors and former governors are positioning themselves to take over Senate seats—often displacing incumbents.
Meanwhile, in Cross River State, former governor Ben Ayade revealed he had been asked to drop his Senate ambition following high-level consultations, a decision he described as painful and unjust.
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