About 90 serving senators, nine governors and one deputy governor have a mountain to climb in their quest for membership of the 11th Senate, investigation has revealed.
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The aspirants, who are all members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have already appeared before the party’s screening committee in Abuja.
Many of them are now expected to test their popularity in direct primaries following stakeholders’ rejection of the consensus method arranged by some governors.
Sources said the leadership of the party prevented the governors from interfering with the nomination process.
It was gathered that the Presidential Supervision Team, apparently taking a cue from Section 87(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, even recommended the adoption of direct primary, especially where there is no consensus.
That section of the Act provides thus: “Where a political party is unable to secure the written consent of all cleared aspirants for the purpose of a consensus candidate, it shall revert to the choice of direct primaries for the nomination of candidates for the elective positions.”
The APC flash points identified by the Presidential Supervision Team include Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Kwara and Kano states.
Governors aspiring to be senators in the next dispensation are Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State; Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State; Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State; Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State; Hope Uzodinma of Imo State; Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State; Bala Muhammed of Bauchi State; Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State; and Babagana Zulum of Borno State.
The only outgoing deputy governor with senatorial ambition is Noimot Salako-Oyedele of Ogun State.
Some of the governors have tough battles ahead, either during the primaries or at the polls in 2027.
While Governor Abiodun will be slugging it out with Senator Gbenga Daniel during the primaries for Ogun East, Gombe Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya will face Senator Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, his predecessor in office; former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Usman Bayero Nafada of the NDC; and Mustapha Mohammed Aliyu of the ADC.
For Governor AbdulRazaq, it is expected to be a straightforward contest between him and the PDP candidate who will be set against him by former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
On his part, Governor Abdullahi Sule, who narrowly won his re-election in 2023, has a tough task ahead. He will have to overcome a challenge during the primaries from the immediate past Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, Silas Agara, for Nasarawa North, and possibly a bigger contest with the Social Democratic Party candidate and former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, in the election proper.
“The problem with the Nasarawa State governor is that he is from a minority tribe in a district populated by Nasarawa-Eggon people who are mostly Christians. It will be an interesting scenario,” a source said.
In Adamawa State, it is Governor Fintiri versus ADC and NDC candidates.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Muhammed has a contest with APC and ADC candidates for Bauchi South Senatorial District.
Ogun State Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele also has two formidable opponents in former Senator Gbolahan Dada and former Works Commissioner, Olayiwola Taiwo, for the APC ticket in Ogun West Senatorial District.
Uzodinma Under Pressure To Forgo Senatorial Ambition
The senatorial ambition of Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma is causing ripples in the APC because he allegedly wants to occupy two elective offices at the same time.
It was learnt that tension over his senatorial aspiration triggered the botched attempt to remove him as Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) on Thursday.
A highly placed source said: “His fellow governors felt he was overstretching his luck. He is the Chairman of PGF; he is a sitting governor; the Chairman of Renewed Hope Ambassadors; and he aspires to be a senator to become the President of the 11th Senate.
“Most governors were angry with him, but they had to defer to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to avert his removal.”
It was learnt that there is pressure on the APC to prevail on Uzodinma to choose between being a governor and being a senator.
A source said: “Hope Uzodinma wants a senatorial seat before resigning as governor.
“As of Friday, intelligence report indicated that the Deputy Governor of Imo State had been forced to resign and the letter was kept in view till after the National Assembly elections, when Uzodinma would have emerged as senator.
“He will then put an amenable candidate in charge as the new governor and a relation as the new deputy governor.
“The plot has been on for a year when it was hatched in London with a former governor, who is now a senator.
“It was the intelligence report that made the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, push for changing the Senate Rules in an undemocratic and unpopular way.
“He couldn’t withstand the audacious ambition of Hope Uzodinma to be a senator and the next President of the Senate.”
On his part, Governor Abdullahi Sule, who narrowly won his re-election in 2023, has a tough task to overcome the challenge during the primaries from the immediate past Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment, Silas Agara, for Nasarawa North, and a possibly bigger contest with the Social Democratic Party candidate and former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, in the election proper.
“The problem with the Nasarawa State governor is that he is from a minority tribe in a district populated by Nasarawa-Eggon people who are mostly Christians. It will be an interesting scenario,” a source said.
In Adamawa State, it is Governor Fintiri versus ADC and NDC candidates.
Bauchi State Governor Bala Muhammed has a match with APC and ADC candidates for Bauchi South Senatorial District.
Ogun State Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele has two formidable opponents in former Senator Gbolahan Dada and former Works Commissioner, Olayiwola Taiwo, for the APC ticket in Ogun West Senatorial District.
Akpabio, Barau, Abbas May Return As NASS Leaders
There were indications yesterday that Senate President Godswill Akpabio, his deputy, Jibrin Barau, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, may retain their positions if re-elected.
It was gathered that President Tinubu has given them a continuity assurance, which made Abbas drop his senatorial aspiration for former Governor Ramalan Yero in Kaduna North.
A presidency source said: “The President has no plan to change his core team. These principal officers of the National Assembly may retain their offices.
“The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives is not included because he intends to contest for governorship.
“So, whoever is aspiring for National Assembly office should embark on wider consultations before taking a political plunge.”
90 Senators Who Want To Return
Senators seeking re-election cut across the APC, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Labour Party (LP), the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Among them are Idiat Oluranti Adebule of Lagos; Wasiu Sanni Eshilokun of Lagos; Adetokunbo Abiru of Lagos; Danjuma Goje of Gombe; Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe; Abdullahi Yahaya of Kebbi; Garba Maidoki of Kebbi; and Adamu Aliero of Kebbi.
Others are Ned Nwoko, Delta North; Efe Dafinone, Delta Central; Emmanuel Udende, Benue North-East; Titus Zam, Benue North-West; Cyril Fasuyi, Ekiti North; Ahmad Lawan, Yobe North; and Kaka Lawan, Borno Central.
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