The recently concluded gubernatorial elections across the Federation were adjudged to be a step up from the previous elections and also the freest and fairest of them all. The governorship elections were conducted in twenty nine sates of the Federation’s thirty six states and despite that conclusion, 14 gubernatorial candidates in 14 different states are headed to the tribunal;
Benue State: Despite the fact the present governor Suswam and the PDP governorship candidate Prince Terhemen Tarzoor, accepted results and assured the APC governor-elect that the results would not be contested, the governorship candidate has decided to go to the tribunal in a move that has left everyone shocked.
Barr. Titus Hyundu, Tarzoor’s lawyer argued that the PDP national secretariat had given permission to any aggrieved candidate to go to court. Whikle filing the petition in Markurdi, He said that Tarzoor was challenging Ortom’s victory based on the fact that Ortom was not qualified to contest the election because he was not validly nominated by the APC, hence all his votes scored during the elections should be rendered invalid and transferred to Tarzoor as the duly contestant of the gubernatorial poll.
Gombe State: The APC has once again proven that they are not ones to accept the loss as silently as easily as the President has taught candidates to. The PDP governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Dankwambo, against all odds defeated his APC counterpart, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya, having survived the APC onslaught in the North. Yahaya is challenging Dankwambo’s victory.
Oyo State: The candidate of Accord Party, Rashidi Ladoja, has vowed to challenge the result of the election that brought Governor Abioloa Ajimobi victory and a second term in office. Meanwhile, other candidates like Adebayo Alao-Akala of Labour Party and Teslim Folarin of the PDP have accepted defeat and called to congratulate Ajimobi over his victory,
Ogun State: PDP candidate, Gboyega Isiaka refused to accept or concede defeat to Ibikunle Amosun of the APC and will challenge the result of the elections at the tribunal.
Delta State: Just as he did in the last three times he vied for the governorship of the state, Great Ogboru of the Labour Party has once again failed to win the governorship elections in the state and has vowed to go to the tribunal. According to him: “Okowa did not score majority of lawful votes cast in the election and did not also meet the relevant constitutional provisions. It is our firm belief that the return of Okowa as governor-elect does not reflect the democratic will of the majority of our electorate. His said return is based on electoral irregularities and malpractices that cannot be ignored by any unbiased umpire.”
Kebbi State: The PDP candidate in the sate, Sarki Yaki Bello, said he might challenge the declaration of Atiku Bagudu of the APC as winner of the election.
Akwa Ibom State: Umana Umana, the APC governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom is set to challenge the victory of the PDP’s Udom Emmanuel stating the elections were marred with irregularities.
Rivers State: After PDP gubernatorial candidate Nyesom Wike’s landslide victory in Rivers state, the APC and its governorship candidate, Dakuku Peterside, have insisted that they will be heading to the tribunal to seek redress.
Imo State: Deputy speaker of the House of Reps, Emeka Ihedioha, who contested under the PDP umbrella and lost to the APC’s Rochas Okorocha, has vowed to challenge the victory of the governor as – according to him – there was a conspiracy between INEC and the APC in Imo to rig the poll in Okorocha’s favour.
Taraba State: There were high hopes in Nigeria as the nation had hoped that the APC’s Hajiya Aisha Jummai Alhassan would make history and become the nation’s first democratically elected female governor but those hopes were dashed on Saturday, April 25, 2015, as lost to PDP’s Darius Ishaku. Mama Taraba as she is fondly called is now challenging the declaration Darius Ishaku of the PDP as winner of the election. She alleged that there were irregularities, hijack of election materials and a conspiracy to deny her victory.
Yobe State: Adamu Maina Waziri of the PDP is challenging the re-election of Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam.
Ebonyi State: Edward Nkweogou of the Labour Party, who lsot to PDP’s Dave Umahi, the current deputy governor of the state, and who was also the preferred candidate of the state governor, Martin Elechi, has vowed to challenge the PDP victory in the elections.
Abia State: APGA’s governorship candidate, Alex Otti, who lost to the PDP’s Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, also vowed to challenge the result in court, alleging that manipulation and travesty of the people’s will marred the poll. Abia’s election was generally regarded as the worst in the country as the INEC REC made an about-turn after cancelling results of elections in three LGAs.
Plateau State: Gyang Pwajok of PDP has already filed a suit at the tribunal, challenging the election of the APC’s Simon Lalong as the governor.
