Daily Trust gathered that almost all the 19 second term governors are angling to run for senate seats next year which may place them in confrontation with the senators currently occupying the seat.
Some of the senators that may be affected have according to our findings, perfected plans to either fight the governors and dare the consequences or defect to other political parties while other have indicated that they could do with a soft landing if offered other positions in their states.
Some outgoing governors have indicated their interests in becoming Senators after completing their terms as executive governors of their various states. They include; Theodore Orji of Abia, Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom, Martins Elechi of Ebonyi and Sullivan Chime of Enugu.
Many of their colleagues have not yet declared, but have shown clearly that they are interested in the senate seat. They include Gabriel Suswam of Benue, Usman saidu Dakingari of Kebbi, Liyel Imoke of Cross River and Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta.
Others whose initial ambitions have been threatened by the changes on the political scene, may likely opt for the Senate. They include Babangida Aliyu of Niger, Sule Lamido of Jigawa, Ibrahim Shehu Shema of Katsina, and Isa Yuguda of Bauchi, while others like Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers may be keeping such intentions close to their chests waiting to reveal such only if their plans fail.
Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State and former PDP national chairman Senator Barnabas Gemade are said to have parted ways because Suswam who was in the House of Representatives from 1999-2007 before he became governor has indicated he will run for the Benue North East senatorial seat.
Special adviser to Benue State governor on media, Cletus Akwaya, when contacted, said it is the people of the zone that are prevailing on the governor to go to the Senate and that it is their hope that the governor would accept the offer and run.
He said even if Senator Gemade decides to run against the governor if the former decides, it would not be a clash as they would both present themselves to the party members for election.
“How does that become a clash even if the governor accepts to run? It would not be an appointment so both of them would in the spirit of true democracy compete. So it does not amount to a clash,” he stated.
Governor Usman Saidu Dakingari of Kebbi State is also believed to be in the race for the Senate next year thereby pitching him against Senator Isa Galaudu who represents Kebbi North in the Senate.
But Galaudu when contacted said it will not be fair for him to comment on the issue now as everything is in the realm of speculation.
In Abia State, Governor Theodore Orji who hails from the central zone with Senator Nkechi Nwogu has declared his interest in the senate while the senator from that district has in turn said she is interested in occupying the Government House in Umuahia. There is a likelihood of clash between the two if the PDP does not show signs of giving her the governorship ticket.
Already, there is an open fight between Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko and Senator Ahmed Mohamed Macido because the governor is rumored to be nursing the ambition to take over Maccido’s seat. Macido who chairs the Senate appropriations committee is the only Sokoto Senator who did not defect to the APC as a result of what pundits say threats to his seat.
Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu of Niger State and Senator Dahiru Awaisu Kuta have also been at loggerheads over the former’s moves to replace the latter in the Senate. Kuta had told Daily Trust last year the senate is not a retirement place for ex-governors.
When Aliyu joined the defunct nPDP, Kuta did not go with him. Kuta who chairs the Senate committee on federal character and inter-governmental affairs said he was a founding member of the PDP and nobody will stop him from coming back to the Senate.
Senator Basheer Garba Lado who represents Kano central under the platform of the PDP has since parted ways with Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso because of the presumed senatorial ambition of the governor. To this end, Lado also didn’t follow the governor to the APC but has remained in the PDP.
For the past two years, deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu and Governor Sullivan Chime have been engaged power tussle with the former accusing the governor of sabotaging his constituency projects. All, this, sources said was fall out of the governors intention to occupy Ekweremadu’s seat in 2015.
The same scenario is playing out in Cross Rivers State where Governor Liyel Imoke is said to be bracing up to take over the central senatorial zone seat being occupy by senate leader Victor Ndoma-Egba. The senate leader is in his third term in the upper chamber and is poised at returning for the fourth time.
In the same vein, Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta a State has since indicated his intention to run for southern senatorial zone which will pitch him against Senator James Manager who is also a third-termer in the red chamber.
In Bauchi State, there are also strong indications that Governor Isa Yuguda may want to also join his colleagues in the upper chamber of the National Assembly next year and to do that, he will have to displace Senator Adamu Ibrahim Gumba representing the southern zone.
The fight between Governor Godswill Apkabio and Senator Aloysius Etok has been in the open for some time now. Akpabio has also declared his intention to unseat Etok, but the chairman of the Senate committee in Establishment and Public Service matters is ready to put up a fight as he has also dared the governor to compete with him in 2015.
Senator Paulinus Igwe and governor Martins Elechi of Ebonyi State are from the same zone and like his many colleagues, the governor has told Igwe that he will be replacing him in the senate while Igwe is also insisting that they swap positions.
Governor Rotimi Ameachi of Rivers state and Senator Magnus Abe are believed to be arranging to swap positions in 2015 which would enable the governor come to the senate if his other calculations fail while Abe would be given the APC governorship ticket.
Other governors who are in their final term and may want to take a shot at the Senate seat include Murtala Nyako of Adamawa, Sule Lamido Jigawa and Ibrahim Shehu Shema depending on what happens before the primaries.
Source: Daily Trust
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