Can Mark Retain His Seat?

There are strong indications that Senate President, David Mark may lose his top position when the next legislative assembly resumes in June.

This is due to the ongoing changes that may take place in the senate as a result of last Saturday’s National Assembly elections which saw many Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bigwigs and long time senators losing their seats to the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC).

Investigation by The Daily Times showed that though Mark got re-elected on the ticket of the PDP, many of his long-time colleagues lost out in a sweeping change that will see the APC taking total control of the senate in the next dispensation.

Senator Mark scored 99,538 votes to defeat his opponent of the APC, Daniel Onje, who scored a total vote of 50,115 from his Benue base.

Among those gunning for his plum job is former governor of Kwara State and leader of the APC, Senator Sola Saraki. Saraki, who is returning to the senate for the second time would be taking on Mark, who is coming in for the fifth time.

Feelers from the party indicate that the party might retain the seat in the north seat which may make Saraki and others like George Akume also from Benue State eligible to fight for the seat. Akume, a two-term former governor of Benue State is coming into the Senate for the third time. He is currently the minority whip of the senate.

Sources said the APC is already making plans on who would get what in the national assembly.

Senate Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi of the Peoples Democratic Party lost his bid to return to the Senate, as Isah Misau of the All Progressives Congress was declared the winner of the Bauchi Central Senatorial District.

Declaring the results on Monday, the INEC Collation Officer for the Bauchi Central, Dr. Mohammed Yakubu, announced that Misau scored 208, 741 votes to beat Ningi, who scored 57, 172 votes.

The result, as declared in Azare, the headquarters of the district on Monday, by the INEC Collation Officer for the Bauchi North Senatorial election, Dr. Muhammed Adamu, said Nazif polled 197, 919 votes, to beat Mustapha, who scored 97, 047.

Also, the Bauchi State Governor, who is also the PDP candidate in the Bauchi South senatorial elections, Isa Yuguda, is trailing the All Progressives Congress candidate, Ali Wakili, from the results of four of the seven local governments announced so far.

Also, a former governor of Plateau State, Joshua Dariye, was re-elected to represent the Plateau Central senatorial zone.

A former Minister of Aviation, Stella Oduah, also secured victory to represent Anambra North Senatorial District. Oduah, who ran on the platform of the PDP, polled 143,478 to defeat the candidate of the APC, Chief Dubem Obaze of the APC, who polled 70,906 votes.

Also Governor Aliyu Wammakko of Sokoto State (APC); his Plateau State counterpart, Jonah Jang (PDP); Abia State Governor, Theodore Orji (PDP); and Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State(APC), former Governor of Osun State, Isiaka Adeleke (APC) all secured victory to represent their respective zones.

However, Senator Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi of the PDP failed to return to the Senate as he lost to Malam Shehu Sani of the APC, who will now represent Northern Kaduna Senatorial District.

Senators Ayo Akinyelure representing Ondo Cenral Senatorial District suffered the same fate as he lost to Donald Alasoadura of the APC. But APC’s Senator Ajayi Boroffice secured re-election to represent Ondo North Senatorial District as he defeated Senator Bode Olajumoke of the PDP.

The candidate of the APC for Kwara Central senatorial district, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has been declared winner of the Saturday’s election.

Also, Mark’s deputy, Ike Ekweremadu (PDP) and the Senate Minority Leader, George Akume, of the APC have been re-elected into the upper chamber, just as high ranking senators like Smart Adeyemi (PDP), Abdul Ningi (PDP) and Chris Ngige (APC)  lost their bid to return.

Ngige lost to Uche Ekwunife (PDP) in Anambra Central; Smart Adeyemi (PDP) lost to Dino Melaye (APC) in Kogi West while Ningi, the Deputy Senate Majority Leader, lost also to the APC candidate in Bauchi Central.

Senators Olubunmi Adetunbi and Femi Lanlehin and others lost their bid to come back to the Red Chamber. Lanlehin Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on National Planning, Economic was defeated by the APC candidate, Soji Akanbi.

Senator Hosea Agboola PDP Oyo lost his seat to his APC challenger Fatai Buhari, who was a Commissioner in the administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

Ayo Adeseun (PDP) Oyo North Senatorial Zone was defeated by his APC challenger, Mrs. Sunmonu.

Adegbenga Kaka was defeated by the PDP candidate, Prince Buruji Kashamu

But Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, PDP Abia South scored 1011433 to beat his challenger from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA), who had 70,502 votes.

Senator Bassey Otu who was forced out of the PDP won the senate seat for Cross River South, on the platform of the Labour Party defeating governor Liyel Imoke’s candidate and godfather of Calabar politics, Chief Geshorm Bassey of the PDP as well as Senator Banabas  Gemade who also lost the PDP primary ticket to governor Suswan was returned on the APC platform, beating Suswam.

Also, Ekweremadu who is returning to the Senate for the fourth time, was declared the winner of the Enugu West senatorial seat with120,075 out of the 123,286 valid votes cast in the Saturday’s election.

The INEC Returning Officer for Enugu West, Prof. Fab Onah, explained that 10 candidates contested the election with Ekweremadu’s closest rival, Luisa Achieze of the APC, who scored 2,314 votes.

Senator Babafemi Ojudu ((APC Ekiti Central) did not contest.

However, former deputy governor of Ekiti State, Mrs Biodun Olujimi (PDP), polled a total of 62,344 votes to defeat the incumbent, Senator Tony Adeniyi of the APC, who polled 37,932 votes to win the Ekiti South district seat.

In Ekiti Central District, Mrs Fatimat Raji-Rasaki of the PDP polled 54,459 votes to defeat Mr Gbenga Olofin of the APC, who scored 41,607.

In Ekiti North district, Mr Duro Faseyi, a former member of the House of Representatives, scored 50,023 to defeat incumbent Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi of the APC.

Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Aliyu Wammako (APC) and former governor of Kebbi State, Adamu Aliero, (APC) have secured the senatorial seats of their respective constituencies.

This came as Sa’idu Dakingari, governor of Kebbi state, lost his senatorial ambition to Bello Argungu, candidate of APC.

According to report, while Argungu scored 139,197 votes, Dakingari polled 70,148 votes.

Wammako, who contested on the platform of APC, defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Ahmed Maccido, the incumbent senator in Sokoto Central senatorial zone, with a total of 225,642 to 65,692 votes.

Aliero was declared winner of Kebbi Central senatorial district after polling 216,084 votes ahead of Abubakar Malam, the PDP candidate, who scored 68,792 votes.

It was like history repeating itself in Bauchi South senatorial district of Bauchi State, as the state governor, Mallam Isa Yuguda (PDP), lost his bid to go to the Senate to represent the district in the National Assembly.

Eight years ago, the then governor of the state, Alhaji Ahmadu Mu’azu, who is now the national chairman of the PDP, lost to the then ANPP candidate, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Muhammed, now the FCT Minister, in what was then described as an upset.

Yuguda, who flew PDP flag in the senatorial election, according to the result announced by the INEC returning officer, who is also the rector of The Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, Dr Shuaibu Musa, on Monday night, garnered 115,575 votes, while the winner in the district, Mallam Ali Wakili of the opposition APC got a total of 341,708 votes.

The governor lost to Wakili, a former Controller of Customs, in all the seven local government areas making up the Bauchi South senatorial district.

The local government areas are Alkaleri, Kirfi, Bauchi, Toro, Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro.

Ironically, Yuguda could only manage 23,945 votes from the Bauchi Local Government Area, where he hails from, as against the 134,528 got by Wakili.

Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam (PDP) lost Benue North East senatorial election to incumbent Senator Barnabas Gemade of the APC.

Announcing the results, Prof. Ignatius Ada declared that Gemade scored the highest votes of 140, 715 to defeat Suswam who polled a total of 118, 603.

Also, governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu of the PDP suffered defeat in   the Niger-East Senatorial District as the APC   candidate,   David Umaru, emerged winner with a wide margin.

In the results announced by the returning officer for the   district, Ali   Jigam, at the Senatorial Election Collation Centre,   College of Education in Minna on Sunday,   Umaru scored 49,519

In the results of the Lagos West senatorial district, Honourable Solomon Olamilekan Adeola of APC scored a total of 429,765 votes to his beat his rival, Mr Segun Adewale of PDP, who scored 372,421 votes.

Adeola won in six of the 10 councils of the district, namely Alimosho, Agege, Ifako Ijaiye, Mushin, Badagry and Ikeja, to beat his rival with 57,344 votes.