Polls: Heavyweights tumble

Results of Saturday’s National Assembly elections announced on Sunday by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission showed many Peoples Democratic Party heavyweights defeated in their senatorial districts and constituencies. The results also indicated that the PDP might lose its stranglehold on the National Assembly with its majority membership and a sign of the end of its relevance in the South-West politics. Among the heavyweights that were defeated by candidates of opposition parties in the Sout-West are the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Dimeji Bankole, Senators Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello, Iyiola Omisore and Bode Olajumoke and two former governors — Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Olusegun Agagu. But two other former governors— Orji Kalu (Progressive Peoples Allaince) and Dr. Chimaroke Nnamani (Peoples Democratic Congress) lost their bids to become senators, to their PDP opponents, in Abia and Enugu. Bankole was floored by Williams Olusegun of the Action Congress of Nigeria in Abeokuta South Federal Constituency in Ogun State while Obasanjo-Bello, daughter of former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, was defeated by Gbenga Obadara, also of the ACN in Ogun Central District. Obadara polled 102,389 votes while Obasanjo-Bello had a distant 56,312 ballots. In Ogun West Senatorial District, Mr. Akin Odunsi of the ACN won with 61,362 ballots ahead of Mr. Babatunde Fadun of the PDP), who got 59,949. A former Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Gbenga Kaka of the ACN beat his main opponent, Mr. Mohammed Odunowo, of the PDP in Ogun East Senatorial District. Bankole accepted his defeat in a statement on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Kayode Odunaro. He described “the exercise (election) as a good omen in our national quest to entrench democracy,” declaring that, “For me, the race was not a life-and-death duel.” Results for the Senate in Oyo State showed the ACN clinching two seats and the PDP’s one. The winners of the senatorial election are Chief Olufemi Lanlehin (Oyo South), Mr. Ayo Adeseun (Oyo Central) and Mr. Hosea Agboola of the PDP (Oyo North). The main surprise in the contest is the defeat of Senator Kamoru Adedibu, the son of the late Ibadan prominent politician, Chief Lamidi Adedibu, by Lanlehin. Adeseun also defeated Chief Jumoke Akinjide, daughter of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Richard Akinjide. For the House of Representatives, the PDP had five seats; ACN, four; and Accord Party, four. The result for one seat was being awaited as at 6pm on Sunday. The ACN winners are Mr. Abiodun Awoleye, Mr. Kola Olabiyi; and Mr. Kamil Akinlabi. In Osun State, Prof. Sola Adeyeye of the ACN defeated Oyinlola in Osun Central while Mr. Jide Omoworare also of the ACN floored Omisore in Osun East. Senator Isiaka Adeleke, a former governor of the state, also lost to ACN’s Mudasiru Oyetunde in Osun West. It was also a clean sweep for the ACN in the House of Reps contest in the state. Labour Party won two senatorial slots in Ondo State while the PDP secured one. Olajumoke lost to LP’s Prof. Ajayi Boroffice; and Mr. Gbenga Ogunniya to Ayo Akinyelure. Agagu of the PDP also lost to Boluwaji Kunlere of the LP in Ondo South. The LP had won seven seats out of nine House of Representatives slots announced as at 4pm on Sunday. The ACN also had smooth contest in Lagos State where INEC announced two of its candidates —Mrs. Remi Tinubu and Gbenga Ashafa — as winners in Lagos Central Senatorial District and Lagos East. Remi is the wife of a former governor of the state and ACN chieftain, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. Unconfirmed reports, however, had it that ACN’s Ganiyu Solomon was reelected as the Senator representing Lagos West Senatorial District. INEC also announced Hakeem Gbajabiamila and 14 others as winners of the House of Representatives poll in the state. The remaining nine seats of the 24 that the state has in the House were yet to be released as at press time on Sunday. The ACN had an impressive run in Edo State also as two of its candidates won. One of them is Domingo Obende, who clinched the Edo North ticket. The remaining seat was clinched by the PDP. The results from Kwara State put to rest, the debate on who had a greater political clout between Governor Bukola Saraki of the PDP and his father, Chief Olusola Saraki. The governor trounced his father’s Allied Congress party of Nigeria by emerging a Senator-elect in Kwara Central. The PDP also won in Kwara South where it fielded Senator Simeon Ajibola. The third senatorial seat (Kwara North) was won by a former Governor Mohammed Lafiaji. The PDP also had it easy in Rivers, Abia and Enugu states as it won all the nine seats meant for the three states in the Senate. It candidates in Rivers State – Senator George Sekibo, Magnus Abe and Senator Wilson Ake – won in Rivers East, South and West Senatorial Districts. The biggest casualty in Abia State is the former governor and Progressive Peoples Alliance candidate, Chief Kalu, who lost to a serving Senator, Chief Uche Chukwumerije. Senator Nkechi Nworgu won in the Abia Central district while a former deputy governor of the state, Mr. Enyinnaya Abaribe, emerged victorious in Abia South. Four House of Representatives candidates were also announced as winners as at 4pm on Sunday. The four – all PDP members – are Mr.. Ezinche Ubani, Mrs. Nkiru Onyejeocha, Nnenna Ukeje, and Udo Ibeji. The winners in Enugu are Chief Gilbert Nnaji, who defeated former governor Chimaroke Nnamani of the Peoples Democratic Congress; the Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Senator Ayogu Eze; and Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu. As at 4 pm, the PDP also won in seven Federal constituencies that had been announced by INEC returning officers. The seven candidates are Ofor Chukwu Egbe, Kingsley Ebenyi; Patrick Asadu, Tobias Okechukwu, Ogbuefi Ozomgbachi, Ifennyi Ugwuanyi, and Peace Nanji. The results from Anambra State showed Dr. Andy Uba and Mr. John Emeka of the PDP winning in Anambra South Senatorial District and Anambra North. Dr. Chris Ngige of the ACN was beaten by Prof. Dora Akunyili of the All Progressive Grand Alliance in Anambra Central Senatorial District. Ngige is a former governor of the state which Akunyili is a former Minister of Information and Communication. In Benue State, the President of the Senate, Mr. David Mark, of the PDP defeated his closest opponent, Lawrence Onoja of the ACN in Benue South Senatorial District. Also, as at the time of filing this report, a former Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Barnabas Gemade, was maintaining a heavy lead against incumbent Senator Joseph Akaagerger of the ACN in the contest for the Benue north East Senatorial Zone. Election for the third Senatorial district in the state, Benue North West, was postponed till April 26, 2011 due to logistic mix up. In Kogi West Senatorial District, Senator Smart Adeyemi (PDP) retained his seat in the Senate by defeating Joseph Faniyi of CPC. Results from Katsina showed that the Congress for Progressive Change was making inroads into the traditional strongholds of the PDP. The CPC candidate Alhaji Sani Stores defeated his PDP opponent, Senator Ibrahim Ida of the PDP in Katsina Senatorial District. The PDP also suffered defeat in Katsina Federal Constituency as its candidate Mariam Umaru Yar’Adua, daughter of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua was defeated by a CPC candidate, Mohammed Tukur. In Gombe Central Senatorial District, Governor Mohammed Goje (PDP) won the election while in Kaduna Central Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Saleh of the CPC beat Hamisu Mairago of the PDP. By Our Correspondents Courtesy Of: Punch