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Compiled by Oyelola Oyewale
The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Retired General Muhammadu Buhari had defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in the March 28, 2015 presidential election. Many Nigerians and political analysts had attributed the victory of the APC to commitment and the resilient spirit of the progressives who had merged to form the party on August 1, 2013.
APC consolidated on its victory in the April 11 governorship elections by winning 20 states, thereby increasing the number of APC governors, adding.
The good showing of the party in the gubernatorial polls could be traced to the transparent and credible primary elections conducted to select flagbearers. It’s on record that APC governorship candidates emerged because of their good credentials and acceptability by party members.
The incoming ruling party won at least one state in six geo-political zones of the country. APC won all seven governorship position in North West, four in North East, five in North Central which used to be a PDP stronghold, four in the South West including Lagos state, one in South East and one in South-South. Our Political Correspondent, Oyewale Oyelola, in this special report focuses on the profiles of all APC governors.
State won by APC at glance
| State | Governor’s Name |
| Adamawa | Senator Jibrilla Bindow |
| Bauchi | MD Abubakar |
| Benue | Ortom Samuel |
| Borno | Alhaji Kashim Shettima |
| Edo | Comrade Adams Oshiomole |
| Imo | Owelle Rochas Okorocha |
| Jigawa | Alhaji Badaru Abubakar |
| Kaduna | Mallam Nasir el-Rufai |
| Kano | Umar Ganduje |
| Katsina | Aminu Masari |
| Kebbi | Usman Sa’idu Nasamu Dakingari |
| Kwara | Alhaji Abdulfatai Ahmed |
| Lagos | Akinwunmi Ambode |
| Nasarawa | Tanko Almakura |
| Niger | Abubakar Sani-Lulu Bello |
| Ogun | Senator Ibikunle Amosun |
| Osun | Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola |
| Oyo | Senator Abiola Ajimobi |
| Plateau | Simon Lalong |
| Sokoto | Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal |
| Yobe | Ibrahim Geidam |
| Zamfara | Abdulazeez Abubakar |
Senator Jibrilla Bindo (Adamawa)
Senator Bindo Umaru Jibrilla was born on June 16, 1963 in Adamawa State. He is currently the senator representing Adamawa North senatorial district in the senate. Jibrilla holds a National Diploma in Business Administration and was the Vice Chairman of Senate Committee on Defence and Army/ Science and Technology.
He polled 362,329 votes, about 55 percent of total valid votes cast during April 11, governorship election in Adamawa state. He defeated ex-EFCC Chairman Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of PDP, Markus Gundiri of SDP and Ahmed Midibbo of PDM during governorship polls.
The incoming governor during the governorship primary held last year scored 2,718 votes to defeat five other aspirants. The Adamawa governor-elect is an industrialist who has established three companies in Mubi, employing about 400 people. Many attributed his victory in the election to his good track record in business, senate and youth empowerment.
Bindo, who is married to his heartthrob, Hajia Maryam, would bring his wealth of experience to bear on the state.
Muhammad Abubakar (Bauchi)
Muhammad Abubakar, Bauchi
Muhammed Abdullahi Abubakar was born in Gombe on December 11, 1956. He attended Jos Native Authority Primary School; Tudun Wada Primary School, Kano; Government College, Kano (Rumfa College); Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; and the Nigerian Law School, Lagos.
Abubakar served as lecturer at the Rivers State College of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt (currently Rivers State University of Science and Technology) for one year compulsory NYSC.
He joined the Bauchi State civil service in 1981 as a Pupil State Counsel in the Ministry of Justice and rose to the position of Senior Parliamentary Counsel and Head of Legal Drafting Department of Bauchi State House of Assembly in 1998. He served as Commissioner of Justice and Attorney General of Bauchi state from 1990 to 1993.
Abubakar served as Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, Bauchi State branch, from 1996 to 1998 and ex-deputy national secretary of PDP.
He was at various times Independent National Electoral Commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kogi, Delta, Plateau, and Rivers states, before he was promoted to National Electoral Commissioner at the INEC headquarters, in charge of legal services, and supervisor of Borno, Jigawa, and Yobe states.
Abubakar retired as INEC National Electoral Commissioner in 2008 and went back to private legal practice as managing partner of M A Abubakar & Co. (Fortuna Chambers).
He polled 654,934 votes to defeat nine other contestants including Mohammed Jatau of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 282,650 votes.
Abubakar is married and blessed with five children.
Abubakar, during the APC primaries, had the highest votes-930 to defeat seven other aspirants including former Minister of Police Affairs, Dr Ibrahim Yakubu Lame, who scored 806 votes. He will take over from Governor Issa Yuguda of PDP on May 29, 2015.
Samuel Ortom (Benue)
Born in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on April 23, 1961, Dr. Samuel Ioraer Ortom is an industrialist, farmer, businessman, politician, philanthropist and administrator.
Ortom enrolled at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and obtained both the Interim Joint Matriculation Board Certificate in 1995 and Diploma in Journalism in 1998. He also attended the Benue State University where he obtained the Advanced Diploma in Personnel Management in 2001 as well as Masters in Public Administration in 2004. Ortom crowned his educational pursuit with a Doctor of Philosophy, PhD, from the Commonwealth University, Belize, through distance learning.
Ortom is not new in politics; he was elected as Executive Chairman of Guma Local Government Area in 1991on the platform of the Social Democratic Party, SDP served as State Publicity Secretary of the National Centre Party of Nigeria, NCPN; State Treasurer of the All Peoples Party, APP; and State Secretary as well as Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party all in Benue State.
Ortom was also Director of Operations of the PDP gubernatorial campaign in Benue State in 2007 and Director of Administration and Logistics of the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organization in 2011. He was PDP National Auditor before his appointment as Minister in July 2011.
Ortom was proprietor and chairman, Oracle Business Limited the firm that owns Goshen Water which produces bottled and sachet water; Oracle Oil Mills, Oracle Printing Press, as well as Oracle Farms Limited which handles mechanised farming and animal husbandry. Oracle Business Limited acquired the moribund Benue State Government’s Plastics company, sinking in over N1 billion and turning it around. The company is also into polythene extraction as well as making of sanitary, sachet water, packaging and polythene bags. He was also chairman, Capital Prints Limited which handles commercial printing, publishing and documentation, as well as chairman, Achieve Engineering Limited which is into civil and mechanical construction. These companies have offered employment to hundreds.
Ortom was National President, Independent Print-Media Publishers Association of Nigeria, IPPAN, and at the moment the patron of the association.
The former minister, who defected to APC in 2014 after PDP denied him its governorship ticket, polled 422,932 votes as against PDP’s Terhemen Tarzoor who polled 313,878 votes in the governorship election.
Kashim Shettima(Borno)
Kashim Shettima was born in Maiduguri on September 2, 1966 and attended Government Community Secondary School, Biu (1978–1980), Government Science Secondary School, Potiskum, Yobe State (1980-1983), and the University of Maiduguri, where he studied Agricultural Economics, graduating in 1989.
For his National Youth Service Corps, he served at the Nigerian Agricultural Cooperative Bank, Calabar (1989–1990).
Shettima also has a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Ibadan (1990-1991) and taught Agricultural Economics at the University of Maiduguri from 1991 to 1993.
He worked as Agricultural Economist, Commercial Bank of Africa, Ikeja Office (1993-1997); Manager, African International Bank Limited, Kaduna Branch (1997–2001); Deputy Manager/Branch Head, Zenith Bank, Maiduguri Office (2001); and General Manager, Zenith Bank, Maiduguri Office.
In mid-2007, Shettima was appointed Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development in Borno State in the administration of Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. He later served as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Commissioner for Education, Commissioner for Agriculture, and Commissioner for Health.
Shettima was elected as governor in 2011 on the platform of the defunct ANPP. He scored 649,913 out of 690,182 total votes in the 2015 guber poll in the state.
A total of 4,520 delegates in December 2014 affirmed Shettima as candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC.
The governor, despite series of Boko haram attacks, continues to embark of developmental projects in all sectors for the benefit of the masses.
Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole (Edo State)
Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole was born on April 4, 1952 at Iyamoh, near Auchi in Edo State. After his secondary education, Arewa Textiles Company employed him and he was later elected union secretary in the company.
He became a full-time trade union organizer in 1975. He then studied at Ruskin College, Oxford in the United Kingdom where he majored in economics and industrial relations. He also attended the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.
The former labour leader first term was won following his Court of Appeal rulings to the results of a massively rigged April 2007 election in which the candidate of the ruling People’s Democratic Party, Oserheimen Osunbor had initially been declared the winner. He assumed office on 12 November 2008 after winning the appeal.
In 1982, Adams Oshiomhole was appointed General Secretary of the National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, a union with over 75,000 workers. After democracy was restored in 1999, he became President of the Nigerian Labour Congress. Oshiomhole represented African workers for two terms on the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), serving on the committee on Freedom of Association. He was also a member of the Executive Board of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.
The Comrade Governor polled 477, 478 votes to defeat the PDP candidate who had 144,235 in the 2012 governorship election in Edo state.
Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha (Imo)
Owelle Rochas Anayo Okorocha was born 22 September 1962 and hails from Ogboko, Ideato South, Imo State.
He attended Juladaco High School, Jos (1976-1981) and proceeded to the University of Jos (1990-1991) for a diploma in Public Administration. He returned to the University of Jos (1993-1994) to obtain an advanced diploma in Public Administration.
Positions held include President, Nigeria Red Cross Society, President/Founder, Rochas Foundation Inc, President, Rochas Group of Companies Limited, Pro Chancellor, African Business School and Former Chairman, Board of Nigerian Airspace Management Agency.
Okorocha was a Commissioner on the Federal Character Commission and a Member of the National Constitutional Conference.
When democracy was restored in 1999, Okorocha competed in the primaries to be the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) guber candidate for Imo State, but lost to Achike Udenwa.
He moved to the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), and was an unsuccessful candidate for President on the ANPP platform in 2003. He returned to the PDP, and President Olusegun Obasanjo appointed him as Special Adviser on Inter-Party affairs.
Okorocha, who is the Chairman Progressives Governors Forum, scored 416,996 votes to defeat Deputy Speaker of Federal House of Representative, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha who polled 320,705 votes.
He contested APC Presidential primary election alongside Buhari in 2014 and he got 674 votes. His success at the poll could be attributed to his outstanding performance in his first term in office.
Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa)
Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar Badaru was born in Babura, the headquarters of Babura Local Government Area of Jigawa State, in 1962. The governor-elect of Jigawa State is a graduate of Accounting from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Commerce of Nigeria. He is also a member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.
A renowned philanthropist, businessman and owner of the multinational Talamiz Group, Abubakar is president of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture.
He is the Second Vice President of the Federation of West Africa Chambers of Commerce.
He holds the traditional titles of Sardaunan Ringim and Walin Jahun. As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Talamiz group, he supervised a conglomerate with vast interest in Automobile distribution, Logistics (including Maritime and Road Transport), Haulage, Real Estate and Manufacturing, Construction, Agriculture and Agro-allied, Commodity distribution.
He was conferred with the National Honour of the member of the Order of the Niger(MON) in recognition of his contribution to the socio-economic development of Nigeria.
Abubakar, who is married with children, polled 648,045 votes to defeat his PDP opponent, Malam Aminu Ringim, who scored a total 479, 447 votes.
Abubakar emerged as APC governorship candidate on consensus arrangement. The governor elect will take over from Governor Sule Lamido of PDP.
Mallam Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai (Kaduna)
Mallam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai was born in Daudawa of Faskari Local Government Area in Katsina State on 16th February, 1960. He attended the prestigious Barewa College where he graduated at the top of the class, winning the coveted “Barewa Old Boys’ Association Academic Achievement” Trophy in 1976.
He proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to study Quantity Surveying and he later attended post-graduate programs at Harvard Business School and Georgetown University.
el-Rufai also obtained an LL.B degree from the University of London in 2008 and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University in June 2009.
He also received the Kennedy School Certificate in Public Policy and Management having spent 11 months as an Edward A. Mason Fellow in Public Policy and Management from July 2008 to June 2009.
He established a Quantity Surveying and Project Management Consulting firm in 1982 with three other partners after graduating with First Class from ABU. The petite trail blazer joined the public service as Director General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, the lead privatization agency in Nigeria.
He was also the former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory from 16th July, 2003 to 29th May, 2007. He is known as Mai Rusau(the demolisher), a name the Peoples Democratic Party campaign organisation tried to use to denigrate him during the campaigns, claiming that he was coming to Kaduna State to demolish houses. Unfortunately, the people of the state embraced that name and started calling him the ‘demolisher of the PDP’.
el-Rufai polled a total of 1,117,635 votes to defeat the incumbent governor and the Peoples Democratic candidate, Muhktar Yero, who scored 485,833 to come second. He emerged as APC governorship candidate after defeating four other aspirants in the primaries.
One of his sons, Bello, said of him: “He is not materialistic; the only thing that excites him are technological gadgets such as the new iPhone or a new computer. He is not into watches or shoes. He is quite simple. He is hard working too and he puts 100 per cent into everything he does.”
Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano)
Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje
Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was born at Ganduje, in Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, on December 25, 1949. He started his education at the Qur’anic and Islamiyya School at his village, Ganduje. He also attended Dawakin Tofa Primary School, Government Secondary School, Birnin Kudu, Advanced Teachers’ College, Kano, where he obtained the National Certificate of Education.
He proceeded to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to study Science Education. He obtained his first Master’s degree in Applied Educational Psychology from Bayero University Kano in 1979 and later returned to Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, from 1984 to 1985 for a Master’s in Public Administration.
Ganduje holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from the University of Ibadan.
The Kano Governor-elect started his career after his NYSC at the Kano State Ministry of Education as Education Officer II in 1976, and later in the same year he moved to Advanced Teachers’ College, Kano, to take up appointment as Lecturer I in Educational Psychology.
He has worked as a lecturer at the Bayero University, Kano, and Personnel Manager at Nornit Limited, Kano. In 1981, he joined the Federal Capital Development Authority as administrative officer and rose to the position of director, Planning, Research and Statistics in 1993.
During his 17-year service at FCDA, Ganduje held various positions, including Development Secretary of Kwalli Development Area, Sole Administrator, Abaji Area Council, and Chairman, Gwagwalada Area Council.
He served as Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport from January 1994 to November 1998 in the state. Ganduje was deputy governor during the first tenure of the current governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from 1999 to 2003, and his loyalty led to his appointment as Special Adviser (political) to the Minister of Defence between 2003 and 2007. He was Executive Secretary of Lake Chad Basin Commission before becoming deputy governor in 2011.
He polled 1,040,612 votes to defeat the PDP flagbearer who garnered 317,383 votes.
The governor-elect emerged winner of the APC primaries with 5,567 votes.
Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina)
Born in Kafur town of Katsina State on May 29, 1950, Aminu Bello Masari attended Kafur/Malumfashi Primary School, Government Secondary School, Funtua AWS Training School, Middlex Polytechnic, London, and the Administrative Staff College, Badagry. He has a Post Graduate Diploma in Water Quality Control and Management.
He started his career as Technical Assistant (Hydrology) in Katsina Ministry of Works in 1969 and rose to the position of Assistant General Manager (Operations) Katsina Water Board in 1991. He was Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Katsina Sta in 2003. Masari is married with children.
He defeated incumbent Governor Ibrahim Shema of PDP who scored 557,826 votes as against 907,056votes garnered by the APC in the governorship election in Katsina.
The Katsina Governor-elect emerged as APC gubernatorial candidate after defeating four other aspirants, including the younger brother of the late President Umar Yar’adua in the party’s primary election conducted in 2014.
Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi)
Abubakar Atiku Bagudu
Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, who was born 26th December, 1961, studied Economics at Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto and proceeded to University of Jos where he obtained Masters of Science in Economics. He also holds a Masters of Arts in International Affairs from Columbia University, USA.
He was elected Senator for the Kebbi Central constituency of Kebbi State, Nigeria in a by-election after Senator Adamu Aliero was appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in December 2008. He ran successfully for re-election in the April 2011 national election on theªdamu_Aliero”>Adamu Aliero was appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory in December 2008. He ran successfully for re-election in the April 2011 national election on the PDP platform.
He served as Chairman, Senate Committee on Education (6th National Assembly), 2008-2011; Senator, 6th National Assembly (2008 – 2011) as well as Director and Chairman of various companies.
Bagudu got 477, 376 votes to defeat PDP governorship candidate, Bello Sarkin-Yaki, who polled 293, 443 votes in the 2015 governorship election in the state.
Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara)
Born in Share, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State on December 29, 1963, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed is the incumbent governor of the state. He attended Government College, Funtua, Katsina State and School of Basic Studies of the Kwara State College of Technology (now Kwara State Polytechnic), Ilorin, for his ‘A’ Levels. He has a B. Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Ilorin and a Master of Business Administration from the same university.
Ahmed has worked at District Savings and Loans, Lagos; Guaranty Trust Bank Limited (now Guaranty Trust Bank Plc.); and Societe Generale Bank Nig. Ltd, before his appointment as Commissioner for Finance and Commissioner for Planning and Economic Development in the administration of then Governor Bukola Saraki.
He is married to his beau, Omolewa, and the union is blessed with children.
Ahmed polled 295,832 votes to defeat his closest opponent; Senator Sulaimon Ajibola of PDP who got 115,220 votes in the April 11 polls.
APC delegates in December 2014 endorsed him as governorship candidate.
Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos)
Akinwunmi Ambode was born in Epe, Lagos State, on June 14, 1963 into a Christian home.Akinwunmi Ambode, elected on the platform of APC, is a businessman, activist, former permanent secretary and former Accountant-General of Lagos State.
Ambode attended the University of Lagos, Wharton Business School, United States, Cranfield School of Management, United Kingdom, and Harvard Kennedy School of Government, United States.
He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria and a member of the Nigerian Institute of Management. After 27 years in the civil service, Ambode voluntarily retired in August 2012 and founded Brandsmiths Consulting Limited to provide Public Finance and Management Consulting services to government at all levels.
He also founded a non-profit organisation, La Roche Leadership Foundation, which aims, among other goals, to install Nigerian and Lagos State flags in all government-owned schools in Lagos State.
Ambode is married to Bolanle Patience (nee Odukomaiya) and the marriage is blessed with children. Ambode had 811,994votes to defeat his closet opponent, Jimi Agbaje of PDP, who polled 659,788votes in the just concluded polls. He polled 3,735 votes out the 5,700 delegates that voted in the primary election last year.
Umaru Tanko Al-Makura (Nasarawa)
Born in Lafia in September 1952, Umaru Tanko Al-Makura was re-elected on the platform of APC. He was the only governor elected on the platform of CPC in 2011.
Al-Makura attended Dunama Primary School, Lafia; Government Teachers College, Keffi; Advanced Teachers College, Uyo; and the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Education degree in Social Studies.
He started his career as a teacher at Government College, Makurdi, and later worked as Assistant News Producer at the then Broadcasting Corporation of Northern Nigeria after graduating from the university. He established Al-Makura Nigeria Limited, a civil and building engineering company in 1978. Joining mainstream politics in 1980 after years of r engagement as a student leader, Al-Makura was elected as youth leader of the defunct National Party of Nigeria in the old Plateau State.
He was elected into the Constituent Assembly in 1988 to represent Lafia/Obi Federal Constituency of the then Plateau State. Between 1990 and 1992, he served as secretary of the defunct National Republican Convention in the old Plateau State.
Almakura had 309,746 votes to beat Labaran Maku of APGA who polled 178,983 votes while the PDP candidate came third in the poll. The governor in the APC primary election scored 1,630 votes from the 2,543 delegates who participated to defeat two other candidates, Reuben Audu, and James Angbazo. While Audu scored 17 votes Angbazo got 73 votes.
Abubakar Sani-Bello (Niger)
Born on December 17, 1967, Abubakar Sani Bello is the son of a former military administrator of Kano State, Colonel Sani Bello. Bello attended St. Louis Primary School, Kano, the Nigerian Military School, Zaria, and the University of Maiduguri, where he got a B.Sc. in Economics. He did his NYSC with NICOTES in Port Harcourt between 1991 and 1992.
The Governor-elect was Commissioner for Commerce and Investment in the administration of the incumbent governor, Aliyu Babangida, from August 2009 to August 2010. He was alternate director, Broad Bank; board member, Broad Bank; alternate director, MTN; chairman/chief executive officer, Millennium Travels and Tours; Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Properties and Estates Limited; Director, Dornier Aviation Nigeria, AIEP Limited (DANA); and Chairman, Millennium Airtello.
He polled 593,702 votes to defeat the youngest and richest governorship candidate in 2015; Umar Nasko of the Peoples Democratic Party, who had 239,772 votes. In the APC primary election, he polled 3,829 votes to defeat Senator Musa Ibrahim who had 61 votes out of the total 3,932 votes cast in the election. He is married to Dr. Amina Abdulsalam and they are blessed with children.
Senator Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun)
Ibikunle Amosun
Born in Abeokuta on January 25, 1958, Senator Ibikunle Amosun is a chartered accountant by profession and the incumbent governor of Ogun State.
Amosun attended African Church Primary School, Abeokuta; African Church Grammar School, Abeokuta; Ogun State Polytechnic (now Moshood Abiola Polytechnic), Abeokuta; and the University of Westminster, London, where he got an MA in International Finance.
He started his career in 1984 as an Audit Trainee with Messrs J.A.A. Adeniyi & Co. (Chartered Accountants) and later joined Lanre Aremu & Co. (Chartered Accountants), where he rose to become a manager in 1989. He was also with XtraEdge Consulting as a senior consultant.
In 1990, he became an Associate Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. In the same year, he established the Accounting Firm of Ibikunle Amosun & Co. (Chartered Accountants). In 2003, he was inducted as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (FCA) and the Institute of Taxation (FITN).
He was in the Senate as Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District between 2003 and 2007. While in the senate, he served in the following capacities: chairman, Senate Committee on Commerce; member, Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs; member, Senate Committee on Appropriation; member, Senate Committee on Privatisation; and member, Senate Committee on Security and Intelligence.
Amosun is married to Olufunso and the union is blessed with five children.
Amosun got 306,988 votes to defeat the PDP governorship candidate and others. He emerged as APC Flagbearer unopposed.
Senator Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo)
Born in Ibadan on 16th December , 1949, Abiola Adeyemi Ajimobi is the incumbent governor of Oyo State. He attended St. Patrick Primary School, Abebi; ICC Primary School, Aperin for primary education and he proceeded to Lagelu Grammar School where he obtained Senior Secondary School Certificate.
Ajimobi has a B.Sc. in Business Administration and Finance from State University, New York in Buffalo and an MBA in Operations Research and Marketing from the Governor’s State University, Park Forest, Illinois.
He has worked with National Oil and Chemical Marketing Company, Shell International Oil Company, Shell International Storage Company of Togo, and Shell Marketing Company in Togo. In 2003, he voluntarily retired after 26 years of service in the oil and gas industry.
Ajimobi represented Oyo Central in the Senate from 2003-2007 under the platform of ANPP and served as Deputy Minority Leader. He was elected governor in 2011 on the platform of defunct Action Congress of Nigeria.
The governor polled 4,662 votes to defeat his opponent, Dr. Ayobami Adesina, son of former governor of the state, Alhaji Lam Adesina, who polled 22 votes in party’s primary election conducted in 2014.
He polled 327, 320 votes to emerge winner of 2015 governorship election in Oyo state. He was followed by Senator Rasheed Ladoja of Accord party who polled 254 520 votes, and was followed by Labour Party’s Adebayo Alao-Akala who got 187, 111 votes.
PDP’s Senator Teslim Folarin polled a distant 79,019 votes while the SDP candidate, Seyi Makinde got 54,740 votes.
His victory at the poll translated into his breaking the second term jinx, becoming the first person to be re-elected as governor in the pace setter state. He is married to Florence and the marriage is blessed with children.
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (Osun)
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was born on May 25, 1957 and contested for the governorship of The State of Osun in the 2007 election, although the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Olagunsoye Oyinlola was declared the winner.
Aregbesola appealed the decision and on 26th November, 2010, he was declared the winner.
He had his primary and secondary education in Ondo State and later attended The Polytechnic, Ibadan , where he studied Mechanical Engineering graduating in 1980. In the polytechnic, he positioned himself to conquer his environment by engaging in prolific studies.
He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management ( FNIM) , Fellow of Nigerian Society of Engineers (FNSE) , Fellow of the Nigerian Association of Technological Engineers ( FNATE) and Fellow of the Certified Marketing Communications Institute of Nigeria ( FCMCIN ).
Aregbesola has uncommon wealth of experience garnered through wide exposure in the private sector, such as the Nigerian External Telecommunications, now renamed Nigerian Telecommunications Ltd. and Lagos Airport Hotel, before establishing his own Engineering Services Company, Aurora Nigeria Limited in 1986.
The company had handled numerous major projects for both government and private organizations in most states of the federation. His involvement in politics dates back to his undergraduate days when he was Speaker of the Students ’Parliament ( 1977 /78) , The Polytechnic, Ibadan , and the President of the Black Nationalist Movement ( 1978- 1980 ).
He was also an active supporter of other progressive students ’ movements nationwide, and this earned him , for instance, the life membership of National Association of Technological Students.
In June 1990, he became an elected delegate to the SDP Inaugural Local Government Area Congress. He was also a delegate to its first National Convention in Abuja.
He served as Lagos state Commissioner for Works and Infrastructures from 2003-2007.
He won his re-election with 394,684 votes, defeating Senator Iyiola Omisore of PDP who had 292, 747 votes in the August 2014 governorship poll in Osun state.
Simon Lalong (Plateau)
Simon Bako Lalong was born in Ajikamai village of Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State on May 5, 1963. Lalong attended RCM Primary School, Shendam; Government Secondary School, Shendam; School of Preliminary Studies, Keffi; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he graduated with a degree in Law (LLB); and the Nigerian Law School. He has a Master’s degree in Law (LLM) from the University of Jos.
He started his professional career with the T-Obot & Co, Legal Practitioners, Jos, after his NYSC programme at the legal unit of the FCDA, Abuja. He also worked with Victor Famwul & Co as managing partner.
In 1999, Lalong was elected into the House of Assembly (Shendam Constituency), and he later became Speaker of the Assembly. He was two-term Chairman, Conference of Speakers, a forum of all the Assembly speakers across Nigeria. He left the political circles briefly, before bouncing back to win the April 11 election.
Lalong scored 537,050 to beat the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the election, Senator Gyang Pwajok, who polled 501,938. He also had 2,222votes out of the 2,964 vote cast during APC governorship primary election.
Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto)
Born in Tambuwal town, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State on January 10, 1966, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, a lawyer and member of APC, is the current Speaker of the House of Representatives.
He attended Tambuwal Primary School, Government Teachers’ College, Dogon-Daji, in Tambuwal Local Government Area and Usmanu DanFodio University, Sokoto, where he had an LLB (Hons) degree in 1991. Tambuwal was called to the Bar in 1992 after the one year compulsory legal studies at the Nigerian Law School, Lagos.
Tambuwal began his law practice in Sokoto and served as public relations officer of the Nigerian Bar Association, Sokoto State chapter, between 1996 and 1997.
He was a member of the Constitution Review Committee of the NBA between 1997 and 1998, Sokoto branch secretary of the NBA in 1998, and assistant national financial secretary of NBA (1998–2000).
Tambuwal worked as personal assistant on legislative affairs to Senator Abdallah Wali, the then Senate Leader. In 2003, he was elected into the House of Representatives to represent Kebbe/Tambuwal Federal Constituency, and he became the Minority Leader of the House.
He was elected Speaker, Federal House of Representatives in 2011, having won his third term re-election to represent his constituency.
He had 647,609votes while PDP governorship candidate polled 269,074 votes in the just concluded general elections. Tambuwal also defeated four other aspirants to emerge as APC governorship flagbearer in Sokoto state.
Ibrahim Gaidam (Yobe)
Ibrahim Gaidam
Born in Bukarti town, Yunusari Local Government Area of Yobe State on 15th September, 1956, Ibrahim Gaidam is the current governor of the state.
Gaidam attended Yunusari Primary School, Borno Teachers College, Maiduguri, and the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Accountancy.
Gaidam is a member of the Certified Public Accountants of Nigeria and a fellow of the Certified National Accountants of Nigeria. He is married with children.
He has had a public career that spans nearly 30 years and rose from a classroom teacher to become audit officer and accountant in various government ministries in the old Borno State and present Yobe State.
Gaidam was assistant director of finance in the defunct Directorate of Foods, Roads and Rural Infrastructure (DFFRI) and acting director of finance and supplies in the Yobe State Information and Culture Ministry.
He served as Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Commissioner for Commerce and Industries, and director, Ministry of Finance, as well as Permanent Secretary in various ministries.
In April 2007, he became deputy governor of Yobe State and served for 19 months before he was sworn in as governor on January 27, 2009 following the passage of Governor Mamman Ali. The Yobe governor won re-election with 334, 847 votes to defeat Mr Adamu Maina Waziri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 179, 700 votes.
He emerged as party’s governorship candidate unopposed.
Abdul-Aziz Yari Abubakar (Zamfara)
Born in the present-day Zamfara State on January 1, 1969, Abdul-Aziz Yari Abubakar, an APC member, was re-elected for a second term at the April 11 election.
He has been in active politics since the inception of the Fourth Republic in 1999 when he was elected House of Representatives member for Talata Mafara/Anka Federal Constituency.
The governor served in the administration of former Governor Ahmed Sani Yerima.
He is married to Hajia Asmau Abdulaziz and they have children. The governor had 716,964votes, defeating his father-in-law who is the PDP candidate, Alhaji Mamuda Aliyu Shinkafi, who scored 201,938 votes. He had emerged as party flagbearer unopposed.
