Biggest losers in National Assembly races

Like a cyclone, Peter Obi’s wave on February 25 swept through the South-East, parts of the South-South and Lagos, and reshaped the political landscape of Nigeria.

Those who dismissed the move as “social media” noise were shocked and embarrassed by the numbers emerging from the polling unit.

The former governor of Anambra State, who was the candidate of the Labor Party in the presidential election, got more than six million votes for the third position. The party has also been taken 40 seats in the National Assembly of the results so far announced.

This achievement was achieved by handing defeat to the candidates who were considered as “institutions”, and the concept of structures and fortresses was separated to some extent.

As of now, six Labor Party senators and 34 representatives are the third largest caucus of MPs elected to the 10th Assembly.

Here are some of the main victims of election fraud.

Bankole Wellington (Bank W)

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Eti Osa Federal Constituency of Lagos State has once again lost his bid for a seat in the House of Representatives, this time to an unknown Labor Party candidate, Attah Thaddeus.

The Labor Party candidate polled 24,075 votes against Mr Wellington who polled 18,666 votes.

Many believe that the election will be a rematch from the 2019 election, when Babajide Obanikoro and Mr Wellignton advanced. However, the infamous Mr. Thaddeus steps in to claim the prize.

Mr. Thaddeus’ victory has generated mixed reactions on social media as Mr. Wellington, a popular Afro-beat superstar, is also popular among the youth, a demographic considered to be the core of the “Obidients”.

Unfortunately, Mr. Wellington fell victim to the “top to bottom” style of voting. Surprisingly many of our celebrity friends did not take the election results well.

Controversial radio personality, Ifedayo Olarinde, popularly known as Daddy Freeze, in a video posted on social media, admit that Mr. Thaddeus did not campaign but the election was rigged in his favour.

Toke Makinwa, another celebrity friend of Mr Wellignton, also took to social media to express his support for the PDP candidate, while also taking a dig at Mr Thaddeus, saying: “We don’t know people”.

thought Ewenife

The senator representing Anambra South also fell for the Obident wave. However, he is lose by a familiar opponent, Victor Umeh, the candidate of the Labor Party.

Mr. Umeh polled 103,608 votes, while Dozie Nwankwo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was the runner-up with 69,702 votes, and the incumbent came third with 49,532 votes.

The rivalry between Ms Ekwenife and Mr Umeh goes back to 2015 when the two first fought for the senatorial seat. Ms Ekwuenife won the first bout and repeated the feat in 2019.

This time, the Obident movement came to Mr. Umeh’s rescue. With a wide margin, Ms Ekwenife was quick to accept defeat and congratulate her opponent.

Stella Oduah/Ebele Obiano

In Anambra North Senatorial District, the two “heavyweights” – Stella Oduah of the PDP, the incumbent senator and the former First Lady of the state, Ebele Obiano of the APGA, were swept away by Tony Nwoye of the Labor Party.

Mr Nwoye, a former gubernatorial candidate in the state, polled 94,779 votes to defeat Ms Oduah who polled 50,146 votes and Mrs Obiano who polled 48,212 votes.

Ms Oduah, former Minister of Aviation in the middle of a 2013 N225 million car scandalhas been in the Senate since 2015, when Mrs Obiano left Government House with her husband last year after scandalous fist fight with Bianca Ojukwu.

Ndudi Elumelu

The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, who represents the Anochia/Oshimili federal constituency in Delta State, was also defeated on Saturday by the Labor Party candidate, Ngozie Okolie, who polled 53,879 votes to Mr Elumelu’s 33,456 votes.

Mr. Elumelu is not the biggest political figure to fall in the country. The PDP vice presidential candidate, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, also failed to deliver the state to his party.

The Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly and son of former Governor Theodore Orji had a nightmare experience on Saturday as his bid to move to the National Assembly was cut short by Obi Aguocha of the Labor Party.

Aguocha won the Umuahia Federal constituency seat with 48,199 votes to defeat Mr. Orji, who got 35,196 votes.

Ifeanyi Ugwanyi

The Governor of Enugu State will not go to the National Assembly this year as he was defeated in the senatorial race by Okechukwu Ezea of ​​the Labor Party.

Mr. Ezea polled 104,492 votes to emerge as Senator-elect for Enugu North Senatorial District. Mr. Ugwanyi polled 46,948 votes to return second.

The governor, a member of the rebel G5 governors, is a former member of the House of Representatives. His attempt to retire to the Red Chamber was cut off by a wave of Obident.

Nkerukah Onyejeocha

The deputy chief whip of the DPR also lost his re-election bid to the Labor Party candidate, Amobi Ogah.

Ms Onyejeocha has represented Isuikwuato/Umunneochi federal constituency in Abia State since 2007. However, her 8,752 votes were not enough for the 11,822 votes scored by Mr Ogah.

Ms Onyejeocha, who decamped to APC in 2018 was also a victim of the Obident wave in the South East.

Meanwhile, some remaining MPs and candidates also collapsed, not necessarily in relation to the Obi Wave. In some cases, local politics cost for seats

Birthday of the Savior

The senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial was also swept away on February 25, though not by the Obident wave.

The former Senate minority leader, who polled 36,191, was defeated by former newspaper catonist, Yemi Adaramodu of APC, who polled 63,189.

Ms Olujimi is a victim of the division in the PDP in Ekiti State, because the rivalry between her and former Governor Ayodele Fayose has weakened the party in the state.

Last year, the PDP lost the governorship election and was swept away.

Although, the same thing happened to her in 2019, when she was defeated by Dayo Adeyeye of APC, but the court nullified the election and later declared Ms Olujimi the winner.

Bashiru Ajibola

Mr. Ajibola, a former university don, was also defeated in Osun State. In that case, he was a victim of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s wave in the state.

Governor Adeleke, whose election was annulled by the state gubernatorial election petition court, appears ready to show his opponents that he is responsible before the Court of Appeal decides the appeal.

The PDP won the presidential election and all the National Assembly seats in the state – Mr. Ajibola, who was the Senate speaker, was one of the victims of the takeover.

Mr. Bashiru lost to Fadeyi Olubiyi of PDP.

Mr. Ilubiyi polled 134,229 votes to defeat Mr. Bashiru, who got 117,609 votes.

Average Ikpeazu

The governor of Abia State also lost his senatorial bid as he was defeated by former Senate Minority Leader, Eyinnanya Abaribe of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The former minority leader got 49,903 votes, while the governor had 28,422 votes, coming third after the Labor Party (LP) candidate, Chinedu Onyeizu, who got 43,903.

Mr. Abaribe left the PDP in 2022 after the party’s “zoning” arrangement put him out of the governorship race, and he moved to APGA to seek re-election to the Senate.

Ben Ayade

The governor of Cross River lost his bid to the National Assembly as he was defeated by the current senator for Cross River North, Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe of the PDP.

Mr. Ayade, who was in the Senate between 2011 and 2015, polled 56,595 votes against Mr. Jarigbe of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 76,145 votes.

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Surprisingly, Mr. Ayade was the only one who lost among the party’s three senatorial candidates in the state.

The governor is leaving the PDP in 2021 for the ruling party, and Saturday’s election is the first time he has contested an election outside the PDP.