Top Northern politicians who lost their bids to be elected to the National Assembly

Several famous politicians were defeated in the end National Assembly. PREMIUM TIMES looks at those who lost the bid.

Kabiru Gaya

Kabiru Gaya’s 16-year reign in the Senate was ended by Kawu Sumaila, a former member of the House of Representatives of the new Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP).

Mr. Gaya, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate scored 192,518 votes but it was not enough to defeat Mr. Kawu, who got 312,857 to represent Kano South Senatorial district.

Abubakar Bagudu

Kebbi State Governor, Abubakar Bagudu, lost to his godfather and former state governor, Adamu Aliero in the contest for who will represent Kebbi Central Senatorial district in the 10th assembly.

Mr. Aliero got 126,588 votes while the governor got 92,389 votes.

Mr. Bagudu was in the senate in 2008. Mr. Aliero has been in the senate since 2015.

When he realized that Mr. Bagudu would be eyeing the Senatorial seat, Mr. Aliero left APC for PDP and has now won the party.

Bala Ibnu Na’Allah

Another popular senator who lost his re-election bid is Bala Ibn Na’Allah of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He lost to Garba Maidoki of the PDP in the contest for representative of Kebbi South District in the Senate.

Mr. Na’Allah got 70,785, while Mr. Maidoki got 75,232 votes to win the seat.

Gabriel Suwam

Gabriel Suswam, the former governor of Benue State lost to Emmanuel Udende of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the contest to elect a senator for Benue North East Senatorial District.

Mr. Suswam, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) got 103,303 votes, while Mr. Udende polled 141,405, to win.

Ahmad Babba-Kaita

The defeat was perhaps the biggest shock in Katsina State given its popularity. Ahmad Babba-Kaita, the Katsina North senator of PDP lost his re-election bid to Nasir Zangon-Daura of APC.

Mr. Babba-Kaita had a running battle with both President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Aminu Masari, which led to his exit from the APC.

He scored 163,586 while Mr. Zangon-Daura got a total of 174,062 votes.

Samuel Ortom

One of the most significant distractions in this election season is the fact that the governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom lost his senatorial bid.

Mr. Ortom, a PDP member, called on his supporters to vote for Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labor Party, in protest against Atiku Abubakar (his party’s presidential candidate). But in the Benue North West contest, Mr. Ortom was defeated by APC’s Titus Zam.

Mr. Zam polled 143,152 while Mr. Ortom got 106,882.

What makes the contest interesting is that Mr. Zam was the Special Adviser on Local Government Affairs to Mr. Ortom from 2015 to 2018 but resigned when the governor defected from APC to PDP.

Simon Lang

The governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, is one of the other influential politicians who failed to defect to the national assembly.

Mr. Lalong, who contested in the APC, scored 91,674 but was defeated by the PDP candidate, Napoleon Bali, who scored 148,844.

Mr. Lalong not only failed to become a senator representing Plateau state, but his party also lost to the Labor Party in the presidential election, even though he was the director general of the APC presidential campaign council.

Darius Ishaku

Another disappointment is how the Taraba state governor failed in his bid to secure the Taraba South senatorial seat under the PDP.

He lost to APC’s David Jimkuta, who got 85,415 votes while Mr. Ishaku polled 45,708.

Tanko Al Makura

Tanko Al Makura, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senatorial contestant for Nasarawa South, has failed to get re-elected for a second term in the Senate.

Mr. Makura, who ruled Nasarawa State for two terms, got 76,813 votes and lost to PDP’s Mohammed Onawo, who got a total of 93,064 votes.