Governorship Candidates Who Followed Jonathan’s Example

Last Saturday, March 9th, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, conducted the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections across the country.

Out of the 36 states in the country, election held in 29 states. This is because the governors in the 9 remaining states are yet to complete their four year term.

So far, INEC has announced the official results of the governorship election in 22 states.

While the results of five states were declared inconclusive (Benue, Adamawa, Sokoto, Plateau, Bauchi), the electoral body suspended the electoral process in two states (Rivers and Kano) over electoral violence and disruption in the electoral process.

Below is a list of states where winners of the governorship election have been announced by the electoral body:

List Of States Where INEC Announced Winners:

States where losers conceded defeat from thewhistlerng

As the results trickled in, some governorship candidates who lost the election, conceded defeat by congratulating their counterparts while others rejected the results.

Those who conceded defeat to congratulate the winners are believed to have followed the tradition started by former President Goodluck Jonathan who conceded defeat to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election even before the final result was announced.

The states where gubernatorial candidates who lost conceded defeat are: Ogun, Gombe, Oyo, Lagos and Kwara state.

OGUN STATE

Although Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), the closest contender to the governor elect, APC’s Dapo Abiodun did not concede defeat, candidate of the PDP, Buruji Kashamu who is also a major force in Ogun politics conceded.

Kashamu said that he lost to Abiodun because he was in and out of court during the campaign/election period.

Abiodun scored a total of 241,670 votes to clinch victory while Akinlade came second with 222,153 votes.

Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came third with 110,422 votes while Kashamu, who scored 70,290 votes, was fourth.

“Yes, it was a struggle against arbitrariness, injustice and the overbearing attitude of some of our political actors. We put in our best. But, from the outcome of the election, our best was not good enough.

“It was clear to all that while our opponents were on the field, we spent most of the time going in and out of court because some persons thought they could use their wealth to ride roughshod over us. We thank God that they did not succeed. We fought like men and contested the election against all odds,” Kashamu said in a statement.

GOMBE STATE

In Gombe, Alhaji Bayero Nafada, the governorship candidate of the PDP congratulated Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya of APC.

Nafada said he had no intention of going to court because that was not in his agenda.

“Going to court is not on my agenda, but I don’t know what the party will do.

“But I want to use this medium and opportunity to congratulate him,” he said while speaking with NAN reporters.

Yahaya had polled 364,179 votes in the election, while Nadafa scored a total of 222,868 votes.

OYO STATE

The gubernatorial candidate of the ruling APC, Mr. Adebayo Adelabu congratulated PDP candidate, Engineer Seyi Makinde who emerged winner in the election.

Makinde had defeated Adelabu with a total of 157,639 votes.

He had secured a total of 515, 621 votes to defeat Adelabu who scored a total of 357,982 votes.

In a statement issued shortly after the results were announced, Adelabu said, “While my party is studying the incidents of violence and various reported cases of electoral malpractices to determine further course of action if necessary.

“I congratulate Seyi Makinde of PDP.”

Similarly, the state governor, Abiola Ajimobi offered to extend a hand of fellowship to the governor elect.

“While congratulating you and wishing you a successful tenure, I enjoin you to focus on the sustained development of our state in the areas of peace, security, as well as safety of lives and property that the state has enjoyed in the last eight years.

“I extend to you the right hand of fellowship and promise to avail you my wealth of experience on critical developmental and governance matrix for the continued growth of our dear state and for the betterment of the lives of the entire citizens of the state,” he said.

LAGOS STATE

Jimi Agbaje of the PDP conceded defeat by congratulating APC’s Babajide Sanwo-Olu for winning the governorship poll in Lagos.

Sanwo-Olu polled 739,445 votes to defeat Jimi Agbaje of the PDP, who polled 206,141 votes.

Sanwo-Olu, on his twitter handle said at exactly 19:07pm, Agbaje called him to congratulate him on his victory at the poll.

“At exactly 19:07pm, I received a call. Thank you @jimiagbaje for your congratulatory call filled with kind words. It was an intense campaign and I am happy we can now focus on the very important job at hand; delivering a Lagos that works for all,” he said.

KWARA STATE

Shortly after APC’s Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, was declared as the winner, the Senate president, Bukola Saraki, sent his congratulatory message.

Recall that the former Kwara governor and political force in the state had fielded defeated PDP candidate, Hon. Razak Atunwa.

Similarly, Atunwa while conceding defeat said of AbdulRazaq, “Your commitment and dedication is heart-warming. You all gave your best. We are all winners in the process of democracy.

“While the party considers its next line of action, and without prejudice to any legal process, I offer my congratulations to AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

“I pray that Kwara will continue to be a state of harmony and witness further development in the next administration. My utmost gratitude goes to Almighty God for His blessings.”

Many Nigerians are of the belief that politicians can help consolidate the country’s democracy if they always recognize that there must be a winner in any contest. Conceding defeat and congratulating the winner is a globally recognized democratic culture.

Nigeria stepped on this threshold of civilized democracy when President Jonathan congratulated Buhari minutes before the last result came in after a hard fought election.