Published 1st May, 2023

By Tola Owoyele

When Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999, governorship elections were simultaneously conducted in all the 36 states of the federation.

On May 29, 1999, all the newly elected governors were also sworn-in in their different states, and at the same time.

From 2003, however, things took a different turn in eight states as election results got overturned by election petition tribunals, forcing candidates who had been previously announced as winners at the polls to be removed from office. These developments also led to the newly declared winners being awarded with a fresh four-year term.

Here is how the eight affected states attained the off-cycle status in governorship elections.

ANAMBRA

Anambra became the first state in Nigeria to have a different governorship election date different from others in 2003.

During the period, Peter Obi, candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), petitioned a tribunal to contest the result that had initially seen Chris Ngige, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), get declared as winner of the state’s governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

After a protracted legal battle, the tribunal annulled Ngige’s victory in August 2005. Ngige fought the tribunal’s ruling but eventually lost in March 2006, paving the way for Obi to become governor.

Since the development, subsequent governorship elections in Anambra have been conducted in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.

The next governorship election in the state will be held in 2026.

BAYELSA

In 2007, Timipre Sylva, candidate of the PDP, was declared winner of Bayelsa State’s governorship election. In the same year, Ebitimi Amgbare, Sylva’s opponent and candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), challenged the election outcome in court.

When Amgbare lost at the tribunal, he went to the Court of Appeal to challenge the initial ruling. The step he took would alter the state’s election calendar, as the court ruled in his favour and ordered that a fresh election be conducted in the state in 2008.

Sylva won the freshly conducted election and returned to office. The next governorship election in the state will take place on November 11, 2023.

EDO

On April 14, 2007, Oserheimen Osunbor, candidate of the PDP, was declared winner of the Edo State governorship election. After Osunbor’s victory, Adams Oshiomhole, the ACN candidate who was said to have come second at the polls, challenged the outcome in court.

Osunbor’s reign as governor was short-lived when both the tribunal and Court of Appeal handed victory to Oshiomhole in 2008.

Since the ruling, governorship elections in the state have been conducted in 2012, 2016 and 2020. The next governorship election in the state will hold in 2024.

EKITI

In April 2007, Segun Oni, candidate of the PDP was declared winner of the governorship election in Ekiti State.

After the declaration made by INEC, Kayode Fayemi, Oni’s main opponent and candidate of the ACN, petitioned the tribunal on the election result.

Oni was eventually removed from office in October 2010, after three years in office, when an appeal court ruled in Fayemi’s favour.

Subsequent governorship elections in the state have been held in 2014, 2018 and 2022.

IMO

Since 1999, Imo had always maintained a regular governorship election calendar like most states in the country.

In 2019, however, the state’s governorship election timeline got disrupted when Hope Uzodinma, candidate of the All Peoples Congress (APC), who was alleged to have finished fourth in the polls, challenged the victory of Emeka Ihedioha, candidate of the PDP, in court.

On January 14, 2020, the supreme court declared Uzodimma the duly elected governor of the state. The court held that results from 388 polling units were wrongly excluded from votes the electorate had cast in Uzodimma’s favour.

The next governorship election in the state is expected to be held in 2024.

KOGI

In 2007, Ibrahim Idris, who was then the incumbent governor of Kogi State and candidate of the PDP, was declared winner of the governorship election in the state.

After Idris’ re-election, Abubakar Audu, candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), petitioned the tribunal with a complaint that his name had been wrongfully excluded from the list of candidates that were supposed to contest at the polls.

On February 6, 2008, a court of appeal nullified the polls and ordered that a fresh election be conducted.

On March 29, 2008, Idris was returned as the Governor of Kogi State.

The next governorship election in the state is scheduled to hold on November 11, 2023.

ONDO

In 2007, Olusegun Agagu, Ondo State’s incumbent governor and candidate of the PDP, was announced as the winner of the state’s polls. His re-election would, however, be challenged by Olusegun Mimiko, the then candidate of the Labour Party, in court.

Agagu’s re-election would eventually be overturned by both the tribunal and the Court of Appeal in 2009, when Mimiko was declared the actual winner of the polls.

The last governorship election in the state was held in October 2020.

OSUN

In 2007, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, candidate of the PDP, was declared winner of the gubernatorial election that was held in Osun State. After Oyinlola’s victory, Rauf Aregbesola, candidate of the ACN, challenged the election outcome in court.

After three years of legal battle, an appeal court eventually recognised Aregesola as the real winner of the election in November 2010.

The last governorship election in the state was conducted in July, 2022.

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