Since President Bola Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, eight governorship elections have been conducted across Nigeria. The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) won five of them, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the Accord Party each claimed one, according to a report by Legit.ng.
A combined total of 4,875,767 votes were cast across all eight states. The APC accumulated 2,618,585 of those votes, representing 53.7% of the total ballots cast. The results indicate that opposition parties have struggled to challenge the APC on the campaign trail.
Bayelsa and Imo: PDP Holds Bayelsa, APC Dominates Imo
In Bayelsa, the PDP held its ground. Governor Duoye Diri defeated APC's Timipre Sylva, polling 175,196 votes against Sylva's 110,108. It was one of only two contests where the APC failed to finish first.
Imo told a different story. Governor Hope Uzodinma of the APC crushed the opposition, winning with 540,008 votes. The PDP candidate, Sam Anyawu, managed just 71,503 votes, leaving a massive gap between the two parties.
Kogi and Edo: Competitive Races in the North and South
In Kogi, APC's Usman Ododo won comfortably with 446,237 votes. The Social Democratic Party's Murtala Ajaka came second with 259,052 votes, making it one of the more competitive contests despite the APC's comfortable margin.
Edo produced a tight race. Monday Okpebolo of the APC won with 291,667 votes, narrowly defeating PDP's Asue Ighodalo who polled 247,274. The difference of roughly 44,000 votes made Edo the closest election of the eight.
Ondo and Anambra: Incumbents Retain Power
Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa of the APC retained Ondo with 366,781 votes, while PDP's Agboola Ajayi trailed significantly on 117,845 votes.
In Anambra, incumbent Governor Charles Soludo retained power under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), winning 422,664 votes. The APC's Ifeanyi Ukachukwu could only manage 99,445, finishing a distant second.
Ekiti and Osun: Landslide and Upset
Ekiti produced the most lopsided result. Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the APC won with 319,224 votes, while PDP's Kolade Oluyede received just 40,543, the lowest vote total recorded by any second-place finisher across the eight elections.
Osun delivered the biggest upset. Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, now running under the Accord Party, defeated APC's Bola Oyebamiji by polling 511,067 votes against the APC's 444,815, one of the highest vote totals of any candidate in the entire group of elections.
Overall Picture of Elections Under Tinubu
Of the eight governorship elections conducted under Tinubu's presidency, the APC won in Imo, Kogi, Edo, Ondo, and Ekiti. The PDP held Bayelsa. APGA retained Anambra. And Osun went to the Accord Party, which knocked out the APC in a state the ruling party had previously held. Source: Legit.ng.
