The incumbent Governor of Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, has suffered a setback in his bid to go to the senate after losing to the candidate of the Labour Party, Okechukwu Ezea, in Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Ugwuanyi, who is on the verge of completing his 2 terms of 8 years as the Enugu State Governor, had represented Udenu/Igbo-Eze North Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives for 3 terms of 12 years.
According to the results of the election announced Sunday evening by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Labour Party candidate, Okey Ezea, defeated Ugwuanyi, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to emerge Senator-Elect for Enugu North Senatorial District.
Cross Rivers State Governor loses senatorial bid
In a related development, Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River has suffered defeat in his bid to return to the Senate after completing his tenure as governor.
Ayade who is rounding up his second term as governor was in the Senate from 2011 to 2015 and had hoped to return to the role as Senator representing Cross River North.
The governor was, however, defeated by the incumbent, Senator Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe of the PDP, who got 76,145 votes, while Ayade polled 56,595.
The INEC returning officer for the senatorial district, Dr. Emmanuel Emanghe said, “By the powers conferred on me as the Returning Officer of the Northern Senatorial District, I hereby announce Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe of the Peoples Democratic Party elected for the Northern Senatorial District.’’
Governor Ayade came into the political limelight as a member of the PDP. He was elected into the Senate in 2011 as a candidate of the party in 2011 and as Governor in 2015. He was also re-elected governor as a PDP member.
The governor, however, defected to the All Progressives Congress in 2021. Agom-Jarigbe, however, chose to remain the PDP.