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Meet the 28 new, returning governors

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Congratulations are in order, it would seem, as more than two dozen states inaugurated the winners of their March 18 governorship elections and April 15 reruns. Today, they took their oaths of office with expectations of them as high as ever.

But the epoch-making events did not include eight states — that is, Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, and Osun — for which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct off-cycle elections at various times within the next three years to determine their governors.

Making up the “Class of 2023” governors are 18 newbies and 10 returnees — despite a handful of them still in the process of defending their victories at their respective Election Petitions Tribunals.

Here is a quick look at each one of “Their Excellencies” who made history today:

Turning A New Page
Alex Otti (Abia): The Isiala-ngwa native has served as a Group Managing Director of Diamond Bank Plc. After losing to outgoing governor Okezie Ikpeazu of the PDP in the 2015 and 2019 elections, the 58-year-old won by a landslide this year, as the candidate of the Labour Party.

 Abia State Governor Alex Otti. (Photo:

Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom): The 59-year-old founder of All Nations Christian Ministry International served as the Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Lands and Water Resources. He was elected under the PDP with the full backing of outgoing governor Udom Emmanuel.

Umo En

Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia (Benue): After earning a Diploma in Religious studies (1987) from St. Augustine’s Major Seminary, Jos and a BA in Sacred Theology (1990), he was ordained a Catholic Priest on July 7, 1990. The 57-year-old was elected under the APC.

Benue Governor, Fr Hyacinth Alia

Bassey Otu (Cross River): Since 2003, he has represented the Calabar Municipal/Odukpani in the House of Representatives and Cross River South. He defected from the PDP to the APC in 2016 and now assumes office as governor at the age of 63.

Bassey Otu

Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta): Oborevwori, 60, has served as a member of the Delta State House of Assembly under the PDP since 2015. He held office as the speaker in 2017 after Monday Igbuya’s impeachment and was re-elected in 2019 as the representative of Okpe State Constituency.

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 Oborevwori Sheriff.

Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi): This two-term speaker of the Ebonyi State legislature hails from Oferekpe Agbaja in the Izzi LGA of Ebonyi State. The 48-year old takes over with the exit of outgoing governor Dave Umahi.

 Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru

Peter Mbah (Enugu): The founder and CEO of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Ltd, he comes from Owo under the Nkanu East LGA. The maritime lawyer and financial analyst, 51, triumphed at the Enugu poll as the PDP candidate.

Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah

Umar Namadi (Jigawa): Having served as the deputy governor of Jigawa State from 2019 to date, the sexagenarian levels up to replace his principal, Mohammed Abubakar. He is the founder of Namadi, Umar & Co Chartered Accountants firm and pioneer Head of Dangote Group Management Accounts Department.

Umar Namadi

Uba Sani (Kaduna): The 52-year-old’s political background includes his service as Kaduna Central senator from 2019 till 2023. He is also a former National Vice Chairman (North) of Campaign for Democracy.


Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani

Abba Yusuf (Kano): This civil engineering graduate of Federal Polytechnic, Mubi, Gongola State (now Adamawa) served as Kano State Commissioner of Works, Housing and Transport between 2011 and 2015. At 60, he is the first NNPP governor.

Abba-Kabir-Yusuf
Governor of Kano State, Abba Yusuf, gives his acceptance speech in Kano following his victory in the March 18 governorship poll in the state.

Dikko Radda (Katsina): He is a former director-general of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) and served as APC National Welfare Secretary soon after the party was formed in 2013. The 53-year-old succeeds Aminu Masari.

Nasir Idris (Kebbi): He held office as a national president of the Nigerian Union of Teachers and deputy president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Idris. Aged 57, he was elected in the recent elections as the APC candidate.

Umar Bago (Niger): After years of experience in the banking sector, he won a seat in the House of Representatives in 2011. The 49-year-old graduate of Federal University of Technology Minna contested for Speaker in the 9th National Assembly, emerging as the runner-up to eventual winner Femi Gbajabiamila.

Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau): The 58-year-old is a former LGA Chairman of Mangu, Plateau State. His administration sees the state’s return to the PDP after eight years under the APC’s Simon Lalong.

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Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers): Until his emergence as the Rivers PDP governorship candidate in 2022, Fubara was the former accountant general of the state. The native of Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro LGA of Rivers State coasted to victory at the recent polls.

Ahmad Aliyu (Sokoto): This 53-year-old was the deputy governor of Sokoto State from 2015 until his resignation in 2018. He has also served as a chief accountant at the Local Government Service Commission, a commissioner and the Executive Secretary of the Police Trust Fund.

Kefas Agbu (Taraba): He is a retired army lieutenant colonel with 21 years of service. At the age of 52, Agbu has experience serving as chairman of the governing board of directors at Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency and as a member of the Presidential Committee on North-East Initiative (2016-2019).

Dauda Lawal (Zamfara): A banker, the 57-year-old holds a PhD in business administration from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto and was former CBN governor Lamido Sanusi’s special adviser on Islamic banking.

The Final Chapter
Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa): The 55-year-old was Speaker of the Adamawa State House of Assembly between 2014 and 2015. The impeachment of Governor Murtala Nyako in July 2014 led to his emergence as acting governor, serving until 1 October 2014. He was elected in 2019 by a hair’s breadth, a scenario which seemed to play out again this year.

Prior to becoming governor of Bauchi State in 2019, he was minister of the FCT from 2010 to 2015, and Senator for Bauchi South from 2007 to 2010. At 64, he has held several prominent roles including as Principal Administration Officer in the Presidency from 1994 till 1995.

Babagana Zulum (Borno): After joining the University of Maiduguri in 2000, he rose to the rank of professor and acting Dean, Faculty of Engineering by 2011. He served as Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement from 2015 till 2018 and was elected as governor under the APC in 2019. He is 53 years old.

Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe): The 61-year-old served as managing director of A.Y.U Civil Engineering Company Ltd from 1993 to 1999 and was appointed as Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development in 2003. Though he was the Gombe APC governorship candidate in 2015, it wasn’t until the 2019 election that he would win his first term.

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AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara): As the Congress for Progressive Change candidate, he lost a string of governorship elections between 2003 and 2011. Since joining the APC, the now-63-year-old’s tenacity appears to have paid off as he takes the oath for his second and final term.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos): The inauguration of the former Lagos State Property Development Corporation boss comes on the heels of perhaps the most heated governorship race the state has ever seen. In the wake of a markedly violent, ethnically charged election, the 57-year-old is hoping to close out his tenure, while ensuring the state remains in the APC’s firm grasp.

Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa): From 1989, he worked for several companies in the US before returning to Nigeria in 2000 to co-found Sadiq Petroleum Nigeria Limited. The company won a bid to acquire African Petroleum (AP) Plc and he became the CEO of AP in 2001. Before running in 2019, he was announced as substantive Group Managing Director (GMD) of Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc.

Dapo Abiodun (Ogun): Prior to his assumption of office, he founded First Power Limited and served as managing director of Heyden Petroleum as well as board chairman of the Corporate Affairs Commission. He is 62 years old.

Seyi Makinde (Oyo): In 1997, he established Makon Engineering and Technical Services (METS) at the age of 29, after having earned years of work experience at international oil and gas companies. His victory in 2019 under the PDP came after his 2015 loss as the SDP candidate. He is now aged 55.

Mai Mala Buni (Yobe): After completing his secondary education, he ventured into business at a young age and returned to school years later, receiving his Diploma from the College of Vocational Science and Technology in 2012. Two years later, the entrepreneur turned politician became the first elected APC National Secretary. At 55 years of age, he has also served as Caretaker Chairman of the party (2020-2022).

 

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Two Oyo commissioner, special adviser resign

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Two senior officials in the Oyo State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning have resigned their appointments from Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration.

The officials are Ayobami Ojo, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, and Simeon Oyeleke, the ministry’s Special Adviser on Budget and Economic Planning.

In separate letters dated November 2, and addressed to Mr Makinde, both officials said their resignations would take effect immediately, while thanking the governor for the opportunity to serve but did not give specific reasons for their decisions.

In his letter, Ojo referred to his appointment letter dated 22 June 2026 and formally announced his resignation as commissioner.

“With reference to your letter dated 22nd June, 2026 (SP.S.662/2/VOL.IV/192), I respectfully write to formally resign my appointment as Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, with effect from today, 2nd November, 2026,” he wrote.

He described his time in government as an honour and said he appreciated the opportunity to serve the state.

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Oyeleke also tendered his resignation with effect from 2 November.

In his letter, he thanked Mr Makinde for the confidence reposed in him and the opportunity to contribute to the administration’s policies and development programmes.

He also expressed appreciation for the governor’s leadership, support and encouragement during his time in office.

“I remain grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this administration and to have contributed to its laudable achievements. I also remain committed to the peace, progress and development of Oyo State,” he wrote.

The latest resignations come amid a series of exits of political appointees and other officials from the Makinde administration in recent months.

It would be recalled that Segun Ogunwuyi resigned as the governor’s chief of staff on 12 October, a position he had held since July 2021. His resignation took immediate effect, although he did not state a reason for his departure.

A few hours after Ogunwuyi’s departure, Makinde appointed Bashorun Akinwole, popularly known as Wolekanle, as his replacement.

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On the same day, Tara Adefope, the Director-General of the Oyo State Due Process Office, also resigned from her position, while in late October, Kabiru Salami, the governor’s Executive Assistant on Security Coordination, also tendered his resignation.

Other officials who have left the administration include Funmi Arulogun, a Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, who resigned in August, citing personal and political considerations.

Babatunde Oduyoye, a member of the Oyo State Advisory Council, also resigned in July, while Fatai Owoseni, a former Commissioner of Police who served as the governor’s Special Adviser on Security resigned in May.

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Good morning! Nigerian Newspapers Headlines: Campaigns: OK Movement insists on independence

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1. The OK (Obi/Kwankwaso) Movement has declared that it will maintain its independent identity while mobilising support for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its candidates ahead of the 2027 general election. 

Movement’s leader John Ughulu said the group remained committed to its original mission of securing the election of former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and erstwhile Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

Speaking in an interview, Ughulu dismissed suggestions that the movement’s decision to campaign independently would undermine its support for the NDC, insisting that the focus should be on achieving a common  political objective.

2. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid got a big boost at the weekend with endorsements from across the country. His achievement, the need for consolidation, national cohesion, and other reasons were adduced for the show of solidarity. The presidential election is billed for January 16, 2027

3. The Federal Government has vowed to crack down on inflated public contracts and procurement violations, warning heads of government-owned agencies, corporations, councils, authorities and commissions that they risk sanctions for breaching procurement regulations. The government raised the alarm over contract awards that exceed approved price benchmarks.

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4. The African Democratic Congress has rescheduled its presidential campaign kick-off in Sokoto State to Wednesday, November 4, despite alleging threats, attacks on its members and attempts by the state government to frustrate the event. The party said its decision to proceed with the campaign was a demonstration of its determination to exercise its constitutional rights despite what it described as growing political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

5. Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have neutralised four leaders of the Islamic State West Africa Province, including two Arabs, a commander and several of their foot soldiers in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Army said they were neutralised on October 31, 2026, by combined troops of the Joint Task Force deployed to Kukawa following a massive ISWAP terrorists attack on their locations.

6. United States President, Donald Trump, has agreed to grant an immediate visa to the mother of a 15-year-old Ghanaian boy shot dead in New York, following a request by the city’s mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani announced the development on Saturday after speaking with Trump, saying the visa would allow the teenager’s mother to travel to the United States and attend her son’s funeral.

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7. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested two Nigerians based in Europe after they allegedly ingested 200 wraps of cocaine weighing 3.46kg while attempting to travel from Abuja to Paris, France. The suspects, identified as Aliocus Odife and Sam Blackborn, were arrested on Wednesday during the outward clearance of an Air France flight, AF 832, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

8. Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 100-level female student of Plateau State University, Bokkos, while another person sustained injuries during an attack on off-campus student residential areas in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. It was learnt that the incidents, which occurred on Saturday evening at about 8:40pm, had heightened concerns over the safety of students residing outside the university campus.

9. An early-morning fire outbreak at the weekend destroyed no fewer than 110 buildings and structures at Kofar Ruwa Timber Market in the Kano metropolis. The Kano State Fire Service, while confirming the incident in a statement on Sunday, said the inferno razed 75 permanent buildings and 35 temporary structures across different sections of the market.

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10. The immediate past National Chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure, has declared his readiness to align with President Bola Tinubu or former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar ahead of the 2027 presidential election, while ruling out support for the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi.

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Relief as suspected Ebola cases in Adamawa tested negative

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The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said that there are currently no laboratory-confirmed cases of Ebola  in Adamawa.

The NCDC had on Saturday said that there were two suspected cases of Ebola in the north-east state, adding that the individuals had been isolated while contact identification was ongoing.

But in a statement on Sunday, the director-general of NCDC, Jide Idris,
said samples collected from the two individuals, who had symptoms suggestive of Ebola, tested negative after two rounds of testing.

“The report was received by the Adamawa State Public Health Emergency Operations Centre (PHEOC) in the early hours of 30 October 2026, following the identification of two individuals presenting with symptoms suggestive of Ebola, requiring further investigation,” the statement reads.

“Hence the alert that was released early this evening. The individuals have been isolated, and appropriate public health measures have been initiated.

“Samples were collected for laboratory testing to establish the cause of the illness. Fortunately, the samples turned out negative for EBV after two rounds of testing.”

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Idris commended the Adamawa health commissioner and his team for their “proactive approach”, adding that the NCDC was working closely with the state government to investigate the report of suspected Ebola cases.

“Currently, there is no laboratory-confirmed Ebola case in Adamawa state,” he said.

“The index case previously confirmed in the Federal Capital Territory remains the only confirmed case reported in Nigeria to date.”

He urged the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information or speculating about the situation.

“The public is encouraged to obtain information from official government and public health communication channels,” he said.

Idris described Ebola as a serious infectious disease that requires prompt identification, appropriate clinical management and effective infection prevention and control measures.

“Anyone experiencing symptoms such as fever, severe weakness, headache, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea or unexplained bleeding, particularly following relevant exposure, should seek immediate medical attention and inform healthcare workers of any relevant travel or contact history,” he said.

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“Individuals should avoid self-medication and follow the advice of healthcare professionals.”

Nigeriaconfirmed its first Ebola case in more than a decade on October 20, after a 42-year-old Swiss woman tested positive for the Bundibugyo strain in Abuja.

The patient, who had travelled from Uganda to Nigeria, was subsequently isolated and treated by Nigerian health workers.

On Monday, the federal governmentevacuated the patient to Switzerland aboard a medical plane.

Her husband, who was identified as a close contact, was also evacuated to Switzerland.

Ali Pate, coordinating minister of health and social welfare, said the patient was clinically much improved, stable, conscious and communicating, with her laboratory test results approaching baseline levels.

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