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Meet the 28 new, returning governors

Published

3 years ago

May 30, 2023

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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.

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.

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.

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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Insecurity: Eliminate terrorists within 90 days or resign, Adeboye tells service chiefs

Published

3 hours ago

June 2, 2026

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The general overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has asked Nigeria’s security chiefs to eliminate terrorists within 90 days or step down.

In a video posted on the church’s X handle on Tuesday, Adeboye urged the Federal Government to act swiftly in addressing the country’s security challenges.

“If I were asked to make suggestions, I would say quietly to our government, move fast. And tell our security chiefs, get rid of these terrorists within 90 days, or resign,” Adeboye said.

The cleric noted that religious leaders can only offer advice to political authorities, and that the final responsibility rests with the commander-in-chief.

Adeboye said he advised late President Muhammadu Buhari who gave security chiefs a similar deadline to tackle Boko Haram, but that the directive was not fully achieved within the timeframe.

In 2021, Buhari ordered the then service chiefs to “take out” bandits, kidnappers, and their sponsors.

The late president said the armed forces should be more proactive rather than reactionary.

Adeboye said the former president acted on the advice by issuing the directive to security chiefs, but failed to enforce it after the deadline elapsed.

“He ran with that advice, but he didn’t follow it through. Because he gave the order as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.The three months went, and the work was not done,” he said.

The RCCG general overseer said he later questioned the former president over his decision not to act after the deadline passed, but declined to give details of their conversations.

He called on the current government to ensure that any directive given to security chiefs goes beyond neutralising terrorists to also targeting those who finance and support them.

“When giving orders to the service chiefs this time around, we should make it clear to them that they are not only to eliminate the terrorists, they should eliminate their sponsors, no matter how influential they may be,” Adeboye added.

His comments come amid renewed concerns over insecurity across the country, following a series of kidnappings, attacks on communities and abductions of students in recent months.

On May 15, some gunmen attacked two schools in Ogbomoso, Oyo state abducting dozens of pupils and teachers. One of the teacher would later be beheaded in a viral video circulating online.

Following the abduction, President Bola Tinubu directed the deployment of a “specialised security unit with advanced rescue capabilities” to intensify efforts to secure the release pupils and teachers.

The abduction adds to a string of similar incidents recorded across the country in recent months.

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Bandit leader Kachallah contacts abducted army General’s family, seeks release of gang members

Published

7 hours ago

June 2, 2026

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A notorious bandit leader, Kachallah Muhammad, has reportedly established communication with relatives of the abducted retired senior military officer, Major General Rabe Abubakar Batsari.

According to reports by Daily Trust, the bandit kingpin, who operates in parts of Katsina State, opened a line of communication with the family of the retired General on Monday morning.

The retired Major General and his wife were reportedly abducted on Saturday in Katsina State.

Their vehicle was ambushed along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli Road in Matazu Local Government Area by gunmen, who, according to witnesses, emerged from hiding, blocked the road and opened fire on the vehicle, forcing it to a halt before abducting the retired officer and his wife into a nearby forest.

The road, according to residents of the area, is unsafe due to repeated bandit attacks.

A senior local government official in Batsari, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, confirmed to our correspondent that he personally spoke with the abducted officer during the conversation facilitated by the bandit leader.

“I spoke with Major General Rabe through Kachallah Muhammad. He told us that he is hale and hearty and that his wife is also fine,” the official said.

According to the source, the retired general assured his family and associates that they are being adequately taken care of by their captors, a development that has somewhat eased anxiety among relatives and residents of the area.

The official further disclosed that during the interaction, Kachallah Muhammad made his demands clear, insisting on the release of his relatives, allegedly being held by Nigerian security authorities.

“He said what he wants is the immediate release of his relatives in government custody,” the official added.

The bandit leader, the source said, also expressed willingness to return to negotiations, indicating openness to dialogue aimed at restoring peace in Matazu and other areas under his influence.

“He said he is ready to go back to the negotiation table to achieve peace in Matazu and neighbouring communities,” the official said.

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FG cancels three-month pre-retirement leave for civil servants

Published

9 hours ago

June 2, 2026

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The Federal Government has directed ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to stop placing civil servants on a mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave.

According to reports, the directive is contained in a circular titled ‘Correct Interpretation of Public Service Rule 120243 on Pre-Retirement Activities’, issued by Didi Walson-Jack, head of the civil service of the federation.

The circular, addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, service chiefs, heads of agencies, and other senior public officials, said the Public Service Rules (PSR) do not provide for a compulsory three-month leave before retirement.

Walson-Jack said several MDAs had misconstrued the three-month retirement notice period as an automatic leave entitlement, resulting in officers being withdrawn from service before their official retirement dates.

According to her, Rule 120243 only requires officers approaching retirement to give three months’ notice, attend a one-month pre-retirement workshop or seminar, and use the remaining period to reconcile service records and complete pension documentation.

“The so-called mandatory three-month pre-retirement leave has no basis in the Public Service Rules,” the circular reads.

“A retiring officer must give three months’ notice before the effective date of retirement. This is a notice requirement, not a leave entitlement.”

Walson-Jack noted that officers remain in active service throughout the notice period and are expected to continue performing their official duties unless they are attending an approved pre-retirement programme or are absent under existing leave provisions.

“PSR 120243 does not exempt retiring officers from official duties during the notice period, except where they are attending an approved pre-retirement workshop or seminar, or are otherwise authorised to be absent under extant leave rules,” Walson-Jack was quoted in the circular as saying.

She directed all MDAs to stop compelling retiring officers to vacate their positions before their official retirement dates.

Under the new directive, retiring officers are to continue discharging their responsibilities while participating in approved retirement programmes and completing all documentation required for pension processing.

The head of service said the move is aimed at ensuring uniform implementation of the Public Service Rules across government institutions and preventing the loss of experienced personnel through premature disengagement.

The circular also directed permanent secretaries, directors-general, executive secretaries, chairpersons of statutory agencies, and chief executives of government organisations to ensure strict compliance.

The federal civil service retirement framework, governed by the Public Service Rules and the Pension Reform Act, requires officers to retire after 35 years of service or upon attaining the age of 60 years, whichever comes first.

The government said the clarification would help improve service delivery by allowing retiring officers to continue contributing their expertise until their official exit dates while completing the administrative processes required for retirement benefits.