Full List: Biography Of APC Governorship Candidates For 2023 Elections

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has conducted its governorship primary elections across many states in Nigeria ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The APC governorship candidates would contest against candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party, the Social Democratic Party and the governorship candidates from other political parties in 2023.

The likes of Babagana Zulum of Borno State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and some others would be hoping to retain their seat.

See the short biography of the governorship candidate under the ruling APC.

Kaduna State: Senator Uba Sani

The Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State, Uba Sani was born on 31st December 1970, he is the incumbent senator for Kaduna Central senatorial district of Kaduna State at the National Assembly Abuja.

He was elected during the 2019 general elections, under the political party of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He defeated the incumbent senator Shehu Sani of the PRP.

Jigawa State: Umar Namadi

Namadi was born in April 1963 in Kafin Hausa town of Kafin Hausa Local Government. He became a qualified chartered accountant in 1993 and holds a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from Bayero University, Kano where he earlier obtained his first degree of Bachelor of Science in Accountancy in 1987.

Namadi serves as the deputy governor of Jigawa State under the leadership of Mohammed Badaru Abubakar as the governor of the state.

Cross River State: Senator Bassey Otu

Bassey Edet Otu who was born on the 18th of October 1959 is a Nigerian politician who represented the Calabar Municipal/Odukpani constituency of Cross River State, Nigeria in the Federal House of Representatives from 2003-to 2011.

He was elected Senator for Cross River South in the April 2011 elections, running on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform. He later defected in 2016 to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and emerged the Cross River South Senatorial flag bearer of the party in the 2019 election.

Plateau State: Nentanwe Yilwatda Goshwe

He was born in Dungung, Kanke LG to a clergy family, Late Rev and Mrs Toma Yilwatda on the 8th of August, 1968.

Dr Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda is a digital system and energy engineering expert, a community developer and a lecturer with the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi with over 29 years of experience working as a consultant with the international development partners, and the public and private sectors.

Kebbi State: Dr Nasiru Idris

He is the National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and also a Deputy National Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Lagos State: Babajide Sanwo-Olu

Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu (born June 25, 1965) is a Nigerian politician and the current Governor of Lagos State. He became governor under the platform of the All Progressives Congress after contesting and unexpectedly winning the gubernatorial primaries under the All Progressives Congress against incumbent Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State in October 2019.

He is a graduate of the University of Lagos, as well as the London Business School, Lagos Business School and the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Before his gubernatorial ambition, he was the managing director and CEO of Lagos State Property Development Corporation (LSPDC).

Enugu State: Uche Nnaji

Uche Nnaji is a notable businessman who decided to dive into politics and has emerged as the governorship candidate of the APC in Enugu State.

Gombe State: Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya

Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (born October 9, 1961) is a Nigerian businessman and politician. He is the Executive Governor of Gombe State elected on 9 March 2019, under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC).

Yahaya attended the Central Primary School and the Government Science Secondary School in Gombe. He then studied at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting in 1983.

Nasarawa State: Abdullahi Sule

Abdullahi Sule (born December 26, 1959) is a Nigerian entrepreneur, businessman and politician who is the Governor of Nasarawa State. He was elected the Governor of Nasarawa State in the 2019 Governorship election under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC)

His early schooling was at Roman Catholic Mission (RMC) Primary School, Gudi Station in 1968. He then enrolled in Zang Secondary School in 1974 and later Government Technical College, Bukuru in 1977. After his secondary education, he went to Plateau State Polytechnic, in Barkin Ladi in 1980. He then left Nigeria on a scholarship to study at Indiana University, Terre Haute, Indiana, the United States. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Technology and a master’s degree in Industrial Technology.

Borno State: Babagana Zulum

Babagana Umara Zulum (born August 25, 1969) is a Nigerian professor and politician. He is the serving Governor of Borno State in the 2019 Governorship election under the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC)

After elementary schooling in Mafa Primary School from 1975 to 1980 and secondary education in Government Secondary School, Monguno from 1980 to 1985, Zulum studied at the University of Maiduguri, where he obtained a degree in Agriculture Engineering, He proceeded to the University of Ibadan from 1997 to 1998, where he received a master’s degree in Agriculture Engineering. In 2005, he enrolled for a PhD in Soil and Water Engineering at the University of Maiduguri which he completed in 2009.

Ogun State: Dapo Abiodun

Adedapo Oluseun Abiodun (born 29 May 1960) is a Nigerian businessman and politician, who has been the Governor of Ogun State since winning the 2019 general elections under the platform of the All Progressive Congress.

Dapo Abiodun was the managing director of Heyden Petroleum and the founder of First Power Limited. On 10 March 2019, he was declared Governor-Elect of Ogun State by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

Delta State: Ovie Omo-Agege

Ovie Omo-Agege (born 3 August 1963) is a Nigerian lawyer and politician who is currently the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate. He is the senator representing the Delta State Central Senatorial District in the Nigerian senate.

He was first elected in 2015 into the 8th senate. Omo-Agege is from the Orogun clan of the Urhobo ethnic group in Ughelli North local government area of Delta State.

He emerged as the Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate of the 9th National Assembly on 11 June 2019 after he defeated his rival, Ike Ekweremadu with a margin of 31 votes to win the second leadership position in the National Assembly.

Zamfara State: Bello Matawalle

Bello Muhammad (born February 12, 1962), known as Bello Matawalle, is a Nigerian politician and teacher who has served as the Governor of Zamfara State since 2019.

After briefly serving in the Abacha-era state house of assembly and serving as a state commissioner from 1999 to 2003 in the Ahmad Sani Yerima administration in the Fourth Republic, he first won an elected office in 2003 as a member of the House of Representatives for Bakura/Maradun and retained the office until 2015—first as a member of the All Nigeria Peoples Party before switching to the People’s Democratic Party in 2011.

Matawalle became the 2019 PDP gubernatorial nominee and won office after a Supreme Court ruling disqualified the original winner.

In 2021, he defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress after a defection rally in Gusau alongside most Zamfara State elected officials.

Rivers State: Tonye Cole

Tonye Patrick Cole (born 1967) is the co-founder and former Group Executive Director of Sahara Group an energy conglomerate with operations spanning the entire energy chain in Nigeria and neighbouring West African countries to East Africa and beyond.

He attended Corona School, Victoria Island and later King’s College, Lagos before proceeding to King’s School, Ely, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. He is also an alumnus of the University of Lagos where he bagged a bachelor’s degree in Architecture and Engineering, then a Portuguese Certificate from Universidade de Brasilia, Brazil. He is also a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program in 2014.

Yobe State: Mai Mala Buni

Mai Mala Buni (born 19 November 1967), is a Nigerian politician. He was born in Buni Yadi, Gujba local government area of Yobe state, Northeast Nigeria. He is the current governor of Yobe State and former caretaker chairman of the All Progressives Congress.

Editor’s note: The list will be updated as Naija News receives confirmation of other governorship candidates on the platform of the APC.