2023: Politicians Who Got APC, PDP Tickets Unopposed And Their States (Full List)

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have concluded their primary elections for governorship, senate and the house of representatives in most states ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The primaries threw up a few surprises with some incumbents losing their return tickets while others retained the party’s tickets.

However, some politicians were lucky to have gotten their party’s ticket unchallenged and Naija News has compiled a list of those who got unopposed tickets to represent their parties in the 2023 elections.

In no particular order, here is the list for the APC.

Professor Babagana Zulum – Borno State

Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum clinched the APC ticket to contest a second term in office.

He got 1,411 votes out of the total delegate votes of 1,422.

Bello Matawalle – Zamfara State

Governor Bello Matawalle got the APC governorship ticket for Zamfara State unopposed and will be seeking a second term in office as the state governor during the 2023 general elections.

He polled 733 votes out of the 735 votes during the party’s primary election.

Mai Mala Buni – Yobe State

Former APC National Caretaker Committee Chairman, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State got the ruling party’s ticket to seek re-election as the Yobe State Governor in 2023.

Buni got the ticket unchallenged, polling 825 votes of the 890 available from accredited delegates. The returning officer said 20 votes were invalid.

Mohammed Inuwa – Gombe State

Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe got the APC governorship ticket of the state unopposed as he was the only aspirant that purchased the nomination form and was screened by the APC.

Inuwa was affirmed through a voice vote at the Gombe International Hotel, venue of the governorship primary election.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu – Lagos State

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu got the APC ticket to seek re-election in 2023. According to the party, Sanwo-Olu was the only one cleared during the Abuja screening to participate in the primary elections for the Lagos guber ticket.

Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq – Kwara State

Kwara State Governor, Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman got the state APC guber ticket unopposed during the party’s primary election.

Emmanuel Dan-Daura, chairman of the primary election, said AbdulRasaq polled 961 votes out of 965 votes and was affirmed by the delegates.

Uche Nnaji – Enugu State

Uche Nnaji polled 1070 of the 1100 votes cast during the APC primary in Enugu which also had 30 invalid votes.

Naija News understands Nnaji was the sole aspirant for the ticket.

Ovie Omo-Agege – Delta State

Deputy Senate President clinched th gubernatorial ticket of the APC in Delta state with a total of 1,190 votes in a primary where he was unchallenged.

Desmond Elliot

Desmond Elliot won the APC ticket for a third term to continue representing Surulere constituency I in the Lagos state house of assembly.

He got 30 votes as the sole contestant for the ticket.

Femi Gbajabiamila

House Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila who has been in the Green Chamber since 2003 got the APC ticket unopposed to run for a sixth consecutive term as the lawmaker representing Surulere constituency I in the National Assembly.

Tokunbo Abiru

Tokunbo Abiru got all the 344 votes cast to get to APC ticket to continue as the Senator representing Lagos-east district.

Opeyemi Bamidele

Bamidele got the APC ticket for the Ekiti central senatorial district unchallenged.

He scored 275 votes at the APC primary election, and was unanimously adopted by the delegates.

Tanko Al-Makura

Former Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-Makuraclinched the APC ticket unchallenged to contest the Nasarawa south senatorial seat in the 2023 election.

Abdul’Aziz Yari

Former Zamfara State Governor, Abdul’aziz Yari, secured APC ticket for Zamfara west senatorial district unchallenged.

Yari polled 306 votes out of the 310 votes recorded at the primaries.

Kabiru Marafa

Marafa got the APC ticket to contest the Zamfara central senatorial district during the 2023 election.

Marafa, who was unchallenged, scored 215 votes during the primary election.

Aliyu Wamako

Former Governor Wamako is set to run for the Sokoto central senatorial seat after securing the APC ticket unopposed during the party primary.

Peter Nwaoboshi, Ede Dafinone, Joel Onowakpo Thomas

Peter Nwaoboshi, incumbent senator representing Delta north senatorial district, was adopted as the sole senatorial candidate by the state chapter of the APC for the 2023 elections.

Ede Dafinone and Joel-Onowakpo Thomas were also affirmed as the candidates for Delta central and Delta south senatorial districts respectively.

Orji Uzor Kalu

Senate chief whip, Orji Kalu who had earlier pulled out of the race for the APC presidential ticket, won the party’s ticket for the Abia north senatorial district for a second term.

Kalu polled a total of 777 votes to win the primary election, after Fabian Nwankwo, his opponent, stepped down for him.

Adams Oshiomhole

Former Edo State Governor and ex-APC National Chairman got the Edo North senatorial district APC ticket after Francis Alimikhena, his opponent and incumbent senator of the constituency, resigned from the ruling party.

He got 309 out of accredited 317 votes

Kabiru Gaya

Kabiru Gaya, chairman of the Senate committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), clinched the Kano South APC ticket unchallenged.

Barau Jibrin

Jibrin, chairman of the Senate committee on appropriations, won the Kano north-central district APC ticket unchallenged.

The State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje stepped down from the race.

Below are those who emerged unopposed on the platform of the PDP.

Sa’idu Idu Umar – Sokoto State

Former Secretary to the Sokoto state government, Idu Umar won the PDP ticket to contest the governorship election in 2023.

He got a clear shot at the position after

Munir Dan’iya, the deputy governor; Bello Goronyo, Sokoto PDP state chairman; Mukhtari Shagari, former deputy governor of the state; and Sagir Bafarawa, ex-commissioner for environment, announced their withdrawal before voting began.

Ibrahim Kassim – Bauchi

Ibrahim Kassim, former secretary to the Bauchi state government, secured the PDP governorship ticket unopposed.

Hassan Grema, chairman of the primary election, said Kassim secured 655 votes with one vote voided.

Ahmadu Fintiri – Adamawa

Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri secured the state’s PDP ticket unopposed for the 2023 elections.

Gavin Katabs, chairman of the PDP governorship primaries committee in Adamawa, said Fintiri scored 663 votes out of the 668 accredited votes — with five of the votes declared void.

Bolaji Abdullahi

Former Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi secured the PDP ticket for the Kwara central senatorial district.

He was elected through a consensus arrangement and affirmation by delegates at the PDP’s senatorial primaries held at Ilorin on Monday.

Rafiu Ibrahim

Former senator Rafiu Ibrahim was also selected as the consensus PDP candidate for Kwara south senatorial district.

Bala Mande

A former minister of state, environment and the current PDP chairman of Zamfara, was elected as the candidate for the state north senatorial district.

Mande was returned unchallenged through the party’s consensus arrangement.

Ahmad Kaita

Ahmad Kaita, senator representing Katsina north, picked the PDP ticket unchallenged.

Kaita recently defected from the APC to the PDP in April 2022.