2023 Election: Will a woman emerge governor-elect today?

AMONG the 837 candidates jostling to become governors in today’s election are 24 women.

The women are doing so in 18 states-Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Jigawa, Kano, Kwara, Lagos, Oyo, Nasarawa, Niger, Rivers and Zamfara.

No woman has been elected as governor in the history of electioneering in Nigeria.

Women have been elected deputy governors many times and some have served as acting governors with Dame Virgy Etiaba sworn-in as governor for three months when Mr. Peter Obi was impeached as Anambra State governor in 2006.

Obi took office as governor on March 17, 2006. On November 2, 2006, he was impeached by the Anambra State House of Assembly, led by Mike Balonwu, after seven months in office and was replaced the following day by Etiaba, his deputy, making her the first-ever female to be sworn-in as governor in Nigeria’s history.

Thus, as Nigerians vote today, will any of the 24 women break the jinx and become the first to be elected directly from the ballot box?

Female gov candidates

*Aishatu Dahiru, APC, Adamawa

*Gladys Johnson-Ogbuneke, SDP, Abia

*Lancaster Okoro, PRP, Abia

*Ekanem Abasiekeme, AAP, A/Ibom

*Udoh Emem Monday, SDP, A/Ibom

*Roseline Chenge, ADP, Benue

*Aondona Dabo-Adzuana, ZLP, Benue

*Abubakar Fatima, ADP, Borno

*Ibiang Marikana Stanley, ADP, C/River

*Onokiti Helen Agboola, Accord, Delta

*Cosmas Annabel, APP, Delta

*Chinenye Igwe, APM, Ebonyi

*Ogochukwu Nweze, SDP, Enugu

*Umar Binta Yahaya, AA, Jigawa

*Yakubu Furera Ahmad, BP, Kano

*Mahmud Aisha, NRM, Kano

*Motunrayo Jaiyeola, APM, Kwara

*Funmilayo Kupoliyi, APM, Lagos

*Roseline Adeyemi, APP, Lagos

*Patricia Tsakpa, ADP, Nasarawa

*Khadijah Abdullahi-Iya, APGA, Niger

*Aduragbemi Euba, YPP, Oyo

*Beatrice Itubo, LP, Rivers

*Hadiza Usman ZLP, Zamfara