Two surviving governors elected in 1979 are the last men standing
OpenLife Nigeria reports that Chief Jim Nwobodo, governor of old Anambra State, now split into Enugu, Anambra and part of Ebonyi States between October 1, 1979-1983, is the second among the two surviving governors in the 1979 club of executive governors in Nigeria’s 2nd Republic.
The 2nd Republic was initiated on 1 October 1979 following elections initiated by the military head of state General Olusegun Obasanjo, with each state headed by an elected civilian governor.
The governors were 19, representing the 19 States existing in Nigeria during that Republic.
Tatari Ali. In the northern axis were Tatari Ali of the old Bauchi State which now has Gombe State split out of the old Bauchi. He got elected under the National Party of Nigeria, NPN and was in office from October 1, 1979 to December 31, 1983 when military struck. He died on May 28 1983 at the age of 64.
Mohammed Goni was elected executive governor of old Borno State now split into Borno and Yobe States on the platform of the Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP), He was in office from October 1979 to September 1983. He died on 29 April 2020 at the aged of 78.
Abubakar Barde of the Old Gongola State1983now split into Adamawa and Taraba States was of Mumuye origin. He was elected governor on the platform of the Great Nigeria Peoples Party (GNPP), holding office from 1979 to September 1983. He died on June 17, 2002 at age 64.
Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa of Old Kaduna State, now split into Kaduna and Katsina States, was elected on the platform of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP. He was impeached in 1982. He died on November 11, 2020 at the age of 84.
Alhaji Adamu Atta of Okene was elected governor of the old Kwara State, now Kwara and Kogi States, under the platform of the National Party of Nigeria (NPN)
He was in office from October 1, 1979 to September30 1983. He died on2014 at the age of 86.
Alhaji Muhammadu Shehu Kangiwa was the first elected civilian governor of Sokoto State, Nigeria in the short-lived Nigerian Second Republic, holding office from October 1979 to November 1981. He represented the National Party of Nigeria (NPN). He died in November 1981, falling from a horse while playing polo in the 1981 edition of the Georgian League.
Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar Rimi was elected governor of old Kano State now Kano and Jigawa States on the platform of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP. He was in office as governor between October 1, 1979 and May 1983, Rimi fell out with his mentor Aminu Kano and moved from the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) to the Nigerian People’s Party (NPP) in preparation for the 1983 elections. He resigned from office and was replaced as governor by his deputy, Abdu Dawakin Tofa. He died on April 4 2010 at the age of 69.
Solomon Lar from Langtang, was elected governor of old Plateau State now Plateau and Nasarawa States in 1979 on the platform of the Nigerian People’s Party, NPP. He was in office from October 1, 1979 to December 31, 1983. Solomon Lar died on October 9, 2013 at the age of 80 in the United States of America.
Aper Aku of Tiv origin, in the Ushongo Local Government Area, was elected governor of Benue State on the platform of National Party of Nigeria (NPN) between October 1, 1979 and December 31, 1983. He died in November 1988 at age 50
Olabisi Onabanjo. Among the governors of Yoruba extraction in the 1979 general elections were Chief Victor Olabisi Onabanjo, a journalist from the Ijebu axis. He was elected governor of Ogun State in Nigeria on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN from October 1979 – December 1983, He died on April 14, 1990 at the age of 63.
Lateef Kayode Jakande was a Nigerian journalist who became governor of Lagos State on the platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria from 1979 to December 1983. He died on 11 February 2021 at the age of 91. But for his death last week, he would have been added to the two surviving governors.
Chief Bola Ige SAN, the cicero of Esa Oke because of his fluency and use of proverbs in English Language was elected governor of old Oyo State now Oyo and Osun States in 1979 on the platform of Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN. He died on 23 December 2001 at the age of 71.
Michael Adekunle Ajasin from Owoh was elected Governor of old Ondo State now Ondo and Ekiti from October 1979 – October 1983 on the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) platform. He died on 3 October 1997 at the age of 88.
Professor Ambrose Alli from Emuado, Ekpoma was elected governor of old Bendel State now Edo and Delta States in 1979. He was in office from October 1, 1979 to September 30 1983. He died on September 22, 1989 at the age of 60.
Clement Nyong Isong, CFR (20 April 1920 – 29 May 2000) was a Nigerian banker who was governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (1967–1975) during the military regime of General Yakubu Gowon. He was later elected governor of old Cross River State now Cross River and Akwa Ibom States on the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) platform from 1979–1983. He died on may 29, 2000 at the age of 80.
Melford Obiene Okilo from Ogbia Council Area of Bayelsa State with former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was the first elected Governor of old Rivers State, now Rivers and Bayelsa States. He was in office from October 1, 1979 to December 31, 1983. He died on July 5, 2008 at age 74.
Samuel “Sam” Onunaka Mbakwe was elected governor of the old Imo State now Imo and Abia States in the 1979 general elections on the platform of the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP). He was in office from 1979 to December 1983.
He died on January 6, 2004 at the age of 74.
The Two Surviving Governors Elected in ’79
Jim Nwobodo {James Ifeanyichukwu Nwobodo} is a Nigerian businessman and politician who was governor of Anambra State (1979–1983) under the Nigerian Peoples Party,NPP, in the 2nd Republic. He was Senator for Enugu East Senatorial District in Enugu State (1999–2003). In 2003, he ran unsuccessfully in the Nigerian Presidential elections.
He is 80 years old and still alive.
He was born on May 9, 1940 in Agyaragu, Lafia, Nassarawa State. He completed his secondary school education in 1956 at Government School, Awka in what is now Anambra State, then attended St. Peter’s College, Zaria (1956–1959). He went on to the Nigerian College of Arts, Science and Technology, first at Enugu and then at Ibadan, and then attended the University College Ibadan (1961–1964), earning a BA in English.
Alhaji Mohammed Awwal Ibrahim was elected governor of Niger State from October 1979 to December 1983. He was elected on the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) platform. He is currently the Emir of Zazzau Suleja, Niger State.
Ibrahim was born in Abuja, now known as Suleja in 1941. He attended Provincial Secondary School, Bida from 1956 to 1961 and continued further studies at the School for Arabic Studies, Kano. He earned a degree in English from Abdullahi Bayero College in 1967 and a masters in 1970. He joined Ahmadu Bello University in 1967 as a lecturer of languages. From 1967 to 1976, Ibrahim moved up within the administrative ranks, he was acting registrar of Bayero University Kano and Executive Secretary of the Center for Cultural Studies between 1973 and 1975.
When Niger State was created in 1976, his services was transferred to the new state as an administrator. He was initially acting Permanent Secretary for Special Duties before becoming the Permanent Secretary for Local Government.
The two surviving governors from Niger and Anambra States are believed to be enjoying the grace of God
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