Nine out of Nigeria’s 36 governors will next week mark their last Eid in office, after witnessing a good number of the yearly celebrations since coming into office over seven years ago.
The state governors, who are Muslims, include (in alphabetical order) AbdulAziz Yari of Zamfara, Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe, Kashim Shettima of Borno, Tanko Almakura of Nassarawa, and Ogbeni Rauf Aregebesola of Osun.
Most of the governors, especially those who first came into office on May 29, 2011 (Borno, Gombe, Kwara, Nassarawa, Ogun, Oyo and Zamfara) witnessed two Sallah celebrations every year beginning with their first Eid-el-Fitr in August, 2011 followed by Eid-el-Kabir in November of the same year. The seven governors will be marking their 16th Eid next week.
Governor Aregebesola of Osun, who came in November 2010, narrowly missed the Eid-el-Kabir that held about a week before the appeal court declared him on November 26, 2010. He will also be marking his 16th Eid next week.
Governor of Yobe, Ibrahim Gaidam, has witnessed more Sallah celebrations in office than any of the others, beginning from 2009. He was elected as Deputy Governor in 2007, but succeeded Governor Mamman Ali, who died in January, 2009.
While Aregebesola will hand over this year, the others will be completing their second terms on May 29, 2019, incidentally a few days before another Sallah.
The 2019 Eid-el Fitr is expected to hold within the first week of June 2019, when newly-elected governors are expected to have taken over in Borno, Gombe, Kwara, Nassarawa, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Yobe and Zamfara states.
