The All Progressives Congress (APC), which won the recent presidential election, also won the most state races in Nigeria, winning 26 of the 28 governorship elections.
The party won in 15 states, bringing its total to 19, having previously controlled four states.
The party entered the election with 21 states under its control, meaning it lost two.
Kano was one of those states won by the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), which was formed just months before the elections.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) won nine states, bringing their total to 12. It controlled 14 states prior to the election.
The Labour Party of Peter Obi won only its second governorship seat in Abia’s oil-rich history, sparking scenes of joy.
Six states have been flipped in total, including Zamfara in the north-west, where an incumbent lost – the only one so far.
Both the APC and the PDP will now turn their attention to Kebbi and Adamawa, where elections were declared invalid.
Nigeria has never had a female governor, but it is possible. Aisha Binani of the APC is set to face the incumbent in a rerun in Adamawa.
Voter turnout increased slightly to 29% on average, up from 27% in the presidential election.
Not all governorships were won by the parties that control state legislatures, potentially resulting in more robust democratic scrutiny that has been lacking in the past.
