1979 Imo State gubernatorial election

{{short description|1979 gubernatorial election in Imo State, Nigeria}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}

{{Infobox election

| election_name = 1979 Imo State gubernatorial election

| country =

| flag_image =

| type = presidential

| ongoing = no

| previous_election =

| previous_year =

| next_election = 1983 Imo State gubernatorial election

| next_year = 1983

| election_date = July 28, 1979

| turnout =

| image_size =

| image1 =

| nominee1 = Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe

| running_mate1 = Bernard Amalaha

| party1 = Nigerian People's Party

| popular_vote1 =

| percentage1 =

| image2 =

| nominee2 = Collins Obi

| running_mate2 =

| party2 = National Party of Nigeria

| popular_vote2 =

| percentage2 =

| map_image =

| map_size =

| map_caption =

| title = Governor

| before_election = Sunday Ajibade Adenihun

| before_party = Nigerian military junta

| after_election = Samuel Mbakwe

| after_party = NPP

}}

The 1979 Imo State gubernatorial election occurred on July 28, 1979, in Nigeria.{{Cite web |title=African Elections Database |url=https://africanelections.tripod.com/ng_governorship.html |access-date=May 17, 2021 |publisher=African Elections}} NPP's Samuel Onunaka Mbakwe won election for a first term to become Imo State's first executive governor leading and, defeating main opposition, NPN's Collins Obi,{{Cite journal |last1=Ubaku, Kelechi C. |last2=Ezeifedi, Emmanuel U. |last3=Duru, Solomon S. |date=September 2015 |title=The Military in Politics: Assessing the Impact of Military Rule on Imo State, 1976-1999 |url=https://www.ijrhss.org/pdf/v2-i9/5.pdf |journal=International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies |volume=2 |issue=9 |pages=40–53 |issn=2394-6296 |access-date=May 31, 2021}} in the contest.{{Cite web |last=Adeyemo, Ademola |date=January 13, 2009 |title=Where Are Second Republic Governors? |url=http://allafrica.com/stories/200901140197.html?page=2 |access-date=May 18, 2021 |website=All Africa |publisher=ThisDay}}{{Cite web |title=THE SECOND REPUBLIC, 1979-83 |url=http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/29.htm |access-date=May 18, 2021 |publisher=Countryside Studies}}{{Cite web |last=Aondowase, Nyam |year=2015 |title=AN ANALYSIS OF THE 2003 AND 2007 ELECTORAL VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA |url=https://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/53451/Nyam_Analysis_2015.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |access-date=May 22, 2021 |format=PDF}}{{Cite web |title=Nigerian States |url=http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Nigeria_federal_states.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528072649/http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Nigeria_federal_states.htm |archive-date=28 May 2010 |access-date=2021-05-23 |publisher=World Statesmen}}{{Cite journal |last=Okpu |first=Ugbana |date=1985 |title=Inter-Party Political Relations in Nigeria 1979-1983 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40174204 |format=JSTOR |journal=Africa Spectrum |publisher=Sage Publications, Ltd. |volume=20 |pages=191–209 |jstor=40174204 |access-date=May 28, 2021 |number=2}}{{Cite journal |last=Joseph |first=Richard A. |date=1981 |title=The Ethnic Trap: Notes on the Nigerian Campaign and Elections, 1978-79 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1166229 |format=JSTOR |journal=Issue: A Journal of Opinion |publisher=Cambridge University Press |volume=11 |pages=17–23 |jstor=1166229 |access-date=May 28, 2021 |number=1/2|doi=10.2307/1166229 |url-access=subscription }}{{Cite news |date=April 13, 2010 |title=Rimi - Exit of a Glamorous Politician [column] |publisher=TMCNET News |url=https://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2010/04/13/4724999.htm |access-date=May 28, 2021}}{{Cite news |last=Owete, Festus |date=October 10, 2013 |title=Solomon Lar's death depletes rank of Nigeria's Second Republic Governors |publisher=Premium Times |url=https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/146343-solomon-lars-death-depletes-rank-of-nigerias-second-republic-governors.html |access-date=May 30, 2011}}{{Cite web |title=CHIEF COLLINS OBIH V. CHIEF SAMUEL ONUNAKA MBAKWE & 2 ORS (SC 10/1983) [1984] 3 (13 JANUARY 1984); |url=https://nigerialii.org/ng/judgment/supreme-court/1984/3 |access-date=May 30, 2021 |publisher=Nigerialii}}{{Cite web |title=Assessing the Impact of Military Rule on Imo State, 1976-1999 |url=https://www.ijrhss.org/pdf/v2-i9/5.pdf |access-date=May 30, 2021 |publisher=IJRHSS }}{{Cite web |last=Adeniyi, Olusegun |date=September 13, 2020 |title=Helga Mbakwe-Nosiri: A Friend I Never Met |url=https://medium.com/@Olusegunverdict/helga-mbakwe-nosiri-a-friend-i-never-met-131cdc9a8ebf |access-date=May 30, 2020 |publisher=Medium}}{{Cite web |title=Imo State Past Governors |url=https://imostateweb.wixsite.com/imo-state/past-governors |access-date=May 30, 2021 |website=Imo State Government}}{{Cite web |date=August 7, 2019 |title=Sam Onunaka Mbakwe: A True Igbo Leader |url=https://www.theawarenessngr.com/news/details/5461/sam-onunaka-mbakwe-a-true-igbo-leader |access-date=May 30, 2021 |website=The Awareness}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{Cite news |last=Njoku, Chris |date=June 6, 2020 |title=No past Imo governor has ever visited me — Victoria Mbakwe |url=https://thenationonlineng.net/no-past-imo-governor-has-ever-visited-me-victoria-mbakwe/ |access-date=May 31, 2021}}

Sam Mbakwe emerged winner in the gubernatorial primary election. His running mate was Bernard Amalaha (Amalaha was disqualified after the election and Isaac Uzoigwe was appointed in his stead).{{Cite news |last=Iwuoha, Chidiebere |date=July 28, 2014 |title=Imolites extol deputy gov's exemplary qualities |publisher=Blueprint |url=https://www.blueprint.ng/imolites-extol-deputy-govs-exemplary-qualities/ |access-date=May 31, 2021}}{{Cite news |last=Osuji, Chuks |date=June 4, 2019 |title=Madumere: He Who Laughs Last… |publisher=The Whistler |url=https://thewhistler.ng/madumere-he-who-laughs-last/ |access-date=May 31, 2021}}{{Cite web |last=Emmanuel, Odang |title=State Governors and Their Deputies |url=https://rainbownigeria.com/2020/10/08/state-governors-and-their-deputies-2/?_gl=1*1ks7sm*_ga*a3BDcWhmU3phVndTOUdnVVRxci10eVBOdC1uTmtXemRFN3Q3OHkxYk9WWHc4MnAtVDdnWEVyVXFERjFtVGV4cw |access-date=May 31, 2021 |website=Rainbow Nigeria}}

President Shehu Shagari In 1979  was handed the new civilian government.{{Cite web|title=Nigeria - THE SECOND REPUBLIC, 1979-83|url=http://countrystudies.us/nigeria/29.htm|access-date=2021-07-17|website=countrystudies.us}}