2023 Akwa Ibom State gubernatorial election

The 2023 Akwa Ibom State gubernatorial election will take place on 11 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, concurrent with elections to the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly as well as twenty-seven other gubernatorial elections and elections to all other state houses of assembly.[1][2] It will be held two weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections. Incumbent PDP Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a third term.

2023 Akwa Ibom State gubernatorial election
11 March 2023
 
Party APC PDP
Governor before election

Udom Gabriel Emmanuel
PDP

 Elected Governor

TBD
TBD

Electoral system

The Governor of Akwa Ibom State is elected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two-thirds of state local government areas. If no candidate passes this threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government areas.

Background

Akwa Ibom State is a small state in the South South mainly populated by Efik-Ibibio peoples; although its oil reserves make it one of the most wealthy states in the nation, Akwa Ibom has faced challenges in security, environmental degradation, and lack of affordable housing in large part due to years of systemic corruption.

Politically, the state's 2019 elections were categorized as a reassertion of the PDP's dominance after Senator Godswill Akpabio and his allies that switched to the APC lost. Statewise, Emmanuel easily won re-election with nearly 75% of the vote and 25 of 26 House of Assembly seats were won by the PDP. The PDP was also successful federally, unseating all APC senators and house members to sweep all three senate and ten House of Representatives seats as the state was easily won by PDP presidential nominee Atiku Abubakar with about 68% but still swung towards the APC and had lower turnout.

During Emmanuel's second term, his administration stated focuses included the completion of the Ibom Deep Seaport, Ibom Air, further industrialisation, and upgrading transportation infrastructure; however, he was routinely criticized for authoritarian-esque responses to critics and journalists. Alarms were raised most notably after the arrest of a critical banker, the threatened demolition of a critic's church, and the barring of journalists from state government events.[3][4][5] At other points during his administration, Emmanuel was criticized for a poor response to the COVID-19 pandemic by dismissing the state’s chief epidemiologist after he refused to suppress testing, his administration’s systemic budget misappropriation and perceived corruption, his unconstitutional declaration of Akwa Ibom as a Christian state and state construction of a Christian worship centre, and the Seaport’s proposed location.[6][7][8][9][10][11] On the other hand, he was praised for expanding Ibom Air, sports development, and a relatively low crime rate.[12]

Primary elections

The primaries, along with any potential challenges to primary results, will take place between 4 April and 3 June 2022.[2] An informal zoning gentlemen's agreement sets the Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District to have the next governor as Akwa Ibom North-East has not held the governorship since 2007. While no major party has yet closed their primaries to non-Northeast candidates, nearly all potential candidates are from the North-East and it appears as if major parties are holding to the zoning agreement.[13][14]

All Progressives Congress

The year prior to the APC primaries was beset by party infighting between three factions each supported by former Governor and Minister Godswill Akpabio, former Senator and potential gubernatorial candidate John James Akpan Udo-Edehe, or former Senator and fellow potential gubernatorial candidate Ita Enang which culminated in three parallel party congresses in October 2021.[15] As Akpan Udo-Edehe was a member of national APC leadership at the time, his faction was recognized by the national party in February 2022 but was later removed by a court decision in favour of Akpabio's faction.[16] The court ruling came after Akpan Udo-Edehe left his role as Caretaker National Secretary, thus he was unable to stop newly elected National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, from swearing in Akpabio's faction; however, Akpan Udo-Edehe's faction received a court order telling parties to maintain the status quo and reporting later showed that Akpabio's faction had forged documents to convince the court to rule in its favour.[17][18][19]

On 20 April 2022, the APC National Executive Committee announced the party's schedule for gubernatorial primaries, setting its expression of interest form price at ₦10 million and nomination form price at ₦40 million with a 50% nomination form discount for candidates younger than 40 while women and candidates with disabilities get free nomination forms. Forms are to be sold from 26 April until 6 May; after the submission of nomination forms by 10 May, candidates are to be screened by a party committee on 12 May while 14 May is the date for the screening appeal process. Ward congresses and LGA congresses are set for between 7 and 9 May to elect delegates for the primary. Candidates approved by the screening process will advance to a primary set for 18 May, in concurrence with other APC gubernatorial primaries; challenges to the result can be made on 20 May.[20][21][22]

Declared

People's Democratic Party

In January 2022, former Governor Victor Attah announced that candidate Umo Eno was outgoing Governor Udom Gabriel Emmanuel's endorsed candidate much to the chagrin of opposing PDP members who raised fears over potential imposition.[26] Emmanuel defended the endorsement, saying that it was in the best interest of the state and state party chairman Aniekan Akpan also backed Eno.[27][28]

On 16 March 2022, the national PDP announced its gubernatorial primaries' schedule, setting its expression of interest form price at ₦1 million and the nomination form price at ₦20 million with a 50% discount for candidates between 25 and 30. Forms were to be sold until 1 April but the party later extended the deadline four times before reaching a final deadline of 22 April. After the submission of nomination forms by 25 April, candidates are to be screened by a party committee on 28 April while 2 May is the rescheduled date for the screening appeal process. Ward congresses are set for 29 April and LGA congresses are set for 5 May to elect delegates for the primary.[29] Candidates approved by the screening process will advance to a primary set for 21 May, in concurrence with all other PDP gubernatorial primaries; challenges to the result can be made on 24 May.[30][31]

Declared

Declined

See also

References
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