2023 Cross River State gubernatorial election

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

2023 Cross River State gubernatorial election
11 March 2023
 
Party APC PDP
Governor before election

Benedict Ayade
APC

 Elected Governor

TBD
TBD

Electoral system

The governor of Cross River 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

Cross River State is a diverse state in the South South with growing economy and vast natural areas but facing an underdeveloped yet vital agricultural sector, deforestation, and rising debt in large part due to years of systemic corruption.

Politically, the state's 2019 elections were categorized as a continuation of the PDP's control as Ayade won with over 73% of the vote and the party won every seat in the House of Assembly along with all three senate seats. However, the PDP did lose one House of Representatives seat to the APC and although the state was easily won by PDP presidential nominee Atiku Abubakar, it still swung towards Buhari compared to 2015 and had lower turnout. In the interim between 2019 and 2023, the state's political landscape drastically changed as Ayade defecting to the APC in May 2021 set in motion a wave of other defections that gave the APC control of the House of Assembly and half of the eight House of Representatives seats by mid-2022.

Ahead of his second term, Ayade stated focuses included the completion of in-progress projects and industrialization;[3] however, he was routinely criticized for authoritarian-esque actions. Alarms were raised after Ayade's defection when he withheld the salaries of state and local officeholders that refused to defect with him and forcibly converted the state PDP secretariat into the new APC headquarters but the allegations of dictatorial actions were at their peak around his ordered arrests and months-long imprisonments of a critic and a journalist.[4][5][6][7][8] At other points during his administration, Ayade was given praise for allocating large parts of the budget to capital expenditures while receiving further criticism for covering up COVID-19 cases, abandoning in-progress projects for new potential white elephants like the Calas Vegas resort project and the new Obudu Airport, creating several new ministries and appointing dozens of aides, and continuing efforts to build a six-lane superhighway through the ecologically vital Cross River National Park.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

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 Cross River South Senatorial District to have the next governor as Cross River South has not held the governorship since 2007. No major party has yet closed their primaries to non-South candidates, as both the APC and PDP have had heated internal debates over zoning to the Southern district with both parties expected to leave their primaries open.[17][18][19][20]

All Progressives Congress

Arguments over zoning divided the state APC ahead of the primary as Ayade publicly advocated for his successor to come from the South while prospective candidates from other regions like former Senator John Owan Enoh and former minister Usani Uguru Usani argued for the primary to be kept open.[21] In April 2022, state party chairman Alphonsus Eba stated that the primary would be kept open to candidates from all parts of the state, insisting that Ayade's view was simply his personal opinion.[22]

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.[23][24][25]

Declared

Expressed interest
  • Hilliard Eta: former National APC Vice Chairman[29]

Potential

People's Democratic Party

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.[33] 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.[34][35]

Declared

Potential

Declined

See also

References
  1. Oyekanmi, Rotimi (26 February 2022). "It's Official: 2023 Presidential, National Assembly Elections to Hold Feb 25". INEC News. Retrieved 27 February 2022.
  2. Jimoh, Abbas (26 February 2022). "INEC Sets New Dates For 2023 General Elections". Daily Trust. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  3. Uchechukwu, Ike. "In this my second tenure I will no longer be the governor… – Ayade". Vanguard. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  4. Edem, Edem. "Ayade stops salaries of aides, LG chairmen, others who refused to follow him to APC". Daily Post. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  5. Okoro, Judex. "Criticism as Ayade, APC take over PDP secretariat in Calabar". The Sun. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  6. "RANKING NIGERIAN GOVERNORS, SEPTEMBER, 2019: Top 5, Bottom 5". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 16 March 2022. We note that he is gradually becoming notorious for vehemently rejecting dissent and criticism, a trait that threatens to dim whatever good work he may be doing in the South South state...Ayade should be disturbed, just as we are, that his instigated arrests of Agba Jalingo, now languishing in Calabar Prison for allegedly criticizing the governor and Joseph Odok, an indigene of Cross River State, have been thoroughly condemned as abuse of office.
  7. "Nigerian publisher Agba Jalingo charged with treason". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  8. Ukpong, Cletus. "Police arrest another critic of Gov. Ayade, accuse him of 'terrorism'". Premium Times. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  9. "RANKING NIGERIAN GOVERNORS, NOVEMBER, 2019: Top 5, Bottom 5". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 16 March 2022. We share the belief that the budget holds the promise of rapid infrastructure development and renewal in the state, only if it is faithfully implemented. Ayade’s bold move is better appreciated against the fact that even the Federal Government could merely manage just about 25 percent of the federal budget on capital expenditure.
  10. "Cross River Doctors Accuse Governor Ayade Of Covering COVID-19 Cases, Declare Indefinite Strike". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  11. Ogar, Cyril. "N42bn Ayade's Spaghetti Flyover Turns 'Fish Pond'". Al Jazirah News. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  12. "Top 5, Bottom 5: RipplesNigeria ranking of Nigerian governors for August, 2020". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 16 March 2022. Ayade of Cross River State is one state governor known for his ostentatious dreams and fabulous aspirations and grandiose utterances...We note, with concern, that Calas Vegas, whose cost and completion date has not been stated or made known, may again become a white elephant project that will never see the light of the day
  13. Wodu, Ada. "Amid dwindling revenue, Ayade's proposed Obudu airport stirs controversy, opposition mounts". The Punch. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  14. "RANKING NIGERIAN GOVERNORS, DECEMBER 2019: Top 5, Bottom 5". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 16 March 2022. We also note with worry, the creation of new curious ministries by Governor Ayade, driving the number of ministries in the state to an unwieldy 39. We contend that the creation of the ministries...are unnecessary and an obvious duplication that will most definitely eat further into the finances of the state.
  15. "RANKING NIGERIAN GOVERNORS, JANUARY, 2020: Top 5, Bottom 5". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 16 March 2022. His inexplicable appointment of 90 aides at a time of economic hemorrhage is confounding. This is coming after the governor appointed 39 commissioners and created new ministries that were obviously duplications of others in functions, thereby exerting undue pressure on the lean resources of the state.
  16. Adeyemi, Taiwo. "Counting the Costs of Cross River State 'Super Highway' Road Project for the Tropical Rainforests and Eco-biodiversity". Rainforest Journalism Fund. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  17. Babatunde, Jimoh. "2023: Cross River politics heat up as PDP's national leadership endorses Sandy/Gershom ticket". Vanguard. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  18. Akpan, Anietie. "2023: Zoning under threat as stakeholders kick in Cross River". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  19. Gill, Nsa. "2023 guber: The raging debate over zoning in Cross River". The Nation. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  20. Okoro, Judex (22 March 2022). "2023: Endless echoes of zoning dominate Cross River guber race". The Sun. Calabar. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  21. Uchechukwu, Ike. "2023: Cross River APC stakeholders pick hole with Ayade's Zoning formula". Vanguard. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  22. Asare, Asare. "APC counters Gov Ayade, insists they've not zoned gov'ship to Cross River south". Daily Post. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  23. Majeed, Bakare (20 April 2022). "UPDATED: 2023: APC fixes presidential forms for N100 million, adopts indirect primaries". Premium Times. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  24. Angbulu, Stephen; Ayeni, Victor; Dada, Peter; Naku, Dennis; Ede, Raphael (21 April 2022). "Presidential primary: APC silent on zoning, Nigerians condemn N100m nomination fee". The Punch. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  25. APC Nigeria [@OfficialAPCNg] (April 25, 2022). "OFFICIAL" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 April 2022 – via Twitter.
  26. Edeme, Victoria (19 April 2022). "2023: Cross River businessman declares for governorship". The Punch. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  27. "2023: Jonathan's son-in-law joins Cross River governorship race under APC". The Punch. News Agency of Nigeria. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  28. Gill, Nsa. "2023: Owan-Enoh joins Cross River governorship race". The Nation. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
  29. Gill, Nsa (9 April 2022). "2023 Guber: Options before Cross River voters". The Nation. Calabar. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  30. Bassey, Awassam. "Ayade's defection, PDP's wisemen and 2023 guber polls". Premium Times. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  31. Akpan, Anietie. "How Ayade's defection dismantled, disorganised permutations for 2023". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  32. Una, Emma. "War in Cross River APC over registration of new members". Vanguard. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  33. Angbulu, Stephen (21 April 2022). "2023: PDP extends sale of forms for fourth time". The Punch. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  34. Yakubu, Dirisu (16 March 2022). "[BREAKING] 2023: PDP Presidential primary holds in May". Vanguard. Abuja. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  35. Akpan, Samuel (17 March 2022). "2023: PDP releases pre-election schedule, fixes presidential primary poll for May 28". TheCable. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  36. Wodu, Ada. "Varsity proprietor declares interest in Cross River 2023 governorship". The Punch. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
  37. Okoro, Judex. "2023: 3 PDP NASS members, educationist join Cross River guber race". The Sun. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  38. Taiwo-Obalonye, Juliana. "Cross River: How PDP'll wrest power from Ayade in 2023 –Senator Gershom Bassey". The Sun. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  39. Asare, Asare. "2023: Senator Bassey declares for Cross River governorship, insists on rotation". Daily Post. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  40. Ndoma--Neji, Nsan (21 April 2022). "2023: Second Female PDP Aspirant Imah Nsa Adegoke, Joins C/River Guber Race". Kakaaki Reporters. Calabar. Retrieved 23 April 2022.
  41. "2023: Wike can't impose governorship candidate on us in Cross River—Group". Nigerian Tribune. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  42. Akpan, Anietie. "How Ayade's defection may reshape political space of Cross River". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  43. Asare, Asare. "2023: PDP female governorship aspirant joins race Cross River". Daily Post. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.