2023 Gombe State gubernatorial election

The 2023 Gombe State gubernatorial election will take place on 11 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Gombe State, concurrent with elections to the Gombe 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 Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya is running for a second term.

2023 Gombe State gubernatorial election
11 March 2023
 
Party APC PDP
Governor before election

Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya
APC

 Elected Governor

TBD
TBD

Electoral system

The Governor of Gombe 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

Gombe State is a small, diverse northeastern state with a growing economy and vast natural areas but facing an underdeveloped yet vital agricultural sector, desertification, and some inter-ethnic violence.

Politically, the state's 2019 elections were categorized by a large swing towards the state APC. In federal elections, Buhari held the state for the APC while the APC swept all senate seats by gaining two PDP-held seats. Similarly, the APC gained two PDP-held House seats to sweep all House of Representatives elections. On the state level, the APC gained the governorship and the majority in the House of Assembly. The 2019 elections also bridged the political divide between the diverse, Christian-majority Southern region and the mainly Hausa and Fulani, Muslim-majority Northern and Central regions as the former region moved towards the APC in tandem with the latter two regions.[3] During the 2019 to 2023 term, defections rose the PDP's numbers in the federal House while increasing APC numbers in the state assembly.

Over the course of Yahaya's term, his administration stated focuses included education, security, healthcare, and agriculture development. In terms of his performance, Yahaya was praised for healthcare development and high ease of doing business but was criticized for do-nothingness during his first year in office, lack of regular and clean drinking water, the arrests of his critics, and poor handling of the 2021 Mai Tangale appointment which led to deadly religious clashes in Billiri.[4][5][6][7][8]

Primary elections

The primaries, along with any potential challenges to primary results, will take place between 4 April and 3 June 2022.[2]

All Progressives Congress

The year ahead of the APC primary was categorized by a party crisis as the state APC was split between supporters of Senator and former Governor Mohammed Danjuma Goje on one side and the other side supporting incumbent Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya.[9] The crisis forced party officials to take a side and even became violent when an attack on Goje's convoy killed 5 people in November 2021.[10] The crisis also led to some defections from the party, notably when 2019 gubernatorial candidate Jamil Isyaku Gwamna and House of Representatives member Yaya Bauchi Tango both went to the PDP. Although neither Goje nor Yahaya have themselves defected, analysts state that the prolonged party crisis and others' defections have the potential to hurt the APC in the general election.[11][12]

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.[13][14][15]

Declared

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.[18] 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.[19][20]

Declared

Potential

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. Sule, Babayo (30 September 2019). "The 2019 General Election in Gombe State: An Analysis of the Voting Pattern, Issues, Impacts and its Implications". International Journal of Social Sciences Perspectives. 4 (2): 62–75. doi:10.33094/7.2017.2019.42.62.75. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  4. Onwuamaeze, Dike; Awofadeji, Segun. "Gombe, Sokoto, Jigawa Lead in Ease of Doing Business Survey". ThisDay. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  5. "ICYMI: Top 5, Bottom 5; How first term Governors fared in their first year (May, 2020)". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 7 April 2022. Inuwa’s one year in office can best be rated as less than average. Though he lays claims to initiating a couple of projects, much of what is visible are traceable to his predecessor, former Governor Dankwambo. For residents of Gombe, especially Gombe metropolis, access to potable water has been herculean, as they have continued to depend on water vendors to survive.
  6. Azubuike, Chima. "Gombe defends detention of govt critic". The Punch. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  7. Abdulaziz, Abdulaziz. "Two Nigerian politicians detained for 'insulting governor'". Premium Times. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  8. Ayitogo, Nasir. "SPECIAL REPORT: The true story of fatal religious crisis in Billiri, a peaceful Gombe community". Premium Times. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  9. Ndujihe, Clifford. "Goje, Inuwa's feud tears APC apart in Gombe". Vanguard. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  10. Aborisade, Sunday. "Five killed, many injured in Goje, Gombe gov's men rampage". The Punch. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  11. Okon-Ekong, Nseobong. "No End in Sight to Gombe APC Crisis". ThisDay. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  12. Daniel, Son. "2023: Gombe APC still in disarray – Goje insists". Vanguard. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  13. Majeed, Bakare (20 April 2022). "UPDATED: 2023: APC fixes presidential forms for N100 million, adopts indirect primaries". Premium Times. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  14. 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.
  15. APC Nigeria [@OfficialAPCNg] (April 25, 2022). "OFFICIAL" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 April 2022 – via Twitter.
  16. Azubuike, Chima. "Gombe gov declares second term bid, confident of victory". The Punch. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  17. Azubuike, Chima. "114 Gombe APC wards sue Pantami, want minister contest election". The Punch. Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  18. Angbulu, Stephen (21 April 2022). "2023: PDP extends sale of forms for fourth time". The Punch. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  19. Yakubu, Dirisu (16 March 2022). "[BREAKING] 2023: PDP Presidential primary holds in May". Vanguard. Abuja. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  20. Akpan, Samuel (17 March 2022). "2023: PDP releases pre-election schedule, fixes presidential primary poll for May 28". TheCable. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  21. Bukar, Muhammad. "Jamil Gwamna rejoins PDP, to contest Gombe governorship". Daily Post. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
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