2023 Kaduna State gubernatorial election

The 2023 Kaduna State gubernatorial election will take place on 11 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Kaduna State, concurrent with elections to the Kaduna 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 Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a third term.

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

Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai
APC

 Elected Governor

TBD
TBD

Electoral system

The Governor of Kaduna 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

Kaduna State is a large, diverse northwestern state with a growing economy and vast natural areas but facing an underdeveloped agricultural sector and intense challenges in security as the nationwide kidnapping epidemic, bandit conflict, inter-ethnic violence, and herder–farmer clashes have all heavily affected the state.[3][4][5][6][7]

Politically, the 2019 elections were categorized as a slight solidification of the Kaduna APC's control as el-Rufai won re-election with over 55% of the vote and the party retained its House of Assembly majority. Federally, the APC regained two of the three Senate seats it lost due to defections and won eleven of the sixteen House of Representatives seats. For the presidency, Kaduna was won by APC nominee Muhammadu Buhari with about 60% but swung slightly towards the PDP. The 2019 elections also showed 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 PDP while the latter two regions stuck with the APC.

Ahead of el-Rufai's second term, his administration stated focuses included government reform, forging a positive business environment, unity, education, and urban development.[8] In terms of his performance, el-Rufai was praised for proper budgeting, expanding free education, a proactive response to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, urban infrastructure development, and raising pensions.[9][10][11][12] However, he faced criticism for alleged anti-Christian sentiment in the state government, rising insecurity and el-Rufai's irresponsible statements on it, and labour disputes along with authoritarian-esque actions including the arrest of journalists and the infiltration of Amnesty International Nigeria.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22]

Primary elections

The primaries, along with any potential challenges to primary results, will take place between 4 April and 3 June 2022.[2] According to some candidates and community groups, an informal zoning gentlemen's agreement sets the Kaduna South Senatorial District to have the next governor as the only governor from the south did not finish his term. However, no major party is expected to formally zone their nominations as the South has less people than the North and Central.

All Progressives Congress

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

Announcement pending

Potential
  • Mohammad Mahmood Abubakar: Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (2021–present), Minister of Environment (2019–2021), and former House of Assembly member[33]
  • Olumuyiwa Adekeye: el-Rufai aide[34]
  • Mukhtar Ahmed: House of Representatives member for Kaduna South (2019–present) and former el-Rufai aide
  • Samuel Aruwan: Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs (2019–present)[35][34]
  • Saude Atoyebi: el-Rufai aide[34]
  • Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe: Deputy Governor (2019–present)[36][33][37][34]
  • Muhammad Hafiz Bayero: Administrator of the Kaduna Capital Territory (2021–present)[35][33][34]
  • Peter Akagu Jones: former el-Rufai aide[34]
  • Suleiman Abdu Kwari: Senator for Kaduna North (2019–present) and Commissioner for Finance (2015–2019)[36][34]
  • Balarabe Abbas Lawal: Secretary to the State Government (2015–present)[33][34]
  • Abdullahi Mukhtar Mohammed: former CEO of the National Hajj Commission and former Chairman of the Kaduna State Pilgrims Board[33][38][39][37]
  • Idris Othman: businessman and brother of former Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi[34]
  • Muhammad Dayyabu Paki: Director-General of the Kaduna Facilities Management Agency and former Ikara Local Government Interim Management Committee Chairman[33]
  • Muhammad Bashir Saidu: Commissioner for Finance (2019–present), former Chief of Staff to el-Rufai (2016–2019), and former Commissioner for Local Government (2015–2016)[34]
  • Ja'afaru Ibrahim Sani: Commissioner for Local Government Affairs (2017–present)[35]
  • Hadiza Bala Usman: former Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (2016–2021) and co-founder of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign[36][34]

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.[40] 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.[41][42]

Declared

Potential

See also

References
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  2. Jimoh, Abbas (26 February 2022). "INEC Sets New Dates For 2023 General Elections". Daily Trust. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  3. Arvin, Jariel. "How kidnap-for-ransom became the "most lucrative industry in Nigeria"". Vox. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  4. Shiklam, John. "In Three Months, Bandits Killed 343 People, Abducted 830 Others in Kaduna". ThisDay. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  5. Egbejule, Eromo. "Who are the 'bandits' terrorising Nigeria's 'Wild Wild West'?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  6. Campbell, John. "Ethnic and Religious Violence Worsen in Kaduna". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  7. Mahr, Krista. "Guns, religion and climate change intensify Nigeria's deadly farmer-herder clashes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  8. "For The Record: El-Rufai's 2019 inauguration speech as Kaduna governor". Premium Times. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  9. "RANKING NIGERIAN GOVERNORS, OCTOBER, 2019: Top 5, Bottom 5". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  10. "RANKING NIGERIAN GOVERNORS, JANUARY, 2020: Top 5, Bottom 5". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 8 April 2022. Nasir el-Rufai, returns to the top 5 ranking for the month of January, after enjoying good mention in year 2019. We acknowledge his commitment to improving the education sector in the Northwest state, especially the recent declaration of free education for public primary and secondary schools in the state.
  11. "RANKING NIGERIAN GOVERNORS, MARCH, 2020: Top 5, Bottom 5". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 8 April 2022. Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State also took proactive steps after the first case of the COVID-19 disease surfaced in the country.
  12. "Kaduna residents praise El-Rufai for building flyovers". Peoples Gazette. News Agency of Nigeria. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  13. "Huriwa To Governor Elrufai-: End Discrimination Against Christians Now:". The Nigerian Voice. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  14. "RANKING NIGERIAN GOVERNORS, MARCH, 2021: El-Rufai's inflexibility, South-East Governors' hopelessness". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  15. "Top 5, Bottom 5: RipplesNigeria ranking of Nigerian governors for August, 2020". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 8 April 2022. As the Chief Security Officer of the state, Governor El-Rufai has disappointingly continued to speak in ways and manners unexpected of him. We note with concern, statements credited to the governor concerning the alleged culpability of leaders of Southern Kaduna to the effect that they are only interested in collecting brown envelopes and when they don't get it, orchestrate the killing of their people. We reckon that the statement, if truly was made by El-Rufai, was most irresponsible and insensitive of a leader who is desirous of a lasting solution to the carnage, and the killing field the Southern part of the state is fast becoming.
  16. Hassan-Wuyo, Ibrahim. "Carpet-Bombing: The collateral damage 'll be enormous — Pundit tells El-Rufai". Vanguard. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  17. Hassan-Wuyo, Ibrahim. "BANDITS: El-Rufai's call for carpet-bombing raises dust". Vanguard. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  18. "RANKING NIGERIAN GOVERNORS, APRIL/MAY 2021: El-Rufai's bloody hands, S'East UGM, Southern Govs jolted back to life". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 8 April 2022. We are appalled by the lack of tact and human feelings in Governor el-Rufai's handling of the cases of mass abduction of students in the state...We also note the recent faceoff between Governor Nasir el-Rufai and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), his mass sack of all nurses under grade level 14 in the services of the state government and threats to sack lecturers at the state university for daring to join the strike ordered by the NLC to protest the mass sack of workers in the state. With the episode of last week, we are afraid that el-Rufai has either slided ingloriously into dictatorship or he is simply showing his true colours as a man who cannot stand opposition.
  19. "Nigerian journalist Luka Binniyat detained over complaint by Kaduna state official". Committee to Protect Journalists. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  20. "Ailing reporter held without trial for nearly three months in central Nigeria". Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  21. "BREAKING: Kaduna Journalist Arrested For Re-posting Facebook Article Kefas Stephen Is Missing". Sahara Reporters. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
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  25. APC Nigeria [@OfficialAPCNg] (April 25, 2022). "OFFICIAL" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 April 2022 – via Twitter.
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  29. Isenyo, Godwin. "Kaduna Senator declares governorship ambition, distributes 59 cars". The Punch. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  30. Isenyo, Godwin. "Kaduna 2023: Senator Uba Sani picks APC nomination forms". The Punch. Retrieved 29 April 2022.
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  34. Mudashir, Ismail. "UNVEILED: El-Rufai's Team Where Anointed Candidate Will Be Picked From". Daily Trust. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
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  45. Akpan, Samuel. "'I'll clean up the dirt in Kaduna' — Shehu Sani joins governorship race". TheCable. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
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