2023 Nasarawa State gubernatorial election

The 2023 Nasarawa State gubernatorial election will take place on 11 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Nasarawa State, concurrent with elections to the Nasarawa 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 Abdullahi Sule is eligible to run for re-election, but has not yet stated whether he will do so. The primaries will be scheduled for late 2022 or early 2023.

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

Abdullahi Sule
APC

 Elected Governor

TBD
TBD

Electoral system

The Governor of Nasarawa 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

Nasarawa State is a large state in the North Central with vast natural areas and a improving health sector but facing underdeveloped agriculture and intense challenges in security as the nationwide kidnapping epidemic, inter-ethnic violence, and herder–farmer clashes have all heavily affected the state. Politically, the state's 2019 elections had a significant swing towards the state APC. In federal elections, Buhari gained the state for the APC while the APC swept all senate seats by gaining two PDP-held seats. Similarly, the APC gained one PDP-held House of Representatives seat, held the governorship, and kept the majority in the House of Assembly.

Ahead of his term, Sule pledged to complete the previous administration's projects, further rural electrification, and rehabilitate transportation infrastructure. In terms of his performance, Sule was praised for providing financial autonomy to local government areas but criticized for failing to follow through on promises.[3][4]

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

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.[5][6][7]

Declared

People's Democratic Party

Analysts view the PDP gubernatorial primary as a likely contest between two major internal party groupings, the group led by former senator Solomon Ewuga and another group led by state party chairman Francis Orogu. In April 2022, the Ewuga-led group met in Abuja with the goal of consolidating behind one candidate and reportedly settled on attempting to coax former minister Labaran Maku into to the party to back his candidacy; later that month, Maku did rejoin the PDP after eight years in APGA. Around the same time, the Orogu-led bloc also held a meeting to line up behind a single candidate with some sources stating that retired army general Nuhu Angbazo may have emerged as the bloc's candidate.[9][10] To ensure party unity, Orogu held a meeting on 25 April with Maku, Angbazo, and David Ombugadu (the other major candidate) where all three committed to working together to unseat Sule irrespective of the primary winner.[11]

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.[12] 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.[13][14]

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. Ukumba, Igbawase. "In 100 Days Governor Sule of Nasarawa State Still Relies on His Predecessor's Projects". ThisDay. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  4. "ICYMI: Top 5, Bottom 5; How first term Governors fared in their first year (May, 2020)". Ripples Nigeria. Retrieved 28 April 2022. Sule has remained largely anonymous for exhibiting poor vision and showing contentment for the ordinary.
  5. Majeed, Bakare (20 April 2022). "UPDATED: 2023: APC fixes presidential forms for N100 million, adopts indirect primaries". Premium Times. Retrieved 20 April 2022.
  6. 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.
  7. APC Nigeria [@OfficialAPCNg] (April 25, 2022). "OFFICIAL" (Tweet). Retrieved 26 April 2022 – via Twitter.
  8. Jimoh, Abbas; Muhammed, Umar. "Nasarawa Gov Gets N50m Forms, Catholic Priest Joins Race In Benue". Daily Trust. Retrieved 2 May 2022.
  9. Omaku, Rabiu. "PDP's Dilemma In Nasarawa". Leadership. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  10. Ukumba, Igbawase. "Daring Political Gladiators in Nasarawa". ThisDay. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  11. Sunday, Collins. "2023: Nasarawa PDP gov aspirants unite to unseat Sule". The Punch. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
  12. Angbulu, Stephen (21 April 2022). "2023: PDP extends sale of forms for fourth time". The Punch. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  13. Yakubu, Dirisu (16 March 2022). "[BREAKING] 2023: PDP Presidential primary holds in May". Vanguard. Abuja. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  14. Akpan, Samuel (17 March 2022). "2023: PDP releases pre-election schedule, fixes presidential primary poll for May 28". TheCable. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  15. Manga, Ajegena. "General Angbazo Joins Nasarawa State Governorship Race". People Reporters. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  16. Sunday, Collins. "After eight years in APGA, Maku returns to PDP, vows to unseat Sule in 2023". The Punch. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
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