2023 Adamawa State Gubernatorial Election

The 2023 Adamawa State gubernatorial election will take place on 11 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Adamawa State, concurrent with elections to the Adamawa State House of Assembly as well as twenty-seven other gubernatorial elections and elections to all other state houses of assembly. It will be held two weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections. Incumbent PDP Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri is eligible to run for re-election, but has not yet stated whether he will do so.

Electoral system

The Governor of Adamawa 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

Adamawa State is a large, diverse northeastern state in the process of recovering from the worst of the Boko Haram insurgency. The state also has to contend with an underdeveloped yet vital agricultural sector and low education rates along with continued security challenges from Boko Haram and ISWAP to sustained conflict between herders and farmers.

Politically, the 2019 Adamawa elections were a swing back to the PDP as its presidential nominee Atiku Abubakar won the state back from Buhari and Fintiri unseated APC Governor Bindo Jibrilla. Legislatively the PDP also gained ground, winning two Senate seats, five House of Representatives seats, and control of the House of Assembly. During Fintiri's term, his administration stated focuses included increased security, ethnic and religious harmony, and water resource management. In terms of his performance, Fintiri was commended for civil service reform while being criticized for having few accomplishments of his own and disregarding FAAN airport health protocols in July 2020.

Primary elections

The primaries, along with any potential challenges to primary results, will take place between 4 April and 3 June 2022. According to some candidates and community leaders, an informal zoning gentlemen's agreement sets the Adamawa Central Senatorial District to have the next governor as since the 1999 return of democracy, all Adamawa governors have come from either the Adamawa South or Adamawa North Senatorial Districts. However, no major party has yet closed their primaries to candidates from the North or South.

APC

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% discount for candidates younger than 40 while women and candidates with disabilities get free nomination forms. Forms are to be sold from 23 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 April 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.

Declared

* Ishaku Elisha Abbo: Senator for Adamawa North (2019–present)
* Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed: Senator for Adamawa Central (2019–present) and former House of Representatives member for Yola North/Yola South/Girei (2015–2019)
* Bindow Jibrilla: former Governor (2015–2019) and former Senator for Adamawa North (2011–2015)
* Umar Mustapha: engineer
* Abdulrazak Namdas: House of Representatives member for Jada/Ganye/Mayo Belwa/Toungo (2015–present)

Potential

* Mahmood Halilu Ahmed: 2019 APC gubernatorial candidate and brother of First Lady Aisha Buhari
* Abubakar Girei: former Senator for Adamawa Central (1999–2003)
* Boss Mustapha: Secretary to the Government of the Federation (2017–present), former Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (2016–2017), and 1991 SDP gubernatorial nominee
* Nuhu Ribadu: 2019 APC gubernatorial candidate, 2015 PDP gubernatorial nominee, 2011 ACN presidential nominee, and former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (2003–2007)
* Warfarninyi Theman: former state APC Secretary

Declined

* Abdul-Aziz Nyako: former Senator for Adamawa Central (2015–2019) and 2019 ADC gubernatorial nominee

PDP

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. 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.

Declared

* Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri: Governor (2019–present), former House of Assembly member for Madagali (2007–2015), former acting Governor (2014), and former Speaker of the House of Assembly (2014)

See also

* 2023 Nigerian elections
* 2023 Nigerian gubernatorial elections

References

{{Nigerian state and local elections

Adamawa State gubernatorial election
2023
Adamawa