2023 Abia State Gubernatorial Election

The 2023 Abia State gubernatorial election will take place on 11 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Abia State, concurrent with elections to the Abia 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 Okezie Ikpeazu is term-limited and cannot seek re-election to a third term.

Electoral system

The Governor of Abia 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 local government areas. If no candidate passes this threshold, a second round will be held.

Background

Abia State is a small, Igbo-majority southeastern state; although it is one of the most developed states in the nation, Abia has faced challenges in security as both the nationwide kidnapping epidemic and separatist violence have heavily affected the region. Originally launched ostensibly to defend ethnic Igbos from herdsmen and government attacks, the separatist organization Indigenous People of Biafra's Eastern Security Network began violently enforcing economically destructive weekly lockdowns in 2021 and swiftly were criticized for committing human rights abuses against civilians it was meant to protect. These atrocities coupled with law enforcement brutality and herder–farmer clashes worsened the security situation prior to the election.

Politically, the 2019 elections were categorized as a solidification of the Abia PDP's control but a slight expansion of the APC on the federal level. Statewise, Ikpeazu won re-election with over 60% of the vote and every single House of Assembly seat was won by the PDP. On the other hand, while the PDP was still successful federally, it lost ground only winning seven House of Representatives seats and two Senate seats compared to all nine and all three in 2015. For the presidency, Abia was easily won by PDP nominee Atiku Abubakar with about 68% but still swung towards the APC and had strikingly low turnout.

During Ikpeazu's second term, his administration stated focuses included support for small and medium-sized enterprises, water resource management, and infrastructure development; however, he was routinely criticized for lack of action on transportation infrastructure projects. After being accused of abandoning a four-year-long flyover project, Ikpeazu's response of deriding questioners as walkers that "don’t have hevehicles" to use the uncompleted flyover was widely criticized as arrogant and out-of-touch. At other points during his administration Ikpeazu was criticized for poor waste management, his unfounded initial dismissal of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, and the unilateral sacking of three local government chairman in June 2020 while being praised for expanding access to clean water.

Primary elections

The primaries, along with any potential challenges to primary results, will take place between 4 April and 3 June 2022. An informal zoning gentlemen's agreement and the formal Abia Charter of Equity sets the Abia North Senatorial District to have the next governor as Abia North has not held the governorship since 2007. Within Abia North, the Ohafia clan of the southern part of Abia North has claimed to be next in line for the governorship as the previous Abia North Governor (Orji Uzor Kalu) was from the northern part of Abia North. However, no major party has yet closed their primaries to either non-Northern or non-Ohafia candidates and some politicians claim that the election should be open to all candidates.

All Progressives Congress

The year prior to the APC primaries were beset by party infighting between factions led by Ikechi Emenike and Donatus Nwankpa, culminating in two parallel party congresses in October 2021. Analysts contest that the party crisis had to be resolved if the APC was to be competitive in the general election. Emenike's grouping eventually won out and was recognized by the national party in February 2022‎ but the party infighting continued into April. As primaries neared, Emenike and state party chairman Kingsley Ononogbu stated that the primary would not be zoned and would open to all aspirants.

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

* Michael Kasarachi Enyinna: 2019 APC Ukwa East/Ukwa West House of Representatives candidate
* Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah: Minister of State for Mines and Steel Development (2019–present) and 2019 APC gubernatorial nominee
* Obinna Oriaku: former Commissioner for Finance (2015–2019)
* Alex Otti: 2015 and 2019 APGA gubernatorial nominee

Potential

* Ikechi Emenike: 2019 APC gubernatorial candidate and husband of Ambassador to the United States Uzoma Emenike
* Mascot Uzor Kalu: 2021 APC Aba North/Aba South House of Representatives by-election nominee, former Chief of Staff to former Governor Theodore Orji, and brother of Senator for Abia North and former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu
* Nnanna Uzor Kalu: former House of Representatives member for Aba North/Aba South (2003–2011) and brother of Senator for Abia North and former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu
* Nkechi Nwaogu: former Senator for Abia Central (2007–2015) and former House of Representatives member for Obingwa/Ugwunagbo/Osisioma (2003–2007)
* Friday Nwosu: 2019 APC gubernatorial candidate and barrister

All Progressives Grand Alliance

On 25 March 2022, the national APGA announced its primary schedule, setting its expression of interest form price at ₦3 million and the nomination form price at ₦12 million with a 50% discount for women candidates and candidates with disabilities. Forms were to be sold from 29 March to 11 April but the deadline was extended to 15 April; after the purchase of forms, gubernatorial candidates are to be screened by a party committee on 22 and 23 April while the screening appeal process is slated for 5 May. Ward congresses are set for 10 May to elect delegates for the primary. Candidates approved by the screening process will advance to a primary set for 29 May, in concurrence with all other APGA gubernatorial primaries; challenges to the result will be made on 31 May.

Declared

* Gregory Ibe: founder and Chancellor of Gregory University
* Ijioma Nwokoro Ijioma: former Army major general
* Chikwe Udensi: businessman

People's Democratic Party

Ahead of the primary, arguments over zoning starkly divided the state PDP as groups from each senatorial district separately demanded different zoning arrangements with groups from the Southern district attempting to keep the primary open and those from the Central district lobbying for the nomination to be zoned to the centre along with those from the Northern district, who's turn it is based on the previous agreement. Eventually, the party zoned its nomination to both the Northern and Central districts in late March 2022. The decision immediately elevated the intraparty strife as Northern groups protested the inclusion of the Central district in what was termed an "abnormal novelty" meant to allow a central candidate Ikpeazu supported to run. Southern PDP stakeholders also rejected the arrangement with candidate Enyinnaya Abaribe describing it as unjust imposition meant to exclude him from the primary.

Another cause of internal party rifts was Ikpeazu's alleged attempts to impose his preferred candidate upon the party, with opponents accusing him of unduly supporting either optometrist Uche Ikonne or his former aide Chinenye Nwogu. The alleged endorsement of Ikonne caused even greater turmoil as Ikonne is not only from the Central district but is also a member of the Ukwa-Ngwa ethnic subgroup, just like Ikpeazu. While Ukwa-Ngwa bodies dismissed objections to consecutive Ukwa-Ngwa governors and lined up behind Ikonne, other candidates vehemently opposed what was termed subethnic "self-succession."

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

* Enyinnaya Abaribe: Senator for Abia South (2007–present), Senate Minority Leader (2019–present), 2003 ANPP gubernatorial nominee, and former Deputy Governor (1999–2003)
* Lucky Igbokwe: businessman
* Uche Ikonne: optometrist
* Enyinnaya Nwafor: engineer and son of former Deputy Governor Chima Nwafor
* Emma Nwaka: former Abia State PDP Chairman and former Senator for Abia North (1992–1993)
* Ude Oko Chukwu: Deputy Governor (2015–present) and former House of Assembly member for Ohafia North (2003–2015)
* Ncheta Omerekpe: businessman
* Sampson Orji: former Commissioner for Special Duties (2011–2015), former Commissioner for Commerce (2009–2011), and former House of Assembly member for Arochukwu (1999–2003)
* Onyekwere Akym Uche: founder of the OAU Foundation

Expressed interest

* Nnenna Obewo: former Commissioner for Transportation

Potential

* Chris Odinaka Igwe: Chairman of the Chrisnak Group and Managing Director of Mainland Oil and Gas Limited
* Chinenye Nwogu: former Ikpeazu aide
* Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji: House of Assembly member for Umuahia Central (2015–present), House of Assembly Speaker (2019–present), and son of former Governor Theodore Orji

See also

* 2023 Nigerian elections
* 2023 Nigerian gubernatorial elections

References

{{Nigerian state and local elections

Abia State gubernatorial election
2023
Abia