This month, only 28 out of Nigeria’s 36 states will be conducting elections.
In previous explainers,
The Republic explored how
voting works in Nigeria; if the elections can be
postponed and what the law provides in the case of a
candidate’s death before the elections. With just three days to the 2023 governorship elections, voters want to know who is running for governor.
Last week, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced that the gubernatorial and state house of assembly elections had been moved to 18 March 2023. The 1999 Constitution provides that elections are to be conducted every four years, but with impeachments, court rulings and inconclusive elections, some states conduct their elections outside of the political cycle. This month, only 28 out of Nigeria’s 36 states will be conducting elections.
Here are the candidates being fielded from the major political parties in each state:
ABIA STATE
Running mate: Gloria Akara.
Emenike was born on 10 April 1957 and is currently married to Nigeria’s ambassador to the United States, Uzoma Emenike. In 2019, Emenike served on APC’s Contact and Strategic Committee ahead of the general elections in 2019. He was also a gubernatorial aspirant on the party’s platform in Abia State losing the ticket to Uche Ogah. In 2021, he was appointed as chairman of the governing council of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 2021 by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In 2022, he was elected gubernatorial candidate of the APC.
Running mate: Jasper Uche.
Ahiwe was born on 26 December 1966. He has served as a member of the Abia State security trust fund and in the campaign council for governorship elections in Abia State before he was appointed the chief of staff to the governor in April 2022.
The death of Uche Ikonne, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, in January 2023 paved the way for him as the party’s governorship candidate. Following Ikonne’s death on 25 January 2023, Ahiwe emerged as the winner of the primary election held on 04 February.
Running mate: Ikechukwu Emetu.
Otti was born on 18 February 1965. He studied economics at the University of Port Harcourt where he graduated with a first-class degree. His banking career began in 1989 with Nigerian International Bank.
With a banking career spanning over 20 years, he has worked at Nigerian Intercontinental Merchant Bank, Societe Bancaire Nigeria Limited, United Bank for Africa, First Bank and Diamond bank where he retired in 2014.
In 2015, Otti contested in the Abia State governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance but lost to Ikpeazu. He contested again in 2019 losing to Ikpeazu before joining APC. In May 2022, he moved to the Labour Party where he won the party’s governorship primary election.
ADAMAWA STATE
Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (APC):
Running mate: Titsi Ganama.
Aisha Ahmed was born on 11 August 1971. She is studying Electrical Engineering at the University of Southampton where she received a Higher National Diploma. Fondly known as ‘Binani’, Ahmed’s foray into politics began in 2011 under PDP, where she was elected as a member of the House of Representatives representing the Yola North/Yola South/Girei federal constituency. She moved to APC in 2015 and in 2019, won the Adamawa Central senatorial district election.
In 2022, she contested for APC gubernatorial ticket defeating her closest rival, Nuhu Ribadu, the former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. She is the second female governorship candidate to emerge on the platform of a major party after Aisha Alhassan, the late former minister of women’s affairs, who was the governorship candidate of the APC in Taraba State in the 2019 election.
Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (PDP):
Running mate: Kaletapwa Farauta.
Fintiri was born on 27 October 1967. He studied History at the University of Maiduguri in 1992. In 2007, Fintiri was elected as a member of the state House of Assembly representing the Madagali Constituency. In 2011, he was re-elected before being elected Speaker of the House.
In 2014, when Murtala Nyako was impeached as governor of Adamawa State, Fintiri was sworn in as acting governor. In 2019, he then contested for governor of Adamawa State against the incumbent governor, Jibrilla Bindow.
AKWA IBOM STATE
John James Akpan Udo-Edehe (NNPP):
Running mate: Godwin Michael Afangideh.
Udo-Edehe was born on 9 November 1963. In 1999, when Nigeria returned to democratic government, Udo-Edehe was elected as senator representing Akwa Ibom North East where he spent one term in office.
In 2007, he was appointed minister of the FCT by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua but was relieved of his position in October 2008 following a cabinet shake-up. The former lawmaker joined the Action Congress of Nigeria ahead of the 2011 general elections but lost the governorship election to the incumbent governor, Akpabio. He attempted to run again in 2015 and 2019 as a member of APC but lost the primary elections to Umana Umana and Nsima Ekere respectively.
Following the victory of Akanimo Udofia, Udo-Edehe left the party and moved to the New Nigeria Peoples Party where he emerged as the party’s governorship candidate.
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