# 2023 Nigerian gubernatorial elections

The 2023 Nigerian gubernatorial elections were held for state governors in 31 out of 36 Nigerian states. All but three elections were held on 18 March—concurrent with elections to every state house of assembly, three weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections—while the Imo State, Kogi State, and Bayelsa State elections will be held on 11 November. The last regular gubernatorial elections for all states were in 2019. All states have a two term limit for Governors which makes 18 incumbent governors ineligible for re-election.
Several incumbent governors were ineligible for re-election due to term limits. Nine APC governors were term-limited while nine incumbent APC governors were eligible for re-election. Among PDP governors, eight were term-limited while four could seek re-election. Elections will be held in 18 of the 20 states with APC governors and 12 of the 14 states with PDP governors.
The APC and PDP picked up two governorships each in the March elections, with the APC winning Benue and Sokoto while the PDP gained Plateau and Zamfara. Additionally, both the LP and NNPP gained one governorship with the LP gaining Abia and the NNPP flipping Kano. Two gubernatorial races—Adamawa and Kebbi—were declared inconclusive due to close margins and results cancellations.
Overall, the March election results were noted for few changes as state's governing parties generally retained control of governorships. Like in the federal elections, Independent National Electoral Commission performance dominated post-election discussion as dozens of candidates claimed irregularities had impacted their elections. Additionally, the March gubernatorial elections had significantly more reports of violence and vote-buying than during the federal elections, especially in the states of Lagos and Kano.

## Prior partisan composition

Before the elections, there were 21 APC governors, 14 PDP governors, and one APGA governor. Of the governor's offices up for election in 2023, 19 are held by an APC member while 12 are held by a PDP member.

## Results summary

| State | Incumbent | Incumbent | Incumbent | Results | Results |
| State | Incumbent | Party | First elected | Status | Candidates |
| Abia | Okezie Ikpeazu | PDP | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected LP gain | ▌Y Alex Otti (LP) ▌Ikechi Emenike (APC) ▌Gregory Ibe (APGA) ▌Uche Ikonne (PDP) |
| Adamawa | Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri | PDP | 2019 | Incumbent re-elected | ▌Y Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (PDP) 50.46% ▌Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed (APC) 46.71% |
| Akwa Ibom | Udom Gabriel Emmanuel | PDP | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected PDP hold | ▌Y Umo Eno (PDP) 53.98% ▌Bassey Albert Akpan (YPP) 20.76% ▌Akan Udofia (APC) 19.74% |
| Bauchi | Bala Mohammed | PDP | 2019 | Incumbent re-elected | ▌Y Bala Mohammed (PDP) 50.78% ▌Sadique Abubakar (APC) 41.79% ▌Halliru Dauda Jika (NNPP) 5.85% |
| Bayelsa | Douye Diri | PDP | 2019 | Eligible | TBD |
| Benue | Samuel Ortom | PDP | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected APC gain | ▌Y Hyacinth Alia (APC) 62.61% ▌Titus Uba (PDP) 29.58% ▌Herman Hembe (LP) 5.53% |
| Borno | Babagana Umara Zulum | APC | 2019 | Incumbent re-elected | ▌Y Babagana Umara Zulum (APC) 86.10% ▌Mohammed Ali Jajari (PDP) 12.96% |
| Cross River | Benedict Ayade | APC | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected APC hold | ▌Y Bassey Otu 57.23% (APC) ▌Sandy Ojang Onor (PDP) 39.75% |
| Delta | Ifeanyi Okowa | PDP | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected PDP hold | ▌Y Sheriff Oborevwori (PDP) 52.43% ▌Ovie Omo-Agege (APC) 34.96% ▌Ken Pela (LP) 6.99% |
| Ebonyi | Dave Umahi | APC | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected APC hold | ▌Y Francis Nwifuru (APC) 58.13% ▌Ifeanyichukwu Odii (PDP) 23.41% ▌Bernard Odoh (APGA) 15.24% |
| Enugu | Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi | PDP | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected PDP hold | ▌Y Peter Mbah (PDP) 44.88% ▌Chijioke Edeoga (LP) 43.95% ▌Frank Nweke (APGA) 5.02% ▌Uche Nnaji (APC) 4.07% |
| Gombe | Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya | APC | 2019 | Incumbent re-elected | ▌Y Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (APC) 56.63% ▌Mohammed Jibrin (PDP) 38.51% |
| Imo | Hope Uzodinma | APC | 2020 | Eligible | TBD |
| Jigawa | Mohammed Badaru Abubakar | APC | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected APC hold | ▌Y Umar Namadi (APC) 59.89% ▌Mustapha Sule Lamido (PDP) 35.71% ▌Aminu Ibrahim Ringim (NNPP) 3.60% |
| Kaduna | Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai | APC | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected APC hold | ▌Y Uba Sani (APC) 47.20% ▌Isah Ashiru (PDP) 46.49% ▌Jonathan Asake (LP) 3.77% |
| Kano | Abdullahi Umar Ganduje | APC | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected NNPP gain | ▌Y Abba Kabir Yusuf (NNPP) 51.55% ▌Nasir Yusuf Gawuna (APC) 45.03% |
| Katsina | Aminu Bello Masari | APC | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected APC hold | ▌Y Dikko Umaru Radda (APC) 62.96% ▌Garba Yakubu Lado (PDP) 35.63% |
| Kebbi | Abubakar Atiku Bagudu | APC | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected APC hold | ▌Y Nasir Idris (APC) 52.37% ▌Aminu Bande (PDP) 46.19% |
| Kogi | Yahaya Bello | APC | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited | TBD |
| Kwara | AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq | APC | 2019 | Incumbent re-elected | ▌Y AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (APC) 59.38% ▌Shuaib Abdullahi Yaman (PDP) 33.77% ▌Hakeem Lawal (SDP) 3.02% |
| Lagos | Babajide Sanwo-Olu | APC | 2019 | Incumbent re-elected | ▌Y Babajide Sanwo-Olu (APC) 65.95% ▌Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (LP) 27.03% ▌Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (PDP) 5.40% |
| Nasarawa | Abdullahi Sule | APC | 2019 | Incumbent re-elected | ▌Y Abdullahi Sule (APC) 53.10% ▌David Ombugadu (PDP) 43.28% |
| Niger | Abubakar Sani Bello | APC | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected APC hold | ▌Y Mohammed Umar Bago (APC) 53.82% ▌Isah Liman Kantigi (PDP) 44.38% |
| Ogun | Dapo Abiodun | APC | 2019 | Incumbent re-elected | ▌Y Dapo Abiodun (APC) 42.83% ▌Oladipupo Olatunde Adebutu (PDP) 40.67% ▌Olubiyi Otegbeye (ADC) 14.69% |
| Oyo | Seyi Makinde | PDP | 2019 | Incumbent re-elected | ▌Y Seyi Makinde (PDP) 63.37% ▌Teslim Folarin (APC) 28.86% ▌Adebayo Adelabu (A) 4.31% |
| Plateau | Simon Lalong | APC | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected PDP gain | ▌Y Caleb Mutfwang (PDP) 48.62% ▌Nentanwe Yilwatda (APC) 44.55% ▌Patrick Dakum (LP) 5.58% |
| Rivers | Ezenwo Nyesom Wike | PDP | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected PDP hold | ▌Y Siminalayi Fubara (PDP) 62.53% ▌Tonye Cole (APC) 19.69% ▌Magnus Abe (SDP) 9.71% ▌Beatrice Itubo (LP) 4.59% |
| Sokoto | Aminu Tambuwal | PDP | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected APC gain | ▌Y Ahmad Aliyu (APC) 52.48% ▌Saidu Umar (PDP) 46.81% |
| Taraba | Darius Ishaku | PDP | 2015 | Incumbent term-limited New governor elected PDP hold | ▌Y Emmanuel Bwacha (APC) ▌Agbu Kefas (PDP) |
| Yobe | Mai Mala Buni | APC | 2019 | Incumbent re-elected | ▌Y Mai Mala Buni (APC) 71.33% ▌Sharif Abdullahi (PDP) 27.95% |
| Zamfara | Bello Matawalle | APC | 2019 | Incumbent lost re-election New governor elected PDP gain | ▌Y Dauda Lawal (PDP) ▌Bello Matawalle (APC) |