The 2023 Enugu State gubernatorial election took place on 18th March 2023, to elect the Governor of Enugu State, concurrent with elections to the Enugu State House of Assembly as well as twenty-seven other gubernatorial elections and elections to all other state houses of assembly. The election — which was postponed from its original 11 March date — was held three weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections. Incumbent PDP Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a third term. Former commissioner Peter Mbah retained the governorship for the PDP by a margin of less than 1% — 3,343 votes — over the first runner-up, LP nominee Chijioke Edeoga.

Party primaries were scheduled for between 4 April and 9 June 2022 with the Peoples Democratic Party nominating Mbah on 25 May while the All Progressives Congress nominated businessman Uche Nnaji unopposed on 26 May and the All Progressives Grand Alliance nominated former minister Frank Nweke on 29 May. On 4 August, Edeoga — the runner-up in the PDP primary — won the primary of the Labour Party. The LP primary was annulled by a Federal High Court ruling on 9 November but a Court of Appeal judgment on 6 January 2023 overturned the High Court ruling, reinstating Edeoga as the legitimate LP nominee.

After a long and controversial count that included the suspension of collation in two local government areas (Nkanu East and Nsukka) due to irregularities, INEC declared Mbah as the victor on 22 March despite protests from the camps of other candidates. Official results, which were revised to remove fraudulent votes, showed Mbah winning nearly 161,000 votes (45% of the vote) and Edeoga gaining ~158,000 votes (44% of the vote) while Nweke and Nnaji trailed in third and fourth place with 5% and 4%, respectively. Losing candidates swiftly rejected the results and embarked on legal action, with candidates and media focusing attention upon Mbah's home LGA — Nkanu East — where both the turnout (40.0%) and Mbah vote share (92.1%) were extremely high and there were reports of voting irregularities. Edeoga's challenge to the results reaching the Supreme Court by December; the court dismissed Edeoga's case and upheld the election results in its judgment.

Electoral system The Governor of Enugu 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 Enugu State is a small, Igbo-majority southeastern state with a growing economy and natural resources but facing an underdeveloped agricultural sector, rising debt, and a low COVID-19 vaccination rate.

Politically, the state's 2019 elections were categorized as a continuation of the PDP's control as Ugwuanyi won with over 95% of the vote and the party won every seat in the House of Assembly along with all three senate seats and all eight House of Representatives seats. On the presidential level, the state was easily won by PDP presidential nominee Atiku Abubakar but it did swung towards Buhari compared to 2015 and had lower turnout.

During its second term, the Ugwuanyi administration's stated focuses included battling insecurity, completing infrastructure projects, and improving rural roads. In terms of his performance, Ugwuanyi was commended for taking some action to combat insecurity, expanding the rural road network, and properly deescalating November 2020 religious clashes in Nsukka while being criticized for failing to stop kidnappings and poor water management.

Primary elections The primaries, along with any potential challenges to primary results, were to take place between 4 April and 3 June 2022 but the deadline was extended to 9 June. An informal zoning gentlemen's agreement sets the Enugu East Senatorial District to have the next governor as Enugu East has not held the governorship since 2007. While the APC zoned their nomination to the East, the PDP and APGA did not make a formal zoning decision; all three parties ultimately nominated an easterner.

All Progressives Congress In June 2021, Enugu APC Chairman Ben Nwoye announced that the party had zoned their nomination to Enugu East Senatorial District.

On the primary date, businessman Uche Nnaji was the sole candidate and won the nomination unopposed. In his acceptance speech, Nnaji vowed to bring prosperity to Enugu State as governor. However, a few days after the primary, there were reports that the APC was in discussions with longtime Senator and losing PDP gubernatorial candidate Ike Ekweremadu over substituting him in as the party nominee; the talks failed though and Nnaji remained nominee. In mid-August, Nnaji announced George Ogara as his running mate at the party’s Zonal Secretariat.

Nominated Uche Nnaji: businessman Running mate—George Ogara

Withdrew Chris Agu: former civil servant Dave Nnamani: marketing manager

Declined Ayogu Eze: 2019 APC gubernatorial nominee, former Senator for Enugu North (2007–2015), and 2015 APC gubernatorial candidate

Results

All Progressives Grand Alliance

Pre-primary analysis gave the edge to former Minister of Information Frank Nweke due to Nweke's political experience and the low name recognition of his opponents. On the primary date, five candidates contested an indirect primary that ended with Nweke emerging as the APGA nominee after results showed Nweke winning just under 50% of the delegates' votes, defeating businessman Jeff Nnamani by just 6 votes. In mid-July, Nweke picked Edith Ugwuanyi—a businesswoman from Ibagwa-Aka in Igbo Eze South—as his running mate at a press briefing in Enugu.

Nominated Frank Nweke: former Minister of Information and Communications (2005–2007), former Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs (2003–2005), and former Chief of Staff to the Governor (2001–2003) Running mate—Edith Ugwuanyi: businesswoman

Eliminated in primary Jeff Nnamani: businessman Uchenna Nwegbo Donatus Obi-Ozoemena: 2019 UDP gubernatorial nominee (defected after the primary to run in the ADC gubernatorial primary) Dons Udeh: former state PDP Secretary; former Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport; and former Commissioner for Commerce and Industry

Results

People's Democratic Party A 2013 Enugu PDP internal party resolution that resurfaced in August 2021 enshrined zoning for the 2015 election and thus adding to the claims of the pro-zoning to Enugu East camp. Zoning became under threat due to the gubernatorial candidacy of longtime Senator Ike Ekweremadu, who is from Enugu West, as he and his allies denied that zoning was ever a factor in the state or claimed that it was no longer necessary; the controversy that surrounded Ekweremadu's campaign and disregard for zoning led to vast internal divisions within the party. Another cause of controversy was the alleged support that Ugwuanyi was giving to former commissioner Peter Mbah's candidacy despite Mbah's ongoing prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

Ahead of the primary, analysts named four candidates as the most likely to win: former commissioner Chijioke Jonathan Edeoga, Ekweremadu, Mbah, and former minister Bartholomew Nnaji. The day before the primary, former Anambra State Governor Jim Nwobodo formally announced that Mbah was the preferred candidate of Ugwuanyi and other major Enugu State PDP figures. Prior to the primary on the next day, three candidates (including Ekweremadu) withdrew in protest of the perceived imposition by Ugwuanyi while eight more candidates dropped out at the primary venue, but instead they endorsed Mbah. When collation completed, Mbah won the nomination after announced results showed him winning over 97% of the delegates' votes. In mid-June, Ifeanyi Ossai—a barrister from Nsukka—was announced as his running mate at a joint press conference with Mbah in Enugu.

Nominated Peter Mbah: former Commissioner for Finance and Economic Development and former Chief of Staff to the Governor Running mate—Ifeanyi Ossai: barrister

Eliminated in primary Gilbert Chukwunta Chijioke Jonathan Edeoga: former Commissioner for Environment (2019–2022), former Commissioner for Local Government Matters (2015–2019), former House of Representatives member for Enugu East/Isi-Uzo (1999–2003), and former Isi Uzo Local Government Chairman (defected after the primary to successfully run in the LP gubernatorial primary) Hilary Edeoga: former Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources (2007–2009) and professor Bartholomew Nnaji: former Minister of Power (2011–2012) and former Minister of Science and Technology (1992–1993) Gilbert Nnaji: former Senator for Enugu East, former House of Representatives member for Enugu East/Isi-Uzo (2003–2011), and former Enugu East Local Government Chairman (1997–1998; 1999–2002) Chinyeaka Ohaa: former Federal Permanent Secretary

Withdrew

Gabriel Ajah: former Secretary to the State Government Beloved Dan Anike: former commissioner and RCCG pastor Erasmus Anike: engineer Ofor Chukwuegbo: House of Representatives member for Enugu North/Enugu South (2019–present) and former House of Assembly member (2003–2007) Ike Ekweremadu: Senator for Enugu West (2003–present), former Deputy President of the Nigerian Senate (2007–2019), former Secretary to the State Government (2001–2002), former Chief of Staff to the Governor (1999–2001), and former Aninri Local Government Chairman Evarest Nnaji: businessman Jehu Nnaji: professor Chukwudi Abraham Nneji: physician Ralph Nwoye: former Deputy Governor (2014–2015) Godwin Ogenyi: former Commissioner for Poverty Reduction and Human Development Josef-Ken Onoh: Chairman of the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (2019–present), former House of Assembly member (2003–2007), and son of former Anambra State Governor Christian Onoh Abraham Onyishi Kingsley Udeh: former aide to Ugwuanyi Nwabueze Ugwu: lawyer

Declined Patrick Asadu: House of Representatives member for Nsukka/Igbo-Eze South (2011–present) Alex Obiechina: 2011 PDP gubernatorial candidate Edward Uchenna Ubosi: House of Assembly member for Enugu East Urban (2011–present) and Speaker of the House of Assembly (2015–present)

Results

Minor parties

Chukwunonso Daniel Ogbe (Action Alliance) Running mate: Iyida Ikechukwu Onyedika Nnamdi Omeje (Action Democratic Party) Running mate: Ifeoma Stella Ani Afamefuna Samuel Ani (Action Peoples Party) Running mate: Anthony Adinifekwu Aduaka Ray Ogbodo (African Action Congress) Running mate: Shedrack Ejiofor Itodo Donatus Ozoemena (African Democratic Congress) Running mate: Celestina Anita Ugwanyi Kenneth Odoh Ikeh (Allied Peoples Movement) Running mate: Chigozie Onovo Chijioke Jonathan Edeoga (Labour Party) Running mate: John Nwokeabia Cajetan Eze (New Nigeria Peoples Party) Running mate: Francis Ifesinachi Nwodo Cyril Elochukwu Mamah (National Rescue Movement) Running mate: Helen Onuegbunam Okwor Christopher Ejike Agu (People's Redemption Party) Running mate: Chidozie Anthony Oziko Pearl Ogochukwu Nweze (Social Democratic Party) Running mate: Mark Anthony Eze Ugochukwu Edeh (Young Progressives Party) Running mate: James Chidiebere Agbo Elvis Chinazam Ugwoke (Zenith Labour Party) Running mate: Daniel Okwudili Mba

Campaign