2023 Nigerian Senate elections in Gombe State

2023 Nigerian Senate elections in Gombe State

←  2019 25 February 2023 2027 →
All 3 Gombe State seats in the Senate of Nigeria
Majority party   Party APC Last election 3 Seats before 3
APC incumbent lost renomination      APC incumbent running for re-election

The 2023 Nigerian Senate elections in Gombe State will be held on 25 February 2023, to elect the 3 federal Senators from Gombe State, one from each of the state's three senatorial districts. The elections will coincide with the 2023 presidential election, as well as other elections to the Senate and elections to the House of Representatives; with state elections being held two weeks later. Primaries were held between 4 April and 9 June 2022.

Background

In the previous Senate elections, only one incumbent senator was returned: in the Central district, Mohammed Danjuma Goje (APC) was re-elected but Usman Bayero Nafada (PDP-North) retired to unsuccessfully run for governor and Senator Joshua Lidani (PDP-South) lost renomination. In the Central district, Goje held his seat with 69% of the vote; both of the open seats were also won by APC as Sa'idu Ahmed Alkali won the North district with 62% and Amos Bulus Kilawangs gained the South seat with 53% of the vote. These results were a part of a large swing to the Gombe APC as every House of Representatives seat was won by the party, it won a majority in the House of Assembly, and Buhari won the state in the presidential election.

Overview

Affiliation	Party	Total
	APC
Previous Election	3	3
Before Election	3	3
After Election	TBD	3

Summary

This table is an excerpt from 2023 Nigerian Senate election § Gombe State.[ edit ]

District	Incumbent		Results
	Incumbent	Party	Status	Candidates
Gombe Central	Mohammed Danjuma Goje	APC	Incumbent renominated	▌ Mohammed Danjuma Goje (APC) [1] [2] ▌Abubakar Aliyu (PDP) [3] [2]
Gombe North	Sa'idu Ahmed Alkali	APC	Incumbent renominated	▌ Sa'idu Ahmed Alkali (APC) [4] [2] ▌ Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo (PDP) [5] [3] [2]
Gombe South	Amos Bulus Kilawangs	APC	Incumbent lost renomination New member to be elected	▌ Joshua M. Lidani (APC) [6] [2] ▌ Anthony Siyako Yaro (PDP) [3] [2]

Gombe Central

2023 Gombe Central Senatorial District election

←  2019 25 February 2023 2027 →

Nominee Mohammed Danjuma Goje Abubakar Aliyu Party APC PDP

Senator before election Mohammed Danjuma Goje APC Elected Senator TBD

The Gombe Central Senatorial District covers the local government areas of Akko and Yamaltu/Deba. The incumbent Mohammed Danjuma Goje (APC) was re-elected with 68.8% of the vote in 2019 and is seeking re-election.

Primary elections

All Progressives Congress

On 20 April 2022, the APC National Executive Committee announced the party's schedule for senatorial primaries, setting its expression of interest form price at ₦3 million and nomination form price at ₦17 million with a 50% discount for candidates younger than 40 while women and candidates with disabilities get free nomination forms. Forms were to be sold from 26 April to 6 May until the deadline was later extended to 10 May then 12 May. ^[7] After the submission of nomination forms by 13 May, candidates were screened by a party committee on 14 and 15 May while 18 May was the date for the screening appeal process. ^[8] Ward congresses and LGA congresses were set for 16 and 17 May to elect delegates for the primary. Candidates approved by the screening process advanced to a primary set for 27 May, in concurrence with other APC senatorial primaries; challenges to the result could be made on 28 May. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]}

The year ahead of the APC primary was categorized by a party crisis as the state APC was split between supporters of Goje on one side and the other side supporting incumbent Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya. ^[13] The crisis forced party officials to take a side and even became violent when an attack on Goje's convoy killed 5 people in November 2021. ^[14] Although the feud could have impacted Goje's renomination effort, Goje and Yahaya reconciled in January 2022. ^[15] The primary, held at the Gombe State University of Science and Technology in Kumo, ended in Goje's renomination over two other candidates in a landslide. ^[16]

APC primary results ^[16]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	APC	Mohammed Danjuma Goje	100	95.24%
	APC	Abubakar Mu’azu	3	2.86%
	APC	Idris Abdullahi	2	1.90%
Total votes			105	100.00%

People's Democratic Party

On 16 March 2022, the national PDP announced its senatorial primary timetable, 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 were screened by a party committee on 27 April while 2 May was the rescheduled date for the screening appeal process. Ward congresses were set for 29 April and LGA congresses were rescheduled for 10 May to elect delegates for the primary. ^[17] Candidates approved by the screening process advanced to a primary set for 23 May, in concurrence with other PDP senatorial primaries but due to often violently enforced Monday stay-at-home orders by separatists, southeastern state parties held their primaries on 24 May; ^[18] challenges to the result could be made on 25 May. ^{[19] [20] [21] [22]}

On the primary date, Abubakar Aliyu—a CPC gubernatorial candidate in 2011—was nominated in a landslide over Muhammadu Aliyu Baba. ^[23]

PDP primary results ^[23]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	PDP	Abubakar Aliyu	59	95.16%
	PDP	Muhammadu Aliyu Baba	3	4.84%
Total votes			62	100.00%

General election

Results

2023 Gombe Central Senatorial District election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	A	Riri Danjuma
	AA	Abubakar Magaji
	ADC	Haruna Musa
	APC	Mohammed Danjuma Goje
	BP	Ibrahim Bappah
	LP	Musa Aliyu Aliyu
	NRM	Kimo Mohammed Sulaiman
	NNPP	Muhammad Bibiker
	PDP	Abubakar Aliyu
	SDP	Adamu Ibrahim Muhammad
	ZLP	Rukayya Muhammad Garba
Total votes				100.00%
Invalid or blank votes				N/A
Turnout

Gombe North

2023 Gombe North Senatorial District election

←  2019 25 February 2023 2027 →

Nominee Sa'idu Ahmed Alkali Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo Party APC PDP

Senator before election Sa'idu Ahmed Alkali APC Elected Senator TBD

The Gombe North Senatorial District covers the local government areas of Dukku, Funakaye, Gombe, Kwami, and Nafada. The incumbent Sa'idu Ahmed Alkali (APC), who was elected with 62.0% of the vote in 2019, is seeking re-election.

Primary elections

All Progressives Congress

On 20 April 2022, the APC National Executive Committee announced the party's schedule for senatorial primaries, setting its expression of interest form price at ₦3 million and nomination form price at ₦17 million with a 50% discount for candidates younger than 40 while women and candidates with disabilities get free nomination forms. Forms were to be sold from 26 April to 6 May until the deadline was later extended to 10 May then 12 May. ^[7] After the submission of nomination forms by 13 May, candidates were screened by a party committee on 14 and 15 May while 18 May was the date for the screening appeal process. ^[8] Ward congresses and LGA congresses were set for 16 and 17 May to elect delegates for the primary. Candidates approved by the screening process advanced to a primary set for 27 May, in concurrence with other APC senatorial primaries; challenges to the result could be made on 28 May. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]}

On the primary date, three candidates contested an indirect primary that ended with Alkali winning renomination after results showed him defeating Bala Bello Tinka by a significant margin. ^[24] The primary was held in Malam Sidi, the headquarters of Kwami LGA. ^[25]

APC primary results ^[24]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	APC	Sa'idu Ahmed Alkali	216	84.05%
	APC	Bala Bello Tinka	31	12.06%
	APC	Aliyu Haidar Abubakar	10	3.89%
Total votes			257	100.00%
Invalid or blank votes			0	N/A
Turnout			257	98.85%

People's Democratic Party

On 16 March 2022, the national PDP announced its senatorial primary timetable, 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 were screened by a party committee on 27 April while 2 May was the rescheduled date for the screening appeal process. Ward congresses were set for 29 April and LGA congresses were rescheduled for 10 May to elect delegates for the primary. ^[17] Candidates approved by the screening process advanced to a primary set for 23 May, in concurrence with other PDP senatorial primaries but due to often violently enforced Monday stay-at-home orders by separatists, southeastern state parties held their primaries on 24 May; ^[26] challenges to the result could be made on 25 May. ^{[19] [20] [21] [27]}

Initially there were three screened candidates for the primary (former Governor and 2019 nominee Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, former Senator Usman Bayero Nafada, and Abdulkadir Hamma Saleh); however, Nafada and Saleh withdrew in favour of Dankwambo on the date of the primary. Due to these withdrawals, Dankwambo was nominated via affirmation. ^[23]

Campaign

As a rematch of the 2019 election between Alkali and Dankwambo, pundits attempted to identify the changes in the four year interim period. In December 2022, The Nation reporting stated that Dankwambo was in the better position as memory of his unpopular governorship had faded and the PDP appeared to be rising in the district. ^[28] A few weeks later, Daily Trust analysis from later that month contended that the race was still too close to predict. ^[29] In the days before the election, the Wikki Times revealed that the Alkali campaign was bribing indigent voters with sewing, grinding, and noodle-making machines. ^[30]

General election

Results

2023 Gombe North Senatorial District election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	A	Habiba Bala Abdullahi
	AA	Sani Adamu Mohammad
	ADC	Ahmed Adamu
	APC	Sa'idu Ahmed Alkali
	APM	Yusuf Ibrahim
	BP	Muhammad Abdulrahman
	LP	Ibrahim Usman Adamu
	NRM	Adamu Jibrin
	NNPP	Muhammad Sabiu
	PDP	Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo
	SDP	Mohammed Bashir Adamu
Total votes				100.00%
Invalid or blank votes				N/A
Turnout

Gombe South

2023 Gombe South Senatorial District election

←  2019 25 February 2023 2027 →

Nominee Joshua Lidani Anthony Siyako Yaro Party APC PDP

Senator before election Amos Bulus Kilawangs APC Elected Senator TBD

The Gombe South Senatorial District covers the local government areas of Balanga, Billiri, Kaltungo, and Shongom; it is largely coterminous with the Southern Gombe region, noted for its relative ethnic diversity and Christian majority in a state that is mainly ethnic Hausa-Fulani and majority Muslim. Incumbent Amos Bulus Kilawangs (APC) was elected with 52.9% of the vote in 2019 and sought re-election but lost the APC nomination.

Primary elections

All Progressives Congress

On 20 April 2022, the APC National Executive Committee announced the party's schedule for senatorial primaries, setting its expression of interest form price at ₦3 million and nomination form price at ₦17 million with a 50% discount for candidates younger than 40 while women and candidates with disabilities get free nomination forms. Forms were to be sold from 26 April to 6 May until the deadline was later extended to 10 May then 12 May. ^[7] After the submission of nomination forms by 13 May, candidates were screened by a party committee on 14 and 15 May while 18 May was the date for the screening appeal process. ^[8] Ward congresses and LGA congresses were set for 16 and 17 May to elect delegates for the primary. Candidates approved by the screening process advanced to a primary set for 27 May, in concurrence with other APC senatorial primaries; challenges to the result could be made on 28 May. ^{[9] [10] [11] [12]}

The primary, held at the Government Lodge in Billiri, was initially rancour-free until partway through the final count when election officials changed rooms and security prevented the public from entering the new collation room. About 70 minutes after voting had finished, state government appointee Sani Sabo announced former Senator Joshua Lidani as the victor over Kilawangs and Bilyaminu Babadidi. Supporters of both Kilawangs and Babadidi rejected the results and tension in the venue rose to the point of requiring police intervention. ^{[25] [31]} Within a few days of the primary, Kilawangs formally challenged the results in a case claiming that he had been winning before election officials changed rooms and the room change was clear manipulation while also noting that Sabo was not even an actual primary official. ^[32] For Babadidi's part, he filed a lawsuit against Lidani at the Federal High Court in Gombe. ^[33]

APC primary results ^[25]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	APC	Joshua Lidani	90	45.00%
	APC	Bilyaminu Babadidi	70	35.00%
	APC	Amos Bulus Kilawangs	40	20.00%
Total votes			200	100.00%
Invalid or blank votes			0	N/A
Turnout			200	Unknown

People's Democratic Party

On 16 March 2022, the national PDP announced its senatorial primary timetable, 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 were screened by a party committee on 27 April while 2 May was the rescheduled date for the screening appeal process. Ward congresses were set for 29 April and LGA congresses were rescheduled for 10 May to elect delegates for the primary. ^[17] Candidates approved by the screening process advanced to a primary set for 23 May, in concurrence with other PDP senatorial primaries but due to often violently enforced Monday stay-at-home orders by separatists, southeastern state parties held their primaries on 24 May; ^[34] challenges to the result could be made on 25 May. ^{[19] [20] [21] [35]}

The initial primary, held in Billiri, resulted in victory for Anthony Siyako Yaro—a businessman and banker—over former MHR Binta Bello by a narrow 2 vote margin. ^{[23] [36]} However, Bello formally rejected the results due to 'dead and disqualified delegates appearing on the delegates' list' and improperly gender unbalanced delegates' list from some LGA parties. ^[37] Bello's challenge was successful with the state PDP cancelling the original primary and ordering a rerun for 8 June; the rerun was also won by Yaro, who received around 80% of the total vote.

Annulled primary results

PDP primary results ^[36]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	PDP	Anthony Siyako Yaro	59	47.58%
	PDP	Binta Bello	57	45.97%
	PDP	Other candidates	8	6.45%
Total votes			124	100.00%

PDP rerun primary results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	PDP	Anthony Siyako Yaro	97	82.20%
	PDP	Binta Bello	20	16.95%
	PDP	Other candidates	1	0.85%
Total votes			118	100.00%

Campaign

As the most electorally competitive Senate seat in the state, focus shifted to the southern district immediately after the primaries. A few months later, The Nation analysis gave the edge to Yaro due to the controversial APC primary and widespread Tangale anger at the APC in the wake of the 2021 Mai Tangale crisis. ^[38]

General election

Results

2023 Gombe South Senatorial District election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	A	Simon Emly
	AA	Ngolma Poyilma Aliyu
	APP	Christiana James
	ADC	Dauda Adamu
	APC	Joshua M. Lidani
	APM	Sunday Lewis
	LP	David John Yako
	NRM	Serah Abdulsalam
	NNPP	Abigail David Albashi
	PDP	Anthony Siyako Yaro
	SDP	Jones Karawai
Total votes				100.00%
Invalid or blank votes				N/A
Turnout

See also

• 2023 Nigerian Senate election
• 2023 Nigerian elections

References

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2. Adenekan, Samson. "Download: Full List of 2023 Presidential, Vice Presidential, NASS candidates". Premium Times . Retrieved 21 September 2022.
3. Aramide, Mansur. "Dankwambo is Gombe North PDP senatorial candidate". The Guardian . Retrieved 24 May 2022.
4. "Senator Alkali Wins Gombe North Senatorial Primary Of The APC". Voice of Nigeria . Retrieved 29 May 2022.
5. Nseyen, Nsikak. "2023: Dankwambo picks PDP Gombe North Senatorial ticket". Daily Post . Retrieved 24 May 2022.
6. Attah, William. "BREAKING: Tension In Gombe As Goje, Alkali Win APC Tickets For Central, North". Independent Nigeria . Retrieved 29 May 2022.
7. Odunsi, Wale. "2023: APC extends sale of forms, fixes dates to elect delegates". Daily Post . Retrieved 7 May 2022.
8. Nseyen, Nsikak. "2023: APC fixes new date for governorship primaries, others". Daily Post . Retrieved 11 May 2022.
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10. Angbulu, Stephen; Ayeni, Victor; Dada, Peter; Naku, Dennis; Ede, Raphael (21 April 2022). "Presidential primary: APC silent on zoning, Nigerians condemn N100m nomination fee". The Punch . Retrieved 25 April 2022.
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29. Yaya, Haruna Gimba. "Gombe North: Dankwambo, Alkali Back For Another Bout". Daily Trust . Retrieved 21 December 2022.
30. Kamal, Idris; Muhammed, Hafsat. "How APC Senator Uses Women Groups For Subtle Vote Buying In Gombe". Wikki Times. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
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33. Olokor, Friday; Azubuike, Chima; Olatunji, Daud; Odey, Patrick; Abraham, James; Tyopuusu, Justin; Charles, John; Odogwu, Ted. "Aggrieved aspirants reject INEC lists, begin multiple court cases". The Punch . Retrieved 12 August 2022. In Gombe State, Bilyaminu Babadidi has instituted a case against the candidate of the APC for Gombe South Senatorial district, Joshua Lidani. A source close to Babadidi said the case was filed at the Federal High Court Gombe.
34. "IPOB's Sit-At-Home Forces PDP To Shift Primaries In South East". Daily Trust . Retrieved 30 July 2022.
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37. "Aspirant petitions PDP over Gombe south senatorial primary". The Nation . News Agency of Nigeria . Retrieved 12 August 2022.
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