In the previous Senate elections, two of the three incumbent senators were returned with APC senators Abubakar Kyari (North) and Mohammed Ali Ndume (South) winning re-election but Baba Kaka Bashir Garbai (APC-Central) retired. In the Central district, Kashim Shettima retained the seat for the APC with 81% of the vote; Kyari was re-elected with 68% in the North district while Ndume won with 76% in the South district. These results were a part of an APC sweep of Borno elections as both Buhari and gubernatorial nominee Babagana Umara Zulum won the state by wide margins and every single legislative seat in the House of Representatives and State House of Assembly levels were carried by APC nominees.
In April 2022, Kyari resigned from the Senate to focus on his new position as APC Deputy National Chairman (North) while in June of the same year, Shettima was picked as the APC vice presidential nominee.[1][2]
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]
Shettima was renominated unopposed in the primary at the state APC secretariat in Maiduguri.[13] However, in the weeks after the primary, Shettima was named by pundits as a potential vice presidential running mate for APC presidential nominee Bola Tinubu. These rumours were confirmed on 10 July when Tinubu announced Shettima as his running mate.[2] After Shettima relinquished his senatorial nomination, a new primary was held in Maiduguri with Kaka Shehu Lawan—the former state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice—winning unopposed. In his acceptance speech, Lawan thanked Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, hailed Shettima, and vowed to properly represent the district.[14]
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.[15] 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;[16] challenges to the result could be made on 25 May.[17][18][19][20]
Although Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe won the initial primary, former MHR Mohammed Umara Kumalia's name was listed as nominee amid an alleged substitution plot.[21][22] In response, the APC went to court to challenge Umara Kumalia's candidacy leading to an early January 2023 ruling from Federal High Court judge Jude K. Dagat that barred Umara Kumalia from the nomination due to his illegal nominating process.[23] However, the decision was overturned by a Court of Appeal ruling a few days before the election.[24]
The Borno North district covers the local government areas of Abadam, Gubio, Guzamala, Kukawa, Magumeri, Marte, Mobbar, Monguno, and Nganzai. The seat is vacant as Senator Abubakar Kyari (APC), who was elected with 67.7% of the vote in 2019, resigned from the Senate on 12 April 2022 to focus on his new position as APC Deputy National Chairman (North). Despite a constitutional stipulation that by-elections must be held after a vacancy, INEC did not schedule a by-election amid its preparations for prescheduled elections in 2022 and 2023.[25][26]
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, Mohammed Tahir Monguno—MHR for Monguno/Marte/Nganzai—was the sole candidate and was nominated unopposed at the primary.[27]
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.[15] 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;[28] challenges to the result could be made on 25 May.[17][18][19][29]
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, Ndume was the sole candidate and was nominated unopposed at the primary.[27]
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.[15] 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;[30] challenges to the result could be made on 25 May.[17][18][19][31]
Campaign analysis from December 2022 pointed out Satumari's focus on power rotation as only natives of Gwoza had occupied the senate seat since the return of democracy in 1999; for the APC, pundits noted Ndume's longtime political power and electoral history.[32]
