2023 Akwa Ibom State gubernatorial election

The 2023 Akwa Ibom State gubernatorial election took place on 18 March 2023, to elect the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, concurrent with elections to the Akwa Ibom 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 Udom Gabriel Emmanuel was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a third term. Former commissioner Umo Eno held the office for the PDP by a 34% margin over first runner-up and YPP nominee — Senator Bassey Albert Akpan.

Party primaries were scheduled for between 4 April and 9 June 2022 with the Peoples Democratic Party nominating Eno on 25 May while the All Progressives Congress nominated businessman Akanimo Udofia on 26 May in a controversial process that was initially not recognized by INEC; Udofia was only recognized after a Supreme Court ruling on 7 March 2023. As the APC was unable to overturn the INEC decision until days to the election, the nominees of smaller parties became major contenders like former Senator John James Akpan Udo-Edehe (New Nigeria Peoples Party) and Senator Bassey Albert Akpan (Young Progressives Party).

The day after the election, collation completed and INEC declared Eno as the victor. In total, Eno obtained over 354,000 votes and 55% of the vote as runner-up Akpan received around 136,000 votes and 21% of the vote while Udofia came third with nearly 130,000 votes and 20% of the vote.