January 2, 2023

A weekly review of news and analysis of elections in Africa, usually posted on Mondays and occasionally updated throughout the week.

The convention center in Cotonou, Benin. Photo credit: Wikimedia/peacecorpschadsey (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Upcoming Africa Elections

Benin Legislative Elections: January 8, 2023

🇧🇯 Les #élections du 8 janvier seront les premières élections pluralistes de l’ère #Talon.

En effet, contrairement à 2019, l'opposition participera au scrutin, à travers Les Démocrates de l’ex-président du #Bénin Thomas Boni Yayi pic.twitter.com/GAr7o9fNyL

— RFI Afrique (@RFIAfrique) December 28, 2022

Emilien David, TV5Monde (December 30, 2022 – in French): Benin: the opposition in the running for the legislative elections

Crisis24 (December 27, 2022): Benin: Legislative elections to take place Jan. 8

Nigeria General Elections: February 25, 2023

International Crisis Group (December 23, 2022): Countdown Begins to Nigeria’s Crucial 2023 Elections

Michelle Gavin, Council on Foreign Relations (December 23, 2022): The Promise and Peril of Nigeria’s 2023 Elections

Idayat Hassan, African Arguments (December 21, 2022): The insecurity ahead of Nigeria’s 2023 elections is unprecedented

Chinedu Asadu, AP (December 9, 2022): Violent attacks threaten Nigeria’s upcoming 2023 elections

Gambia Local Elections: May 13, 2023

AFP (January 1, 2022): Gambia releases opposition figure after coup bid

Zimbabwe General Elections: July 2023 (due)

DW (December 30, 2022): Zimbabwe gears up for 2023 election amid economic woes

Liberia Presidential and Legislative Elections: October 10, 2023

Dounard Bondo, Al Jazeera (December 18, 2022): Liberians protest living costs as Weah returns from 48-day trip: Analysts warn of more protests ahead of the 2023 elections despite President Weah’s popularity in parts of Liberia.

Aanu Adeoye, Financial Times (December 13, 2022): Absence abroad by Liberia president George Weah attracts criticism

Democratic Republic of the Congo Presidential and Legislative Elections: December 20, 2023

Laura Seay and Kim Yi Dionne, Washington Post (December 30, 2022): African politics in 2022: More than coups and conflict

AFP (December 26, 2022): DR Congo President Under Attack Over Regional Security Force

DW (December 21, 2022): DR Congo’s election campaign signals trouble ahead: Analysts fear that a lack of democratic culture among candidates running in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s 2023 presidential election could further deteriorate the security situation in a country beset by crises.  

Africanews (December 12, 2022): DRC: Tshisekedi vows to hold elections, denounces Rwanda’s “expansionist” intentions

South Africa General Elections: May 2024 (due)

Katharine Houreld and Lesley Wroughton, Washington Post (December 19, 2022): South African president survives party vote amid cash-in-couch revelations

Regional Analysis

Sebastiane Ebatamehi, The African Exponent (January 2, 2022): 6 Elections that will Define Africa in 2023

Kurt Davis Jr., The Africa Report (December 28, 2022): Nigeria, Libya, DRC… Top elections to watch in Africa in 2023

Martina Schwikowski, DW (December 26, 2022): Will Africa’s 2023 elections strengthen democracy?

Temitope J. Laniran, The Conversation (December 22, 2022): West Africa has experienced a wave of coups – superficial democracy is to blame

Reuters (December 15, 2022): U.S. to provide $165 million in support for elections, governance in Africa

AFP (December 14, 2022): Biden Asks African Leaders To Ensure Free 2023 Elections

Africa Elections Coming Up in 2023

Seven countries in Africa are scheduled to elections that will determine who heads the government: Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Gabon, Liberia, Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

In addition, Sudan plans to hold long-delays general elections in July, but additional delays are possible. 

Benin Legislative Elections: January 8, 2023

Djibouti Legislative Elections: February 24, 2023

Nigeria General Elections: February 25, 2023

Nigeria, Gubernatorial Elections in Most States: March 11, 2023

Cameroon Indirect Senate Elections (by members of local councils)

Mauritania Legislative and Local Elections: May 13, 2023

Gambia Local Elections: May 13, 2023

Mauritania Legislative and Local Runoffs: May 18, 2023

Sierra Leone Presidential and Legislative Elections: June 24, 2023

Mali Local Elections: June 2023 (due – delays possible)

Zimbabwe General Elections: July 2023 (due)

Sudan General Elections: July 2023 (tentative – delays possible)

Gabon Presidential, Legislative, and Local Elections: August 2023 (due)

Eswatini Parliamentary and Local Elections: August 2023 (due)

Gabon Legislative Elections: September 2023 (due)

Liberia Presidential and Legislative Elections: October 10, 2023

Mozambique Local Elections: October 11, 2023

Nigeria, Gubernatorial Elections in Imo State, Kogi State, and Bayelsa State: November 11, 2023

Madagascar Presidential Election: October 2023 (due)

Mali Legislative Elections: October 2023 (due – delays possible) 

Democratic Republic of the Congo Presidential and Legislative Elections: December 20, 2023

Togo Legislative and Regional Elections: December 2023 (due)

Côte d’Ivoire Local Elections (due in 2023)

Comoros Gubernatorial Elections (due in 2023)

Ghana Local Elections (due in 2023)

Guinea-Bissau Local Elections (due in 2023)

Guinea Local Elections (due in 2023 – delays possible to to coup situation)