Kirkuk Governorship Faces New Test as Council Meets Saturday
Kirkuk Provincial Council meets Nov. 14 to elect a governor, with the Turkmen Front nominating Qahtan Wandawi to succeed Mohammed Samaan.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The Kirkuk Provincial Council is scheduled to convene an extraordinary session on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, to open nominations and vote on a new governor, with the Iraqi Turkmen Front putting forward Qahtan Wandawi as its official candidate to succeed Mohammed Samaan.
According to Kurdistan24 news anchor Gulbax Behrami, an official invitation was sent to the council's deputy head and members, calling them to an urgent session at 2:00 p.m. in the council's meeting hall.
Information obtained exclusively by Kurdistan24 indicates that Wandawi has been selected as the Turkmen Front's candidate and is expected to receive the council's consideration during Saturday's proceedings.
If elected, he would become Kirkuk's third governor in 2026, following Rebwar Taha and Mohammed Samaan, amid continuing negotiations over the distribution of political and administrative positions among the province's communities.
Mohammed Samaan Bids Farewell
The scheduled vote follows a farewell message posted by Mohammed Samaan in the Kirkuk Provincial Council's WhatsApp group late Friday night.
In the message, Samaan thanked council members for their cooperation during his tenure and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to work alongside them.
"I was very happy to work with you in service of our dear province, and I wish you continued success in both your personal and professional lives," he wrote.
Samaan also asked members to support whoever succeeds him.
"Please allow me to leave, and I hope you will extend the same cooperation to the next governor as well," he said.
His message comes after his appointment as a federal minister of state in October, a development that prompted negotiations over his replacement in Kirkuk.
Samaan became the province's first Turkmen governor in April 2026, replacing the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan's (PUK) Rebwar Taha under an agreement to rotate the governorship among political components.
Previous Session Postponed Amid Disagreements
Saturday's meeting follows an unsuccessful attempt to elect a governor on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
The provincial council had scheduled an extraordinary session that afternoon, but the proceedings were postponed amid disagreements over the position. The anticipated vote did not take place.
The Turkmen Front has sought to retain the governorship for the remainder of its allotted period under the political rotation agreement.
That arrangement envisages a subsequent transfer of the position to an Arab representative, although competing interpretations of the agreement have complicated negotiations.
Political disagreements have also emerged over whether the governorship should pass to a Sunni Arab candidate or be assigned to a Shiite figure.
Qais al-Khazali, leader of Asaib Ahl al-Haq, has reportedly objected to transferring the post to a Sunni representative, citing an earlier political understanding concerning the distribution of positions.
The disagreement was among the issues surrounding the previously postponed council session.
Kirkuk's Political Power-Sharing Arrangements
Kirkuk's provincial administration has remained a subject of negotiations among Kurdish, Arab and Turkmen political forces since the formation of the current council.
The 16-member provincial council includes five representatives affiliated with the PUK, six Arab representatives, two members of the Turkmen Front, two from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and one Christian quota representative.
The existing power-sharing arrangement traces back to political negotiations in Baghdad in August 2024, which resulted in Rebwar Taha's election as governor and Mohammed Hafiz's selection as council chairman.
The KDP did not participate in that agreement and subsequently boycotted the April 2026 session that elected Samaan, objecting to the proceedings.
Saturday's meeting is intended to determine Samaan's successor and advance the province's latest administrative transition.
Although Wandawi has emerged as the Turkmen Front's official nominee, his appointment remains subject to the council's vote and the required legal procedures.