Ilham Azikin

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Ilham Syah Azikin, born 25 November 1973 in Makassar, is an Indonesian civil servant and politician who served as the regent of Bantaeng Regency, South Sulawesi, from September 26, 2018, to September 26, 2023. He is the third generation in his family to hold the role, following his father Azikin Solthan (1998–2008) and his grandfather Solthan (1966–1978).

Education and early career
He studied at the Institute of Home Affairs Governance (IPDN) in Sumedang, earning a diploma in 1997 and a bachelor’s degree in politics in 2001. He later earned a master’s in public administration from Hasanuddin University in 2004 and a doctorate in public administration from the State University of Makassar in 2015. He worked as a civil servant in Maros Regency for about twenty years, becoming district head of Turikale by 2002 and later heading several departments, including human resources, tourism, sports, mining, and investment. He retired in January 2018 to run for Bantaeng’s regent, at the time serving as the second assistant to the Maros regent.

2018–2023: Regi​t period
In 2018 he ran for regent with Sahabuddin as his running mate, backed by six parties with 15 of 25 seats in the regional council. They won 48,549 votes (45.9%) in a three‑way race and were sworn in on September 26, 2018. As regent, Azikin launched an agricultural insurance program for harvests and livestock. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his government provided financial aid to rural small businesses and handed out free school uniforms for elementary and middle schools.

2024 election and personal life
Azikin’s first term ended on September 26, 2023. He is a member of the Nasdem Party. He ran for a second term in the 2024 Bantaeng regency election but was defeated by Fathul Fauzy Nurdin, son of former governor Nurdin Abdullah, with 50,527 votes (42.26%) to 69,036 votes (57.74%).

Azikin practices pencak silat, taught by a teacher from Ternate invited to Bantaeng in 1977. He is married to Sri Dewi Yanti, and they have four children. Sri Dewi Yanti was elected to the South Sulawesi Regional House of Representatives in 2024 as a Nasdem member.