Nigeria Elections 2023: What you need to Understand

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Nigeria elections 2023 are highly contested. Candidates are rapping up their campaigns.

On Saturday, 25^th February 2023, Africa’s most populous country will be heading to polls to elect their next president, Vice President as well as members of the national assembly. The governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections will be held on March 11, 2023.

The polls happen amid heightened levels of insecurity and economic turmoil. Most of the presidential hopefuls are political veterans who have been in politics for ages. Will any of the presidential contestants be able to renew the Nigerian dream?

Hundreds of Nigerians showed their interest to contest for the highest office in the land, however, only eighteen (18) candidates were cleared by Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the electoral body conducting elections.

This is not the first time Nigeria elections experienced such a crowded race, in 2019 presidential elections featured the highest number of candidates in Nigeria’s history. Seventy-three out of the 91 political parties that were registered then, presented candidates for the election that was held on Saturday, February 16, 2019.

List of 2023 Presidential candidates

1. Imumolen Christopher – Accord Party (AP)

2. Al-Mustapha Hamza – Action Alliance (AA)

3. Sowore Omoyele – African Action Congress (AAC)

4. Kachikwu Dumebi – African Democratic Congress (ADC)

5. Sani Yabagi Yusuf – Action Democratic Party (ADP)

6. Tinubu Bola Ahmed – All Progressives Congress (APC)

7. Umeadi Peter Nnanna – All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)

8. Ojei Princess Chichi – Allied People’s Movement (APM)

9. Nnamdi Charles Osita – Action Peoples Party (APP)

10. Adenuga Sunday Oluwafemi – Boot Party (BP)

11. Obi Peter Gregory – Labour Party (LP)

12. Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso – New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)

13. Osakwe Felix Johnson – National Rescue Movement (NRM)

14. Abubakar Atiku – Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

15. Abiola Latifu Kolawole – Peoples Redemption Party (PRP)

16. Adebayo Adewole Ebenezer – Social Democratic Party (SDP)

17. Ado-Ibrahim Abdumalik – Young Progressives Party (YPP)

18. Nwanyanwu Daniel Daberechukwu – Zenith Labour Party (ZLP)

The contest has however been reduced to a three-horse race between; Peter Gregory Obi (Labour Party), Atiku Abubakar (Peoples Democratic Party), and Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu (All Progressive Congress). The three candidates have a rich political history, and the majority of Nigerians place their hopes on them.

1. Peter Obi

Nigeria elections 2023-Peter Obi — Peter Obi

He is a Nigerian politician and businessman who was born on 19 July 1961 in Onitsha, Anambra State. He graduated with a B.A. (Hons) in philosophy in 1984 from the University of Nigeria.

He was the vice presidential candidate in the 2019 Nigerian general election under the People’s Democratic Party (P.D.P) deputizing Atiku Abubakar.

He is the current presidential aspirant for the 2023 Nigerian general election, flying the Labour party flag.

He was the former governor of Anambra State serving from 17 March 2006 to 2 November 2006, when he was impeached and from 9 February 2007 to 29 May 2007 after his impeachment was overturned. Although a fresh election was held on 29 April 2007. He was reappointed governor on 14 June 2007 after a court ruling that he should be allowed to complete a four-year term. He was re-elected to a second term in office during the February 6th, 2010 gubernatorial elections.

2. Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu

Nigeria Election 2023- Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu — **Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu**

He is a Nigerian accountant and politician born on 29 March 1952 in Lagos. He graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Richard J. Daley College in Chicago and then at Chicago State University, United States.

He has been the national leader of the All Progressives Congress since the party’s formation in 2013. He previously served as the Governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007 and Senator for Lagos West during the brief Third Republic. In January 2022, he announced his intention to run for the APC nomination for President of Nigeria in the 2023 presidential election.

3. Atiku Abubakar

He is a Nigerian politician and businessman born on 25 November 1946. He served as the Vice President of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007 during the presidency of Olusegun Obasanjo. He ran as Governor of Adamawa State in 1990, 1997, and later, in 1998, being elected before becoming Olusegun Obasanjo’s running mate during the 1999 presidential election and being re-elected in 2003.

He then enrolled at the School of Hygiene in Kano for a diploma program before proceeding to Ahmadu Bello University’s Institute of Administration for a Diploma in Law. In 2021, he graduated with a Master’s degree in International Relations at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Opinion Polls

In the recent opinion polls carried out by two organizations; ANAP Foundation and Kwakol Research, Nigerian presidential hopeful Peter Obi emerged as the favorite candidate to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari to become the country’s next head of state.

In a survey by Premise Data Corp. released recently, 66% of participants who said they’ve decided how to vote selected Obi of the Labour Party over Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

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The tangling question is, however, Can an ‘Outsider’ Nigeria’s Presidency?

The young generation of Nigerians is tired of the Nigerian establishment, especially the two candidates from the major and established political parties, Obi egresses from the norm.

His main campaign pillar is the younger Nigerians who have registered as voters in a high number and push his agenda both offline and online. campaign and chance His reputation as a wealthy businessman who is nonetheless seen as incorruptible is helping give wings to his often populist rhetoric. One of his signature calls to Nigerians is: “It’s time to take your county back.”

But in the chaotic world of Nigerian power politics, his victory is far from assured. He is up against an entrenched two-party system, with candidates with decades of experience in government and power.

The tangling question in his Nigeria elections, is, however; Can an ‘Outsider’ Nigeria’s Presidency?

However opinion polls alone are not an assurance of success, the two formidable opponents have equal chances of becoming the next commander-in-chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces. Time will tell. Nigeria elections, Nigerians will decide their fate.

Summary of Nigeria Elections

Peaceful, free, fair, verifiable, and transparent elections in Nigeria, will give meaning to democracy and send a ripple of hope across the sub-Saharan hemisphere since many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have been experiencing coups and Nigeria has a chance on the global stage to reveal a powerful nation committed to democracy.