Femi Salako
Publisher Triangle News Media
With dates for the 2023 Nigeria general elections now set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) – the presidential and National Assembly poll is set for February 25 and governorship and other subnational elections are scheduled for March 11 – the countdown is well underway for what will be the seventh consecutive elections since the return to democracy in 1999. This represents 23 years of unbroken democracy; the longest period in the country’s history.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the 25th of February, 2023 for the presidential and national assembly election.
And with the Presidential Primary Election for all the Political Parties in Nigeria conducted with them presenting their candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Nigerians are free to make a wild guess from these various candidates who will be vying for the nation’s top seat come 2023.
Listed below are names of the Presidential Flag-bearers of the various political parties that will be contesting the presidential election come 2023.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar – Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP)
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu – All Progressive Congress (APC)
Mr Peter Obi – Labour Party (LP)
Mr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso – New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)
Professor Peter Umeadi – All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).
Prince Malik Ado-Ibrahim – Young Progressive Party (YPP)
Omoyele Sowore – Africa Action Congress (AAC)
Prince Adewole Adebayo – Social Democratic Party (SDP)
Mr Kola Abiola – Peoples Redemption Party (PRP)
Professor Christopher Imumulen – Accord Party (AP)
Dumebi Kachikwu – African Democratic Congress (ADC)
Yusuf Mamman Dan Talle – Allied Peoples Movement (APM)
The focus of this discourse will be based on the three major candidates who also will be representing their geopolitical zones in the 2023 presidential election. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of the LP.
With the arrangements of the major parties who will be keenly contesting the presidential election come 2023, it’s obvious that each zone which are already well represented will be fighting to have their candidate emerge winner.
Peter Obi/ South East
The decision of the former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, to quit the Peoples Democratic Party less than 72 hours before the primary election was one that generated a great buzz on the social media
His eventual defection to the Labour Party and his announcement to Contest the Presidential election also received great reaction from Nigerians especially the Youthful populace who believes that Peter Obi is the candidate needed by the country to change its narrative for the better.
Obi proved that he is indeed the ‘poster boy’ of the kind of change Nigeria needs at the moment – Nigeria desperately needs to move into a paradigm that would switch the nation from consumption and production, and return power to the Nigerian people.
With the current rising in the South East and South South and other parts of the Country which has seen the youthful populace coming out to make a statement backing it up with by their acquisition of their permanent voters card, it might be a game changer for Peter Obi.
Peter Obi is now a movement and the much talked about 3rd Force. This is self-evidently seen in his Twitter handle surging past 1 million followers two days after he courageously left the PDP and the portal of the Labour Party where he ported crashing severally for exceeding its bandwidth as Nigerian masses struggle to register in the party just to be with Peter Obi.
While many support groups of other aspirants are going to their principals to collect money to run their shows for political optics, supporters of Peter Obi have launched several crowd-funding platforms to raise money for Peter Obi. By doing so, they have become critical stakeholders of the President Peter Obi Project.
Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu/ South West
Tinubu won the party’s presidential primary in a landslide to clinch the party’s ticket ahead of the 2023 general election.
Without any iota of doubt, Tinubu is APC’s most influential politician, his mentoring of top politicians is legendary and his national acceptance is no doubt a non-negotiable fact that can usher our party to success come the 2023 election
Some other analysts insist that Tinubu with his wealth of political experience, connection, exposure and financial influence will not only match Atiku but defeat him or any other candidate in the general elections.
Before his emergence as the APC flagbearer, he has been described by many as a Kingmaker owing to his impressive profile of raising individuals who have gone on to make their marks in the nation’s national setup.
And with the current Zonal politics being played in the nation, there’s every possiblity that he would be taking majority of the votes in the Southwest while also taking a great deal from the North owing to his structures which cuts across the 36 states of the federation.
No doubt, Tinubu is a seasoned and brilliant politician however his ambition might be truncated with by his people from the South West who many have continued to argue that they can’t be trusted.
The Yorubas have shown a high level of political awareness which has seen them pride themselves as individuals who do not necessarily vote for candidates simply because the candidate is their kinsman.
Adding to this, the issue of money buying is another issue which might militated against his chances, however recent elections in Nigeria has seen the APC strategically trump other political parties at the polls using every means possible.
Alhaji Atiku Abubakar/ North
Atiku had emerged candidate at the PDP presidential primary held penultimate week after polling 371 votes to defeat the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, who scored 237 votes. Other aspirants with the number of votes polled include Bukola Saraki – 70; Sam Ohuanbunwa – 1; Anyim Pius Anyim – 14; Udom Emmanuel – 38 votes; Bala Mohammed – 20.
While the PDP candidate hails from Adamawa in the North East geopolitical zone, it’s no gainsaying that he will be commanding a great deal of support from the North especially the power brokers in the North who wants the region yo retain the presidency and considering their numerical strength, a total support from the North might just prove important in his bid to claim victory come 2023.
However, his decision to pick the Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate is one which might militate against his chances. According to many, it’s believed that Okowa does not have the political grit and wit to command him the much needed votes from the South East and South South.
Also it’s been speculated that Nyesom Wike, Rivers State Governor who was overlooked for Okowa as Atiku running mate might decide to work against the party in the coming election.
It’s believe that the choice of Okowa is a betrayal against Wike who many believed deserves to be picked given his numerous contribute to the party over the years.