Avellon Williams
NIGERIA- Nigeria is set to hold presidential elections on Saturday February 25, 2023, and the nation is already abuzz with speculation about who will be the next leader of the country.
There are 18 presidential candidates for the position. There are 93,469,008 registered voters across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, the country’s electoral body.
However, the main contenders for the position include former vice president Atiku Abubakar, former governor of Lagos State Bola Tinubu, and former governor of Anambra Peter Obi.
The nation faces a history of challenges such as political instability, violence, insecurity, and unemployment. The next leader of Nigeria must have a plan to address these problems in order to bring about lasting peace and stability. The citizens of Nigeria will be looking for a leader who can provide effective solutions to these issues and help create a brighter future for all Nigerians.
Peter Obi, Bola Tinubu, and Atiku Abubakar each have their own unique approach to tackling Nigeria’s most pressing issues; It remains to be seen who will come out on top in the 2023 elections.
Three (3) major presidential candidates in Nigeria for the 2023 election
PETER OBI
With his campaign slogan “Hope Alive”, Peter Gregory Obi, presidential candidate for the Labor Party (LP), is taking his first shot at the presidency, promising to tackle insecurity, boost the economy, and fight corruption.
Obi was born on July 19, 1961, and graduated from the University of Nigeria in 1984. As a result, he entered the business and banking world, eventually holding several executive positions in banks.
A Nigerian businessman, politician, and former governor of Anambra state in the southeast. While serving as governor from 2006 to 2014, he implemented several policies and programs aimed at improving the state’s economy, infrastructure, education, and welfare.
In the years since he left office as governor, Obi has continued to play a significant role in the political arena. On Oct. 12, 2018, he was named Abubakar’s running mate in the 2019 presidential election.
Obi announced his intentions to run for president in March 2022, but pulled out in May 2022, resigning from the PDP and joining the LP’s presidential campaign.
There is a great deal of interest among Nigeria’s youth in Obi’s presidential ambitions. As the movement’s slogan suggests, the candidate is more concerned with resourceful management and investment in key sectors, economic growth, frugality, and economic production rather than indulging in ostentatious consumerism.
BOLA TINUBU
Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the presidential candidate of Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). It is widely believed that Tinubu is one of the most powerful and wealthy politicians in Nigeria and has played a major role in defining its political landscape as a whole. He was the former governor of the southwestern state of Lagos.
Born on March 29, 1952, in Lagos, Nigeria, is an accountant and politician. The APC presidential candidate began his political career in the early 1990s as a senator for Lagos state. Following the military’s takeover of power in 1994, he went into exile and returned to Nigeria in 1998 to run for governor of Lagos.
He served two terms as governor of Lagos after winning the 1999 election. Several policies and projects were implemented during his tenure to improve the state’s infrastructure and economic growth. Also, he initiated policies to improve education, healthcare, and security, which were widely regarded as the foundation for the state’s development.
Through his “Renewed Hope” campaign slogan, Tinubu, one of the founding members of the APC, promised to continue and expand some of President Muhammadu Buhari’s social investment programs.
As part of his policy proposal, the leader of the governing party also discussed healthcare, the digital economy, women empowerment, judicial reform, federalism, and decentralization of power, as well as foreign affairs. A huge investment in entertainment and culture, as well as expanding job opportunities for young Nigerians, was also included in his plan.
ATIKU ABUBAKAR
Atiku Abubakar, who is running on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform, stands out not only because he is the oldest presidential candidate, but also because he served as vice president of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007.
Also, a Nigerian businessman, Abubakar was the PDP’s presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2019 election. He finished second to Buhari, who ran for a second and last term.
In the northeastern state of Adamawa, where he was born on Nov. 25, 1946, the veteran politician began his career as a customs officer. Having built a successful career in the private sector, he later ventured into politics in the early 1990s.
During his tenure as vice president, Abubakar had a major influence on the administration’s economic policies and efforts to address corruption and improve government transparency.
His involvement in Nigerian politics continues after his tenure as vice president. A candidate for president twice, in 2007 and 2019, he lost to the late ex-President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the incumbent Buhari.
With the slogan “Recover Nigeria,” Abubakar says his agenda includes rejuvenating the economy, closing infrastructure gaps, creating jobs, improving security, and restructuring the nation’s political and structural system.
The future of the country is at stake at this pivotal moment:
This upcoming election in Nigeria in 2023 is set to be a pivotal moment for the country’s future. With several candidates vying for the position of president, each with their policies and ideas, it is essential to consider who will be the best person to lead Nigeria into a prosperous and secure future.
