Road To 2023, A Closer Look At The Main Contenders of the Number One Seat of Nigeria.

Posted by Ayinwola Joseph September 23, 2022

There appears to be a revolution in Africa’s largest democracy, as Nigeria inches towards the 2023 general elections. With the emergence of Presidential candidates of the four major political parties; the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), the People Democratic Party (PDP), the now popular Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP), the stage appeared set for Nigerians electorates to pick who will lead them in 2023.

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso
NNPP Presidential Candidate
However about 23 years ago since the transition from Military to Civilian Democratic rule in 1999, the much anticipated dividends of democracy in terms of improved welfare and security of the Nigerian people has remained elusive with a very successful administration paying lip service to the welfare of the Nigerian people.
In addition to the heightened insecurity that has reduced the country to the largest human slaughter ground in Africa, where people are slaughtered on a daily basis by heavily armed non state actors, the worsening economic crisis in the country has also pushed the people down the ladder of prosperity to the miserable of some of the world poorest.
In view of this, the whole generation of young Nigerians who were born at the down of democracy in 1999 have lost hope in a country of one of the most terrorized people in the world.
Any close observer of Nigerian political development since 1999 will agreed that the process degenerated into heavy criminal franchise of power purchased by the highest bidders fir self service to the detriment of the public service.
The degenerated level of the political process had greatly undermined good governance by making Democratic leadership recruitment fundamentally undemocratic, a situation where Nigerian democracy could no longer bear fruits.
However is in recognition of this that the young people of Nigeria have decided to step away from the sideline to become active participants in the country political process of recruiting the occupiers of the highest office in the land which is the president.
The recent surge in registration by Nigerians, particularly of voting age is a pointer to the fact that Nigerian are determined and prepared not to stay on the sideline of political process anymore but be active participants, they are ready to take their destiny in their hands and ready to take the country from the hands of these merchandizes.
But from the choices available to Nigerians among the main contenders for the office of the President, can anything really change, and who will Nigerians stick their future to that will rescue the country from her present misery and give young Nigerians some hope.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Ahmed Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and Peter Obi of the Labor Party (LP)
Ahmed Bola Tinubu, is the Presidential candidates of the ruling the All Progressive Congress (APC), the Asiwaju of Lagos state was the Executive governor of the state between 1999-2007.
The acronym BAT (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) has become a conceptual political discourse in our politics and polity as a nation, and because of its implications, consequences and influences, the ‘concept’ becomes controversial.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu
APC Presidential Candidate


So, the definition of the concept ‘BAT’ depends on the disposition of the definer to the concept. If those who are disgruntled and unfavourably disposed to ‘BAT’ define the concept, you should expect derogatory qualifiers in their definitions. To this end, the usual rancorous, vituperative verbal attacks and negotiated conspiracies against Bola Ahmed Tinubu in an attempt to assassinate his character and scuttle his 2023 presidential ambition are understandable, as the attacks and allegations are usually baselessly parented by those seeking to stoke and manipulate people’s anger in order to advance their own political objectives.
Since 2007 when his tenure as two-term Lagos State governor came to a halt, BAT has not held any political position, but he has received attacks and demeaning insults more than any politician, including those who remain perpetually in power and who have amassed affluence and huge wealth from 1999 till this moment. 
But why is the system this unfair, especially when it has not been able to legally establish any case of financial misappropriation or other forms of guilt against Tinubu?Many of his political hate mongers resent him for his stake being a facilitator of Lagos’ socioeconomic and infrastructural overhauling evidenced in the state’s sustained, uninterrupted growth in the last two decades. 
However, Tinubu has many more haters, especially in politics because his political influence transcends Lagos State. In 2007, for instance, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with overwhelming influence, recorded landslide victory in the April 2007 elections. Tinubu singlehandedly swung into action of negotiations to bring together the fragmented opposition parties into a “mega-party” with which he challenged and weakened the PDP’s influence, especially in Southwest. 
The fruits of his negotiations became manifest in 2013 with the merger of three biggest opposition parties  the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP); a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the new PDP (nPDP), a faction of serving governors of then ruling  Peoples Democratic Party into the popular All Progressives Congress (APC). 
The victorious emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari as a merger candidate in the 2015 presidential election, which ended the 16-year rule of the PDP, redounded to Tinubu’s credit for his political expertise and wizardry without which Buhari, who had before the merger, contested 2003, 2007 and 2011 presidential elections and lost, might not have won the election.
You see why diehard political opponents would not stop their indignant resentments and feelings of ill will toward Tinubu; he ended PDP’s hegemony and broke its near two-decade political jinx. 
I wonder why the maxim “No permanent enemy or friend in politics”, which is axiomatic in the way some personal-interest conscious politicians defect from one political party to another, does not apply to some unrepentant crooks and unforgiven political actors in our clime! This crop of stakeholders in our polity should be educated on the need to place patriotism and national interest above any others, either personal or politically motivated, and make progressive friendship for the development of this country.
It is an incontestable fact that Tinubu was one of the focal protesters against the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential elections, who demanded establishment of a new democracy in Nigeria. With a view to achieving this intent, you would not blame BAT for his brave application of the maxim by placing national interest above his personal interest, thereby making friendships with political actors across notable opposition parties for the purpose of building a formidable force. 
In view of the above, many political watchers believed that it is only BAT that can take On on the cabal and at the same time go ahead to win the 2023 general election.
For instance, the former Secretary General of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Chief Frank Ovie Kokori, attested to this when he said Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, is the only aspirant under the party’s platform with the capacity to take on the cabal that has held Nigeria hostage for the past seven years.
Kokori who was reacting to the victory of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu at APC Presidential primary, said; “Tinubu winning this election is hallelujah to me. He is the only strong personality who can break the cabal that has been in charge of this country all the years of Buhari’s rule”.

While blaming the cause of the socio-economic woes bedeviling the country in the past seven years on the cabal, he said “President Muhammadu Buhari is a good man, but he allowed persons with self-serving interest around him to derail his focus.

“The joy I have on the result of the primary election is because I knew that among all the aspirants, Tinubu is the only one who will have the guts to step on toes.

“He is the only person who can take on the cabal that has put Nigeria in hostage for the past seven years. He broke the myth surrounding the cabal.

“Buhari is a good man, no doubt about that, but he is not in touch with the people in the country and with what is happening in this country because he surrounded himself with a cabal that is so ruthless and who always struggle for their personal aggrandizement to the extent that they monetize public positions in this country.

“He gave all his power to his cabal and as a result, those people without connection in the country are not able to be in position of power.

“Most of the problems we have in this nation are not being solved because of the same reason. Nobody should pretend; we all know that most of the positions in the country were being monetized and sold out by the cabals.

“Nigeria is in a state where 300 students can be kidnapped at a go; a train load of passengers can be hijacked and people worshipping in the Church can just be killed at will. Life has become so cheap and brutal.

“Is this still not the same Nigeria some of us grew up in in the 60s and 70s? This generation of Nigerians pray everyday for a better life.

“So many Nigerians are streaming abroad. I always shed tears when I see my people, the young Africans dying in the deserts and high seas trying to crossover to other countries.

“Nigeria was the hope of Africa and we enjoyed it up till the 70s to the early 80s. When we fought for freedom and democracy, we thought that after gaining what we fought for, our country would be a better place for everybody.

“But right from the days of Obasanjo, it has been oppression and victimization, exploitation by the same people we struggled to put in power.

“I don’t think there’s a better candidate than Tinubu; who can take on the cabal and rescue Nigeria finally”.

On Tinubu’s health status,  Kokori said; “I was worried about his health, but I know that once a person crosses the age of 50, he tends to face different health challenges and that is normal in the whole world.

“Buhari himself had this challenge but today, he is one of the fittest persons. So, his health challenges should not be a problem so long he doesn’t have a terminal disease”.

Continuing, he said: “Nigeria has been fair to Tinubu so he should return the fairness and lead her back to her glorious days. I’m happy that I’m alive to see this day and I will continue to give him any assistance he desires. He should use the remaining time of his life to save the country.”

Enjoining Northern leaders and governors to be instrumental to Tinubu’s victory in the 2023 election, Kokori told them to eschew a Muslim – Muslim ticket, saying; “they should bear with him and not impose the Muslim ticket on him.

“They should take that as a sacrifice because religion and ethnicity have become a major issue in this country. He should be given a free hand to pick a noble Northern Christian and support that Christian.

“The last hope of this country lies with the APC government and I thank Buhari for making the last primaries free and fair without succumbing to blackmail.

“I pray for our country and I pray that Tinubu will not forget where he is coming from as God has given him this opportunity to put his name in gold.”

However another Presidential candidate is Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the People Democratic Party (PDP). After defeating Governor Nyeson Wike of Rivers State, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and others, Atiku and his supporters are in high spirits boasting that he would defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the main election in 2023.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar
PDP Presidential Candidate

Recalled that the .Candidate has contested for the number office for five times since 1993 but lost to his rivals. Going by his stance, political watchers are if the believe that 2023 may be different for Atiku if he plays his cards well. 

Atiku contested for President of Nigeria in 1993. He ran under the Social Democratic Party, SDP. But he lost out at the presidential primary losing to Moshood Abiola and Baba Gana Kingigbe who emerged the running mate.

 Atiku ran again in 2007 under another party. He emerged the presidential candidate of the Action Congress (AC) in the 2007 elections. After the main election, Atiku came in third as Umaru Yar’Adua of the PDP came first while Muhammadu Buhari of the ANPP came second.
The former Vice President tried again in 2011. He contested the presidential primary of the PDP but he lost to the then incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan.
(Atiku did not give up still as he ran again in 2014. He joined the APC in readiness for the 2015 presidential election. He contested the presidential primary which he lost to Muhammadu Buhari.
 Buhari went ahead to win the main election defeating the incumbent President Jonathan.
Atiku still threw his hat in into the ring in 2019. This time around, he went back to PDP ahead of the 2019 elections. He won the PDP ticket and contested against Buhari again. Yet, he lost the main election as Buhari won his second term bid.
Now, Atiku is seriously in the game gearing up for the 2023 presidential election after winning the PDP ticket. For not quitting after many losses over the years, Atiku hopes that luck may still on him in 2023 so that he would clinch victory at last.

Peter Obi of the Labour Party is another Presidential Candidate to watch out for in the 2023 general election after his defection from the main opposition People Democratic Party few weeks to the party primary election.

Peter Obi
Labour Party Presidential Candidate

Obidient as the Peter Obi movement is called has become the favorite in the run off the 2023 general election. The movement of the Nigerian people from the north to south, men and women, young and the old, Muslims and Christians that are united in their quest for good  democratic governance.

These Nigerians have clearly identified in Peter Obi, the leadership needs of country like Nigeria that is enmeshed in a complex web of complicated existential challenges.

Trust, not ethnicity or religion, and most significantly not money, is the major force driving Obimania in Nigeria on the eve of the 2023 elections. Obi is tried, tested and trusted public officer and administrator with the right combination of discipline, incorruptibility and the knowledge of governance enough to be trusted to lead the reconstruction, rehabilitation and reintegration of Nigeria in the post-Buhari era after a most devastating eight years misrule.