• About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
Thursday, October 23, 2025
  • Login
Vital News
  • Frontpage
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Crime
    • Judiciary
    • Security
No Result
View All Result
  • Frontpage
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Crime
    • Judiciary
    • Security
No Result
View All Result
Vital News
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Nigeria Presidential Hopefuls In Tight Race As 2023 Campaign Opens

Vital News by Vital News
September 28, 2022
in Politics
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

With Nigeria’s economy struggling and insecurity rife, four top presidential candidates start campaigning this week for next February’s election in an open race to replace President Muhammadu Buhari.

Less than five months before the ballot, no clear frontrunner has emerged with major candidates all confronting challenges on their path to the top political seat in Africa’s most populous country.

After two terms, Buhari steps down with Nigeria battling high inflation, oil production at record lows and security forces battling jihadists, separatist gunmen and criminal gangs across the country.

Top candidates lining up are Bola Tinubu, a former Lagos governor and stalwart of the ruling All Progressives Congress or APC and opposition Peoples Democratic Party or PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president on his sixth bid.

From left, Peter Obi, Labour Party, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, APC and Atiku Abubakar, PDP

Two other candidates are challenging the dominance of the APC and PDP: Peter Obi, a former state governor generating a following among young Nigerians and another ex-state governor and former minister Rabiu Kwankwaso.

RelatedStories

Professor Amupitan Resumes Office As New INEC Chairman

Former Minister, Tanimu Turaki, Emerges Northern PDP Consensus Candidate As National Chairman

Former Kogi Senator In Trouble Over Attempts To Scuttle Appointment Of Amupitan As INEC Chairman, Action Raises Dust Among Kinsmen

Three INEC Officials Going For November 8 Anambra Governorship Election Kidnapped In Kogi

Campaigning starts officially on Wednesday, but five months is an unusually long time for Nigeria, analysts say, increasing risks that party infighting and the north-south ethnic and religious divides will complicate the election buildup.

Since returning to democracy after military rule in 1999, Nigerian elections have been marked by violence, delays, fraud claims and court challenges.

Voter turnout has also been generally low in Nigeria — 33 percent in 2019 — and the two main parties have fielded older candidates seen by many younger Nigerians as offering little change.

That has left room for third party candidates to tap into growing anti-establishment feeling in what analysts see as a highly competitive electoral race.

There are 18 presidential candidates, including one woman. Voters will also elect Senate and Congress lawmakers in the February 25 ballot.

“Unlike the previous six election cycles, the 2023 vote is not likely to be the usual two-horse race,” said Dapo Thomas, history and political science teacher at Lagos university.

READ ALSO: Our Preferred Presidential Candidate Must Have Mental, Physical Capacity – Northern Elders

Divisions, Splits

Nigeria’s constitution requires candidates to win a simple majority and 25 percent of the vote in two-thirds of the country, a nod to the ethnic and religious makeup.

North Nigeria is predominantly Muslim, the south is mostly Christain and there are more than 200 ethnicities, the largest being Yoruba, Hausa/Fulani and Igbo.

In an unwritten, power-sharing agreement known as “zoning”, the presidency has also traditionally rotated between north and south.

After two terms under Buhari, a Muslim from the northwest, it was widely expected major parties would select a presidential candidate from the south.

But the PDP broke with zoning by naming Abubakar, a northern Muslim. APC also broke with practice by going with a Muslim-Muslim ticket. Tinubu is a southern Muslim and his vice president candidate Kashim Shettima is also a Muslim.

The APC says Tinubu’s time as Lagos governor shows his political experience. But the ruling party must contend with discontent over management of the economy and tensions over its Muslim-only candidates.

“Strong anti-establishment sentiment will lend opposition candidates Atiku and Obi strong momentum at the start,” Eurasia Group said in a research note.

“But divisions among the opposition, incumbency advantages for the ruling party and strong campaign messaging by Tinubu will likely give the ruling party a boost.”

PDP’s team says Abubakar has the public office experience and the business acumen to tackle Nigeria’s economy.

But the PDP is struggling with a major split. Abubakar’s victory has upset a core part of southern supporters, including Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike, an influential PDP stakeholder who has broken ranks.

PDP and APC “are dealing with quasi existential issues of their own, and important political and vote mobilisation blocks which are disaffected,” SBM Intelligence analyst Ikemesit Effiong said.

Obi’s campaign hopes their candidate can keep up his early momentum as an alternative. But his Labour Party does not have the political structure to match the APC and PDP nationwide.

“The 2023 general election will be a really difficult but seminal point in Nigeria’s evolving experiment with democracy.

“It has the hallmarks of ending well or ending really badly,” SBM’s Effiong said. (AFP)

Tags: campaignsHopefulsNigeriapresidential
Previous Post

Flood Submerges Houses, Farmlands, Displaces 17,000 Persons In Borno

Next Post

No State Has Approval For Automatic Weapons – Presidency

Vital News

Vital News

RelatedStories

Professor Amupitan Resumes Office As New INEC Chairman
News

Professor Amupitan Resumes Office As New INEC Chairman

October 23, 2025
Former Minister, Tanimu Turaki, Emerges Northern PDP Consensus Candidate As National Chairman
Politics

Former Minister, Tanimu Turaki, Emerges Northern PDP Consensus Candidate As National Chairman

October 23, 2025
Former Kogi Senator In Trouble Over Attempts To Scuttle Appointment Of Amupitan As INEC Chairman, Action Raises Dust Among Kinsmen
News

Former Kogi Senator In Trouble Over Attempts To Scuttle Appointment Of Amupitan As INEC Chairman, Action Raises Dust Among Kinsmen

October 22, 2025
Police Begin Manhunt For Killers Of Three Officers, Two Vigilante In Kogi
News

Three INEC Officials Going For November 8 Anambra Governorship Election Kidnapped In Kogi

October 22, 2025
PDP NEC Appoints Damagum As Substantive National Chairman, Zones Presidential Ticket To South
Judiciary

Court Fixes Oct 31 For Judgment In Suit Seeking To Stop PDP National Convention

October 21, 2025
Next Post

No State Has Approval For Automatic Weapons – Presidency

Electricity : FG Directs DISCOs To Start Billing Per Hour

10yrs After, Rivers Recovers Lost Aircraft

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Follow Us

Recommended

Nigeria, Malaysia, Singapore, S/Africa Competing In Public Service Reform – Arabi

3 years ago
Terrorists kidnap 4 Female Students At Nasarawa State University

Terrorists Kill Pastor, Five Others In Yobe

2 years ago

Liz Truss Is Britain’s New Prime Minister

3 years ago
Governor Alia Approves New Board For Lobi Stars FC, Sacks Dominic Iorfa

Alia Confirms 23 Persons Dead In Gunmen Attacks On Benue Communities

5 months ago

Instagram

    Please install/update and activate JNews Instagram plugin.

Categories

  • Agriculture/ Water/ Mineral
  • Aviation
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Culture
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Football
  • Foreign
  • Gender
  • Health
  • Judiciary
  • Labour
  • Maritime/ Marine Transport
  • National
  • News
  • Oil & Gas
  • Opinion
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Power
  • Religion
  • Security
  • Sports
  • Tourism
  • Transport
  • Uncategorized

Topics

Abiodun Abuja APC arrest Atiku Bandits Bello Benue Buhari CBN cement Court Dangote death dies drugs Economy EFCC Election FG gunmen Hajj INEC Kano kidnap Kill Kogi Kwara Lagos NDLEA Niger Nigeria Ododo Ogun Oyo PDP Police Power refinery rescue road Security students Tinubu US
No Result
View All Result

Highlights

Dangote Group Denies Ownership Of Truck In Akungba-Akoko Accident

Former Minister, Tanimu Turaki, Emerges Northern PDP Consensus Candidate As National Chairman

Trailer Crushes Female University Lecturer To Death In Lokoja

Governor Adeleke Appoints Davido Chairman Of Osun State Sports Trust Fund

FG Warns Buyers To Stay Off ARCEDEM, Radio Nigeria Land, Four Other Landed Property In Oyo

‎IMPI Revises Inflation Rate Projection To 14% From 17% For December

Trending

Olubadan Set Up Committee To Revamp Moribund Industries, Revamp Abandoned Ibadan Urban Renewal Programme
Economy

Olubadan Set Up Committee To Revamp Moribund Industries, Revamp Abandoned Ibadan Urban Renewal Programme

by Vital News
October 23, 2025
0

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja has set up a committee to revamp moribund industries...

Your Exit Will Not In Anyway Affects Fortune Of PDP – Makinde To Atiku

Oyo Dares FG Over Lands, Says ARCEDEM, Radio Nigeria, NTA, NIHORT Lands Acquired In Public Interest

October 23, 2025
Professor Amupitan Resumes Office As New INEC Chairman

Professor Amupitan Resumes Office As New INEC Chairman

October 23, 2025
Dangote Denies Ownership Of Truck Involved In Enugu Accident

Dangote Group Denies Ownership Of Truck In Akungba-Akoko Accident

October 23, 2025
Former Minister, Tanimu Turaki, Emerges Northern PDP Consensus Candidate As National Chairman

Former Minister, Tanimu Turaki, Emerges Northern PDP Consensus Candidate As National Chairman

October 23, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT
Vital News

Vital News is an online newspaper with a mission to uphold professional journalism by reporting and publishing only facts and figures-based news reports across Nigeria and beyond.

Recent News

  • Olubadan Set Up Committee To Revamp Moribund Industries, Revamp Abandoned Ibadan Urban Renewal Programme October 23, 2025
  • Oyo Dares FG Over Lands, Says ARCEDEM, Radio Nigeria, NTA, NIHORT Lands Acquired In Public Interest October 23, 2025
  • Professor Amupitan Resumes Office As New INEC Chairman October 23, 2025

Categories

  • Agriculture/ Water/ Mineral
  • Aviation
  • Business
  • Crime
  • Culture
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Entertainment
  • Environment
  • Football
  • Foreign
  • Gender
  • Health
  • Judiciary
  • Labour
  • Maritime/ Marine Transport
  • National
  • News
  • Oil & Gas
  • Opinion
  • Opinion
  • Politics
  • Power
  • Religion
  • Security
  • Sports
  • Tourism
  • Transport
  • Uncategorized

© 2022 Vital News - . All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Frontpage
  • Business
  • Economy
  • Politics
  • National
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • More
    • Crime
    • Judiciary
    • Security

© 2022 Vital News - Vital News by Vital News.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In