Nigeria’s upcoming general election is shaping up to be one of the most fiercely contested in recent history, with the presidency at the centre of attention and three major contenders vying for the top spot.
Since 1999, the country has been dominated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), but the 2023 elections are expected to see a strong challenge from the Labour Party’s candidate.
With so much at stake, political tensions are running high, and the world is watching as Nigeria prepares to conduct its most important democratic exercise.
The current President Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after serving for consecutive terms.
His All Progressives Congress (APC) party is represented by former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, while former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is standing for the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). There are a total of 18 presidential candidates in the race.
The lead-up to the polls has been overshadowed by a cash shortage caused by a botched attempt to redesign the currency, leading to widespread chaos at banks and cash machines as desperate people sought access to their money.
The new notes were introduced in order to tackle inflation, and also vote-buying. On the eve of the election a member of the House of Representatives was arrested with almost $500,000 (Ksh 63,263,500) in cash, and a list of people he was supposed to give it to, the Nigerian police say.
Whoever wins will have to deal with redesigning the currency, a crumbling economy, high unemployment, and insecurity which saw 10,000 people killed last year.
After the killing of a senatorial aspirant on Wednesday, February 22 by suspected gunmen from the separatist group, Ipob, the parliamentary election was postponed in the south-eastern Enugu East constituency.
The election has seen a huge interest from first-time voters and young people – a third of the 87 million eligible voters are below 35, which may lead to a high voter turn-out than the 35 per cent recorded in 2019.
“It is my responsibility and I have seen how important it is to vote,” 19-year-old first-time-voter Blessing Ememumodak told the BBC in Lagos, Nigeria.
Obi is hoping to break up Nigeria’s two-party system after joining the Labour Party last May.
Although he was in the PDP before then, he is seen as a relatively fresh face and enjoys fervent support among some sections of Nigeria’s youth, especially in the south.
The wealthy businessman served as governor of the south-eastern Anambra State from 2006 to 2014. His backers, known as the “OBIdients” say he is the only candidate with integrity, but his critics argue that a vote for Obi is wasted as he is unlikely to win.
The PDP, which ruled until 2015, wants Nigerians to vote for Atiku Abubakar the only major candidate from the country’s mainly Muslim north.
He has run for the presidency five times before, all of which he has lost. He has been dogged by accusations of corruption and cronyism, which he denies.
Most of his career has been spent in the corridors of power, having worked as a top civil servant, vice president, and prominent businessman.
Most people consider the election a referendum on the APC, which has overseen a period of economic hardship and worsening insecurity.
The APC candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is credited with building Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos, during his two terms as governor until 2007.
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He is known as a political godfather in the southwest region, where he wields huge influence, but like Abubakar, has also been dogged by allegations of corruption over the years and poor health, both of which he denies.
Voting is expected to begin at 08:30 local time (07:30 GMT), though anyone in the queue before it ends at 14:30 will be allowed to vote.
Elections are also being held for 109 federal senators and 360 members of the house of representatives, with that for governors held in March.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised free and fair elections and has dismissed talk of postponement amid fears of insecurity in parts of the country and the cash shortage that many feared might affect its preparations.
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It is the first time INEC will conduct national elections using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), a facial and fingerprint technology that is thought to improve transparency by making it harder for politicians to rig the process.
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Final results have been announced on the third day after voting in the last two elections, but they may come in earlier this time because of BVAS, which also uploads vote results directly to the INEC website direct from polling stations.
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A candidate needs to have the most votes and 25 per cent of ballots cast in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states to be declared the winner
If no one achieves that, there will be a run-off within 21 days it is a first in Nigeria’s history.
