Africa (Commonwealth Union)_Nigeria elects a new leader and it is the largest democratic exercise on the continent and the most credible and close electoral contest. The election will be held on 25th February 2023 to elect the president and the vice president of Nigeria. The country is currently dealing with a wide range of economic and security issues along with systematic corruption that deters investments and there is also a huge cash and fuel shortage in the country with the high inflation and a plummeting local currency. Since the nation’s transition to democratic governance in 1999, nearly a quarter of a century ago, no incumbent or former military commander has run for office. The current president Muhammadu Buhari has served the country as the president since 2015, is a retired Nigerian army major general, and will step down from his office as his presidential term ends. According to the Nigerian voters, the president has created a patchy legacy that has caused a lot of discontent and frustration in the country.
There are 18 candidates contesting for the presidency in Nigeria, and each is convinced that, if elected, they can change the fortune of the nation. Nevertheless, according to polls, there are three leading contestants Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi. Tinubu is the candidate for Buhari’s party, the All-Progressives Congress, Abubakar is the head of the People’s Democratic Party and former vice president, and of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi. The government and opposition parties have always contested for the presidency of Nigeria, but this year’s election has Peter Obi, a strong third candidate who defected from the PDP to the smaller labour party.
State elections will take place two weeks later on March 11 and the other federal elections of the House of Representatives and the Senate will also take place on the same day. The election’s winners will institute the office on May 29, 2023, which was once recognized as Democracy Day.
