All the political parties in Nigeria are done with their Primary elections as of Thursday, 9th June which was the deadline INEC for the completion of each party’s primaries and the submission of presidential candidates. The All Presidential Congress –APC, which is the current ruling party in Nigeria concluded theirs in Abuja just yesterday, in which Asiwaju Bola Tinubu emerged the winner. Atiku Abubakar, the flagbearer for the main opposition party, PDP, held their primaries last week.
Other parties such as Labour Party –LP, New Nigeria Peoples Party –NNPP, Young Progressive Party –NNPP, and Africa Action Congress have all concluded theirs and already announced their presidential candidates respectively.
The candidates in perspective:
• Peter Obi (LP): Once the former governor of Anambra state which is in South-eastern Nigeria. He became the flagbearer for the Labour Party when he won the primaries held in Asaba, Delta state last month. A fellow aspirant in the same party, Professor Pat Utomi stepped down for Peter Obi after he commented that the latter deserved to have a shot, to govern Nigeria. This will be the second time the two-term governor would be vying for the presidential ticket after serving as a running mate to Atiku Abubakar in PDP for the 2019 elections in which the PDP came second.
• Atiku Abubakar (PDP): The former vice president of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, emerged as the winner of the People’s Democratic Party which was held last week in Abuja, after beating fellow strong contender, Nyesom Wike. The 2023 elections will make it the sixth time that Atiku would be vying for the Presidential seat after indicating interest in 1993 regardless of not winning his party’s primaries at the time. He has contested the presidential elections in the years 2007, 2011, and 2019.
• Asiwaju Bola Tinubu (APC): The two-term governor of Lagos state and also a former senator clinched his party’s candidacy yesterday, at the Eagle’s Square Convention in Abuja. His party is currently the leading party and therefore the party to beat in next year’s upcoming elections.
• Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso (NNPP): The New Nigeria Peoples Party held their convention in Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja, where it was announced that the former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwakwanso, was the emergent flagbearer for the 2023 presidential elections set to hold next year. The two-term governor has also served as a senator between 2015- 2019 after leaving office. The 2023 elections will make it the third time Kwankwanso will be seeking Nigeria’s highest office.
• Prince Malik Ado-Ibrahim (YPP): Prince Malik emerged as the winner of the Young Progressive Party presidential primaries on Wednesday after the party’s convention. According to Wikipedia, the Kogi state prince and son of Ohinoyi of Ebiraland is a billionaire and founder of Formula One Team Arrows A20.
• Omoyele Sowore (AAC): After clinching the title of presidential candidate for his political party, the founder and publisher of the newspaper, Sahara Reporters will be vying for the highest seat in Nigeria for the second time since 2019.
