An official of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) writes on document ahead of the February 25 presidential election at the commission's headquarters at Awka in Anambra State, southeast Nigeria, on February 16, 2023. (Photo by Pius Utomi Ekpei / AFP)
Africa’s largest democracy and the world’s most populous black nation will hold its general election today. Around 93.4 million registered voters will determine who will be Nigeria’s next president.
For context, this will be Nigeria’s seventh national vote since the transition from military rule in 1999. In total, 18 candidates are running for the nation’s highest office, each promising the usual rhetoric of turning around the country’s current dismal state if voted into power. Opinion polls suggest three are leading the race for the popular vote — Bola Ahmed Tinubu (70), Atiku Abubakar (76), and Peter Obi (61) — the first election in which none of the leading candidates are former military commanders.
Outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired Army general, will step down amid a legacy clouded in shortcomings, corruption, stagnancy and several white elephant projects leaving Nigerians more frustrated and angry.
The crucial 2023 elections come as the West African country grapples with a myriad of economic, social, and security problems. For an oil and gas-producing nation, Nigeria is mired with fuel scarcity issues nationwide. Rising unrest and attacks, especially in the Northeastern part of the country where the military still battles with the terrorist group Boko Haram, rampant kidnappings, a struggling economy, climate change, high inflation, and a crash in the local currency have left citizens in helpless situations, with little or no government solution.
The latest currency change campaign and inadequate flow of new notes from the banks to the people have again exposed the monumental failure of the Nigerian government to implement and adopt policies they have issued. Among the three top contenders, it is clear that the youth, which comprises about 64 million aged 18-35 of Nigeria’s estimated 211 million people (one of the world’s largest youth populations), have gravitated to the former two-time governor of Anambra State in the Southeast of the country, Obi of the Labour Party.
Obi has managed to enthral most young people, backed by a record of relative successes as governor. His famous phrase ‘go and verify’ and calls for accountability with government resources have also reverberated mainly in the big cities in a nation where everything is tied to geopolitics, religion and ethnicity.
However, political dinosaurs like the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC) Tinubu, and former Nigerian vice president representing the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Abubakar have campaigned essentially on claims that they are owed the nation’s top job. Tinubu, for instance, said it was his turn to be president as repayment for alleged political godfatherism, which has him atop the food chain of Nigeria’s financial capital Lagos State. He was also significant in Buhari’s ascension to Aso Rock (Nigeria’s version of the White House).
On the other hand, Atiku is in his sixth attempt to occupy the highest office in the land – three of his previous losses have come at primaries. Atiku has never been far from corruption allegations, and his critics allege that his penchant for corruption has been evident since his time as deputy chief of customs in the 1980s. They say a privatisation exercise in the 2000s led to national assets ending up with his cronies – a claim he has always denied.
As Nigerians in the country lament the state of the proverbial ‘giant of Africa,’ those in the Diaspora who cannot return home to vote can only look on and hope the candidate of their choice wins.
Foreign-based Nigerians contribute immensely to the country’s GDP. According to the country’s Budget Office, Diaspora remittances were among the nation’s top sources of non-oil foreign exchange.
Per data from the World Bank and the Budget Office of Nigeria, the Nigerian population in the Diaspora remitted $60.22bn in the last three years boosting economic activities and the nation’s external reserves.
“The 2023 election is quite important to the people of Nigeria because the youths who have not taken part in an election have taken it upon themselves to rewrite the history of Nigeria,” Chibuzor, a Nigerian living in Doha, said.
“Nigeria is a country filled with talents and resources, but these have not been harnessed as they should. Nigerians are well-travelled and have seen how countries utilise their resources to benefit citizens. Many of these resources are present in Nigeria. However, due to bad leadership, we do not get what Nigerians deserve,” he added.
For Chibuzor, who is clearly in favour of Obi winning the top job, the current situation in Nigeria is not palatable to Nigerians overseas.
“We have seen what a progressive nation is like and crave for it to be replicated back home. Invariably, we are backing the youths back home to elect Peter Obi as the light that needs to shine in Nigeria.” Another Nigerian living in Doha, Adedeji, spent his childhood in Lagos State, Tinubu’s stronghold. He hopes the APC man finally gets to the nation’s capital as president.
“Tinubu turned Lagos into what it is today, and many Nigerians from all over the country move to the state to become relevant or to make money due to the numerous business opportunities. If his legacy wasn’t good, why is Lagos so attractive? “Even though we cannot vote from outside the country, Tinubu has to win because I believe he can turn the nation’s fortunes around and take Nigeria to where it should be, an influential state not just in name but in deeds.” For some, a free and fair election is all they ask for, no matter who wins.
“My major concern is the accurate reporting of vote counts, which may lead to questioning why in such an evolving technological and scientific world, Nigeria still adopts the manual voting system,” Alozie Chimamkpa David said.
“Why can’t there be an infrastructure for the safe, transparent, accurate and correct transmission of votes under the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) before every election? Since 2021, Nigeria has been unable to benefit from the surging global oil prices, as oil production has fallen to historic lows and petrol subsidy continues to consume a larger share of the gross oil revenues, a World Bank review stated. The World Bank projects the economy to grow at an average of 3.2% in 2022-2024. Still, the growth outlook is subject to downside risks, including further declines in oil production and heightened insecurity, which translates to more hardship for the people.
This election is a watershed moment not just for Nigeria but for West Africa and, indeed, the rest of the continent. The next president has much to do to keep the country afloat and, hopefully, steer the nation on the right path.
