Political parties will launch their campaigns ahead of the general elections in 2023 on September 28 in what seems to be a four-horse contest.
Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party are the front-runners in no particular order.
Four geopolitical zones are home to all the contenders. Atiku is from the Northeast, Tinubu is from the Southwest, Kwankwaso is from the Southeast, s. Obi from the Southeast.
The running mates for Atiku and Kwankwaso are both from the South-South, while the vice candidates for Obi and Tinubu are both from the North-East.
How are the candidates approaching the election
Tinubu Bola
The controversial Muslim/Muslim ticket is still causing problems for the ruling party’s candidate, and certain Christian leaders from the Northeast, like Babachir Lawal, Yakubu Dogara, and Elisha Abbo, have vowed to fight the party from inside.
In the previous week, Dogara had cautioned Christians not to spend their votes on a Muslim/Muslim ticket during a Christian convention in Abuja on Tuesday. He exhorted the church to reject Mr. Tinubu and shake off its complacency.
Lawal also commented on Thursday during an interview on Arise TV, where he disclosed that a campaign to unseat Tinubu is now underway in the North.
It is hardly shocking that these persons were not included in the APC’s Presidential Campaign Council. In an effort to neutralize the politicians, Tinubu met with some bishops from the north during the week.
In Taraba, Bauchi, Adamawa, and Gombe, Christians in the Northeast have a substantial electoral influence. This might give the ruling party in that area a lot of trouble.
There were questions about the omission of two senior Christian government figures, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Boss Mustapha. Although Festus Keyamo stated that President Muhammadu Buhari requested the absence of Messrs. Osinbajo and Mustapha so the two may concentrate on governance, the two men’s prominence as Christians fuels rumors that the party may be fractured going into the election.
Atiku Abubakar
The former vice president is fighting to keep his campaign going despite the party’s internal disintegration.
The Nyesom Wike-led camp’s persistent rebellion has nearly split the party in half, and the candidate’s decision to leave the campaign council has brought about much embarrassment.
The Wike group has requested that Ayu resign in order to balance the ticket with a southern chairman. Atiku, though, has stated that he won’t compel Ayu to resign.
Before leaving the nation on Friday, Governor Wike spoke to the media and pushed the party to suspend him, saying that “PDP cannot win Rivers State without him.”
The Labour Party movement is growing in the South-East, the traditional PDP stronghold, as Atiku spars with Wike and his party.
The popularity of Obi, not just in Southeast but also in Southsouth and several north-central States like Plateau, Benue, and FCT, implies that the PDP candidate would be battling on all fronts, even within. This region has supported the PDP since 1999.
Most of the areas where the Labour Party has been making gains were PDP strongholds in the previous election.
If Mr. Atiku is unable to fix the party within 72 hours, his campaign will start with a party engaged in intraparty conflict.
Paul Obi
With its “one million” march campaign, which has seen huge attendance in numerous States, including the FCT, Peter Obi’s so-called “structureless movement” has been exercising its muscles.
However, the party has not yet established a campaign council with a spokesperson as of the time of submitting this report.
Pat Utomi, the National Consultative Front’s (NCF) leader, had announced the appointment of Charles Odibo, but Arabambi Abayomi, the party’s national publicity secretary, said that only Julius Abure, the party’s national chairman, had such authority.
Additionally, the INEC-released list of candidates reveals that the Labour Party did not field candidates for a number of parliamentary seats.
Although the structureless strategy has so far been successful, having candidates for elections aids in mobilization in rural regions. Even while the Labour Party may enjoy support from urban youths, elections are not like demonstrations.
Rabiu Kwankwaso
The former governor of Kano State is relying on his popularity in the Northwest, but it doesn’t seem like his running mate has any political background.
Additionally, he will be competing against Atiku, Tinubu, and Ibrahim Shekarau in the Kano State election as a result of Shekarau’s defection.
