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Nigeria’s general elections will take place in the first quarter of 2023.

On Saturday, February 25th, presidential and National Assembly elections will be held; governorship and state house of assembly elections are slated on Saturday, March 11th.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, the campaign season will officially begin on September 28. (INEC).

The major contenders for the presidency are ex-Lagos governor Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ex-Anambra governor Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

A tough race is on the horizon, since each of the quartet not only has a strong fan following, but they also know each other well enough.

When Atiku was Vice President, Kwankwaso served as Defence Minister under President Olusegun Obasanjo. Obi was Atiku’s running partner in the PDP in 2015.

After leaving the PDP, Atiku stood for president with Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2007. One of the APC foundation platforms was ACN.

The allies, who DAILY POST previously described as the favorites to get their party’s ticket, have been business partners and are eager to compete at the polls.

Furthermore, Atiku and Tinubu have been influential in national politics for almost three decades, dating back to before the June 12, 1993 election.

They both claim to have fought the military when M. K. O. Abiola’s triumph was cut short. As a result, the outcome of the presidential election will indicate who is the stronger power.

They collaborated once more in 2014 to help President Muhammadu Buhari defeated incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, the first time an opposition defeated the ruling party.

As Buhari nears the end of his second term, supporters say the former Katsina governor has done well.

They frequently mention road building, rail infrastructure, military equipment acquisition, and the Second Niger Bridge, among other things.

However, at least half of the public has given the APC administration a negative rating, citing dissatisfaction with the economy, young unemployment, corruption, and security.

Hundreds of people have died as a result of mass killings, banditry, terrorism, farmer-herder confrontations, and abduction. Many people are still upset over the government’s dubious use of COVID-19 support funding.

According to the United Nations (UN), there are around 3 million internally displaced persons (IDPs); more people are leaving the nation, the dollar is at an all-time high on the black market, and debt stock is expanding.

Nigerians have been arguing and selling the candidate they feel has the ability to fix the country, both on and off the internet.

Candidates for federal and state posts, as well as their parties, will light up the political landscape this week with rallies, road shows, advertising, and other events.

According to DAILY POST, additional defections would be reported in the coming weeks as politicking and horse-trading intensifies throughout states.

However, fears about the current spate of insecurity remain high; the recent deadly attack on Senator Ifeanyi Ubah’s convoy is considered to be an assassination attempt.

Furthermore, some comments on social media are largely aggressive, with worries that physical arguments would lead to clashes in certain regions.

As more young people express interest in obtaining voter registration cards, many have pledged not to be intimidated before or during the elections. This implies that security forces must strengthen their monitoring and patrols.

Thugs invaded polling centers in Lagos, including Oshodi and Okota, during the 2019 elections, destroying vote boxes and paperwork.

Though a peace treaty will be reached soon to ensure a peaceful election, a cross-section of the populace believes that some flagbearers and supporters violated the earlier agreement.

The situation is exacerbated by INEC and law enforcement authorities refusing to prosecute a large number of hoodlums captured.

Fasakin Gabriel (@fashakin87) of Twitter slammed the accord, claiming that violence still occurs throughout elections.
“What is the point of signing a peace treaty that has no power?” They usually sign a peace treaty after every election but at the end of the day…

“Thugs from the APC and PDP are usually violent.” “What we need is a competent INEC, not a peace pact,” he wrote.

Adenike Oriowo, INEC Public Relations Officer in Lagos, stated that the commission expects citizens and politicians to be responsible.

“The schedule has been released, and the campaign will begin on the 28th.” We understand our job and expect everyone to follow the rules.

“My advice is for people to read the manifestos of the candidates and engage in the process,” Oriowo told DAILY POST on Sunday night.

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of INEC, has pledged credible elections, saying that the days of tampering with results are passed.

The Electoral Act 2022, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV), according to the professor, increased the commission’s effectiveness.

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