NIGERIA GENERAL ELECTION: NIGERIA DECIDES 2023

• 

NIGERIA: Africa’s biggest Economy, Africa’s biggest Oil and Gas Producer, Africa’s Most Populous Country goes into a High-stakes, Major Transition General Election. 80 Years old President Muhammadu Buhari who was elected into Office on May 2015 is now set to Retire after serving 2 Terms as President of Nigeria. President Buhari First rose to Power on December 1983 when as a Military General then, he Overthrew Nigeria’s First Democratically elected Civilian President one Shehu Shagari. General Buhari was Overthrown 2 Years later on August 1985 by General Ibrahim Babanginda during the Days of Junta Ping-pong in Nigeria.

February 25, 2023 Nigeria General Election Facts and Figures:

-93.4 Million Nigerians are Registered to Vote.

-18 Presidential Candidates;1Woman and 17 Men.

-18 Registered Political Parties are competing in this Election.

-360 elective Seats for the House of Representatives

-109 elective Seats for the Senate

-176,846 Polling Stations across Nigeria’s 36 States.

-39.7% of Total Registered Voters or 37 Million Voters are below the Age of 35: Youths are the biggest Block of Voters.

4 out of the 18 Presidential Candidates are seen as the Front-runners in this Election:

-76 Years old Atiku Abubakar with his PDP Party. The Former Vice President and Adamawa Governor is now running to become Nigeria’s President for the 6^th Time. The Prolific Businessman has background in Law and International Relations. He came a Strong Second in the February 2019 Election with 11.2 Million Votes and a WIN in 17 out of the 36 States of Nigeria.

-70 Years old Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the Ruling APC Party. Tinubu: an Accountant served as the Governor of Lagos State between 1999-2007.

-61 Years old Peter Obi with his Labour Party. The former Governor of Anambra State is Professional Banker.

-66 Years old Rabiu Kwankwaso with his NNPP. The Former Deputy Speaker of Parliament, former Governor of Kano State and former Defence Minister is a Water Engineer by Profession.

-44 Years old Chichi Ojei with her APM Party. The Finance Administrator from Delta State is the only WOMAN Presidential Candidate.

-39 Years old Educationist, Prof. Christopher Imumolen of the Accord Party is the YOUNGEST Candidate in this Year’s Presidential Election.

NIGERIA: FACT-FILE & MAJOR ISSUES

• Nigeria: a Country along the Atlantic Coast of West Africa is Today the most Populous African Nation Home to 219.6 Million People.
• Nigeria is Africa’s Largest Economy with a $ 450 Billion GDP Economy.
• Nigeria is the biggest Producer/Exporter of Oil in Africa.
• Nigeria has the biggest Reserves of Natural Gas in Africa: It’s Africa’s Second Largest Producer/Exporter of Natural Gas in Africa after Algeria.
• Although Oil and Gas make up 90% of Nigeria’s Total Exports: the Country is also a Major Producer and Exporter of Cocoa, Sesame Seeds, Cashewnuts, PeaNuts, Cassava, Palm Oil, Rice, Maize and Yams in Africa and in the World.
• Despite being a relatively developed Low Middle income Country with a $ 2066 GDP Per Capita; Poverty is still a Significant Issue in Nigeria Today with Over Half of the Country: 63% of Nigerians or over 133 Million People being Multi-dimensionally Poor according Nigeria’s Bureau of Statistics.
• Nigeria has one of the highest Unemployment Rate in the World and the Second highest Unemployment Rate in Africa after South Africa.
• Access to Quality and Affordable Healthcare is a big Challenge in Nigeria-only 3% of Nigerians are covered by any Health Insurance as of June 2022 Data-The Ratio of Doctor to Patients in Nigeria currently stands at 1 Doctor for Over 5500 Nigerians which is way below the World Health Organization-W.H.O Standard Requirement of 1 Doctor for 1000 People.
• In the most recent UNDP ‘Human Development Index’; Nigeria is ranked among “Low Human Development” Category of Nations at Position 163 out of 191 World Nations and Number 128 out of 169 World Nations on the ‘Social Progress Index’.The 2 Indexes take Account of Key Dimensions of Human Development that is;Healthy Life,being Knowledgeable-Education, a Decent Standard of Living-access to basic Human Needs,Safety,Personal Freedom and Rights,Foundations of Well-being and Opportunities for Progress among many other Indicators of Social and Human Development/Progress.
• On the most recent ‘Transparency International Corruption Perception Index’ Report that ranks 180 World Countries by their Perceived Levels of Public Sector Corruption; Nigeria is ranked at Position 150 out of 180 Countries with a Score of 24 out of 100. CORRUPTION is an Existential Threat in Nigeria. Research and Reports by Various Think tanks in Nigeria and abroad say that Nigeria has lost at least $ 600 Billion Dollars or Over -₦ 276 Trillion Naira to State Corruption since Nigeria’s Independence in October 1960.
• Nigeria’s Adult Literacy Rate currently stands at 62% which is way below the Global Average Adult Literacy Rate of 86%.
•  In the most recent-2022 Global Hunger Index-GHI Report, Nigeria is ranked at Position 103 out of 121 Countries with sufficient Data to calculate the 2022 GHI Scores. With a GHI score of 27.3; Nigeria’s Level of Hunger is classified as SERIOUS.
• INSECURITY is a Major Concern in Nigeria. An ongoing Deadly 14 Years Old Conflict in Northern Nigeria led by several Armed Militants key among them Boko Haram Insurgents whose main Aim is to Overthrow the Secular State of Nigeria and form an Islamic State, has so far claimed the Lives of over 50,000 People in Nigeria with nearly 2 Million others Displaced. Incessant Abduction/Kidnapping of School Children by Insurgents and Bandits who later demand Ransom Payment to Free the Children, Extrajudicial Killings, Deadly Ethnic and Religious Violence are all real Crises in Nigeria.
• Power/Electricity and Water Crises in Nigeria-Over 90 Million Nigerians Today do not access to Electricity; 33% or some 60 Million Nigerians do not have access to Reliable, Clean and Safe Water.
• Inflation and rising Cost of Living is also a major Concern for Nigerians Today.
• Lagos: Nigeria’s Commercial Capital City is the Largest and the most Populous City in Africa with a Population of nearly 25 Million People. Abuja is Nigeria’s Administrative Capital City 
• Although Constitutionally Nigeria is a Secular State; Majority of Nigerians are Muslims-54% followed by Christians at 46%. Religion is a Political and a Controversial Subject in Nigeria: Religious Tension and Violence is common in the Country.
• English is the Official Language in Nigeria. At least 520 other Local Languages are spoken across Nigeria’s diverse Ethnic and Tribal Lines.
• Nigerian Naira-₦ is the Country’s official Currency.
•  February 2019 Presidential Election recorded the LOWEST Voter Turnout and Voter Apathy: over 53 Million out of the 84 Million Registered Voters did Not go out to Vote: Voter Turnout stood at 35.7%. OUTGOING President Buhari with APC Party WON with 15.1 Million Votes with a WIN in 19/36 Nigerian States: his closest Rival Atiku Abubakar of the PDP Party garnered 11.2 Million Votes and a WIN in 17/36 States in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Intriguing Political Journey:Regaining Independence;33 Years Junta Rule To The Rebirth of Democracy

__>October 1,1960 Nigeria Regained its Independence from Britain; Nnamdi Azikwe gets appointed as Governor General alongside Tafawa Balewa as the Prime Minister.

• October 1,1963 Nigeria became a Republic with Nnamdi Azikwe as its first President with Tafawa Balewa as its first Prime Minister.
• While in his Third Year in Office; January 1966 President Azikwe travels to West Indies on a Medical Trip and while away a Bloody Coup is staged by the Military to depose him leading to the Killing of his Prime Minister Tafawa, Senior Army Officers, Prime Ministers of the West and North of Nigeria among other Senior Government Officials. Major General/Commander Johnson Aguiyi alongside a battery of Igbo(Southerners)Power Elite suppressed the Coup and Seized Power to become a Millitary Head of State. This marks the start of Nigeria’s 3 Decades of Millitary Rule, Supremacy and Showdown.
• Northern Nigerians who suffered the brute of this Coup saw this as a Conspiracy by the Igbo Power Elite to annex and subjugate them creating vile Ethnic Animosity. July the same year 1966 the Northern Soldiers staged another deadly Coup against their Southern Colleagues and Killed Aguiyi who was now the Military Head of State. In this Violent takeover, the Northerners killed close to 30,000 Igbos forcing them to flee to the South. On May 1967 the Igbos declared their Independence in a Secession bid to have a Nation of their own which they named Biafra State. This announcement became the start of a Ghastly, Bloody Civil War (Biafran War) that lasted for Two and a half years until January 1970. Gun battle is believed to have caused over 100,000 Deaths with Drought, Hunger, Starvation and Diseases claiming over a Million Lives of the Igbo Community. Upon a thoroughly suppressed Igbo Warriors and a decimated Population; the Igbos surrendered on January 1970 and the Military Ruler General Yakubu Gowon who took over after Aguiyi’s assassination accepted them back to the Nigerian State ending the deadly Civil War.
• General Gowon ruled until July 1975 when he was overthrown in a bloodless Coup that happened while he was away in Kampala Uganda for the 12^th OAU Summit. General Muhammed Murtala took over as the New Military Head of State. Barely 7 Months into Office General Murtala was on February 1976 assassinated in a failed Coup attempt. His Chief of Staff who had been promoted to a Lieutenant General one Olesegun Obasanjo was immediately appointed by the Supreme Military Council took over as the New Military Ruler. Obasanjo ruled for Four Years until August 1979 when the First Ever Presidential Elections were held where a Civilian one Shehu Shagari won the Election. Obasanjo stepped down both as the Military Head of State and Army Officer and handed over to the Newly Elected Civilian Head of State Shagari on October 1979. The Supreme Military Council was dissolved to give birth to a New Nigeria.
• 3 Years into Office, Shagari’s democratically elected Government was on December 1983 deposed by the Military, a new Supreme Military Council was formed and Major General Muhammadu Buhari (Current President of Nigeria) took over as the New Military Ruler. Buhari ruled for around Two Years until August 1985 when a New Military Council (Armed Forces Ruling Council) formed by General Ibrahim Babangida overthrew him and Gen. Babangida took over. The new Military Ruler promised to restore Democracy; he ruled for 8 Years. In a Visit to Egypt on August 1993 Gen. Babangida stepped down and appointed a Civilian who was a Lawyer one Ernest Shonekan as an Interim President. Shonekan’s Transitional Government was in its Fourth Month deposed by General Sani Abacha on November 1993 who appointed himself as the head of Ruling Military Coucil and Head of State. Gen. Abacha ruled for 5 Years until June 1998 when he mysteriously died in his Presidential Villa. His Defence Staff Chief Major General Abdulsalami Abubakar was immediately sworn in the same Month. Gen. Abdulsalami promised to hold a Democratic Election within a Year in order to hand over Power. He established an Electoral Commission (INEC) that conducted Presidential Elections on February 1999. Former Military Head of State Olesegun Obasanjo won the Election and true to his Word Major Abdulsalami handed over Power to Obasanjo on May 1999. This marked the End of 33-Years of Junta Rule.A modified version of the 1979 Constitution adopted during Abdulsalami’s Reign came now came into force with President Olesegun Obasanjo marking the birth of yet another New Nigeria.
• In another Presidential Election on April 2003 Obasanjo’s Ruling Party PDP won a Second Term against his main Opponent and former Military Head of State Muhammadu Buhari(Now the Current President). Amid claims and accusations of intending to hang on Power with a Third Term, President Obasanjo bowed to pressure and stepped down after the Controversial April 2007 Presidential Elections won by one Umaru Yar’Adua. His main opponents again Muhammadu Buhari and Obasanjo’s former Vice President Atiku Abubakar contested the results in Court but their Petititions were dismissed.
• President Yar’Adua suddenly left Nigeria for Saudi Arabia on November 2009 on a Medical Trip reportedly ailing with Pericarditis. After Three Months of his absence Concerns were raised with Pressure from Various Stakeholders in Politics on his inability to discharge his duties as President. Nigeria’s Senate bowed to Pressure and calls to declare Yar’Adua’s Vice President Goodluck Jonathan as an acting President. On February 2010 President Yar’Adua secretly returned to Nigeria with his state of Health still unclear with claims it had deteriorated. 4 Months later on May 2010 President Yar’Adua was announced Dead. His Vice President Goodluck was immeadiately Sworn in as President. 10 Months into office a Presidential Election was held on April 2011 and Jonathan confirmed his Position as President after beating his Close Rival Muhammadu Buhari.
• President Goodluck ruled until March 2015 when another Presidential Election was held. He lost to General Buhari, Conceded defeat and handed over Power on May 2015. This was Buhari’s 4^th Trial to become President through the ballot after his unsuccessful bids in 2003,2007 and 2011.He made history as the first ever Opposition Candidate to beat a sitting President.