As February 2019 draws near, the air surrounding Nigeria’s political scene is denser than ever. More aspirants announce their intention to run every week as the struggle for the ultimate seat of power in Africa’s largest oil producer intensifies.
With the election date set for February 16, 2019, the current trend of party defections and shifting alliances, next year’s election is shaping up to be one of the tightest presidential polls in the country’s history. With various political heavyweights and some fresh candidates in the mix, here are 5 of the biggest names currently interested in the seat.
PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI
Taking the reins in 2015 from President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, in what was deemed the first free and fair election in Nigeria, PMB rode on three major campaign promises; ending corruption, fixing the Nigerian economy and fighting insurgency. Since his historic win, the polls have been divided concerning whether or not PMB has been able to effectively fulfill his campaign promises.
Announcing his intention to run again in April, despite previous comments about not running for second term and concerns about his health, the 74-year-old is the oldest running candidate in the history of Nigeria. Buhari remains the major contender for the APC presidential ticket as he looks forward to a second term.
ATIKU ABUBAKAR
After serving as the Vice President in the Olusegun Obasanjo era spanning from 1999 – 2007, Atiku Abubakar has indicated interest in running for the nation’s top seat, at every election conducted since. The former Custom’s head first lost to the Late Umaru Musa Yar’dua in 2007, after leaving the PDP for the Action Congress (AC) and most recently in 2015 to Buhari during the APC primaries.
As he turns 72 this year, it is expected that his latest move to the PDP and bid for the presidency will be his last.
MUSA RABIU KWANKWASO
Musa Kwanakwaso first came into power in 1999 as the governor of Kano State under the PDP but he lost his re-election bid in 2003. Following this, he had a stint as the Minister of Defence serving in the Obasanjo administration before taking back the governorship seat in 2011 and ending his tenure in 2015. After leaving the PDP in 2015 to join the APC and losing the primaries to Buhari, he proceeded to serve as a Senator but has declared his intention to run once again. Having one of the two biggest groups of supporters in Kano State, Kwankwaso is poised to be a candidate to watch out for in next year’s polls.
BUKOLA SARAKI
A two-time governor of Kwara State and son of the illustrious Olusola Saraki, Bukola was elected into Senate in 2011 under the PDP, before leading major stakeholders to decamp to the APC in 2015. A major titan in the North Central zone, his exit from the PDP was considered instrumental in handing over power to the ruling Party. Decamping from the APC this year prompted the APC national chairman to call for his impeachment and led the Party to direct a significant amount of energy towards discrediting him and his tenure as President of the Senate. It is safe to assume that Saraki has his detractors to thank for his profile.
KINGSLEY MOGHALU
With a strong background in finance based on his former position in the Central Bank of Nigeria, amongst other endeavours, Kingsley Moghalu believes he has what it takes to restructure the Nigerian economy through innovation and investment in human capital.
Despite being defeated by Fela Durotoye in the recently concluded party meeting of the Presidential Aspirants Coming Together (PACT) group, a coalition of young aspirants interested in ensuring that the old system of governance is disposed of, Moghalu still maintains a strong interest in running.
Written by: Conrad Omodiagbe
