As 2023 draws near, the race for the top political seat in Nigeria has been gaining prominence in various political discourses across the country. While many have argued against early predictions, from current and former governors to serving ministers and former presidential candidates, a growing number of names have permeated Nigeria’s political space as potential presidential aspirants for 2023.
Although most of these political influencers are yet to openly declare their interest in the presidential race, while others have made subtle hints, 2021 and 2022 will unveil ambitions and alliances, as the topic of political zoning for the presidency remains a much-debated topic.
Here are some names that are ahead in the conversation surrounding Nigeria’s upcoming polls:
Atiku Abubakar
Coming off his loss at the 2019 presidential polls, businessman and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar’s name seems to be synonymous with presidential elections in Nigeria after several attempts at the country’s apex seat.
Prior to starting his time in politics, the former Vice President served as the Deputy Comptroller General of the Nigerian Customs agency. Working closely with former Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen Shehu Musa Yaradua in the 80s, Atiku contested the Gubernatorial position in then Gongola State in 1991. He also contested for President under the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) but lost to Chief M.K.O Abiola(Late) who was the flagbearer for the party in the annulled June 12, 1993 elections.
Under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku contested and won the gubernatorial election in Adamawa State, but was eventually selected to serve under President Olusegun Obasanjo as the Vice-President. With his tenure as Vice President over, Atiku ran for and lost the presidential race in 2006 under Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). After a brief stint back at the PDP, Atiku moved to the All Progressives Congress in 2013, where he contested and lost the Presidential primaries in 2014 to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former Vice President moved one more time in 2017 to the PDP, where he ran and lost the 2019 presidential race. While he contested the result, President Buhari’s win was upheld.
He is yet to provide answers to his alleged 2023 presidential aspirations.
Orji Uzor Kalu
Orji Uzor Kalu is the former governor of Abia State. The eastern political titan is currently a serving Senator representing the state, and the chairman of SLOK Holding, the Daily Sun, and New Telegraph publications in Nigeria.
Kalu served as the chairman of the Borno Water Board and the chairman of the Cooperative and Commerce Bank Limited prior to his time as Abia state governor, a position he held for two terms starting out from May 29, 1999, and leaving the office on May 29, 2007. Winning both elections under the umbrella of the PDP, Kalu was instrumental to the Olusegun Obasanjo presidential tenure. However, on July 11, 2007, Kalu was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on charges of corruption while serving as the governor of Abia State. He was later released on bail and accused the Obasanjo regime of persecuting him during and after his tenure in office.
He eventually ran and lost the presidency in 2007 under Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) party.
While the EFCC closed the case against Kalu in 2007, the case was eventually re-opened in 2018 right before Kalu headed to the polls for the 2019 general elections. Despite the case against him, the former governor secured a seat in Nigeria’s 9th senate representing Abia North senatorial zone on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in February 2019. He later emerged as the Senate Chief whip.
After 12 years on the case, Kalu was eventually sentenced to 12 years in jail based on corruption charges but this detention did not last long. Kalu was eventually released and has hinted at contesting for president come 2023.
Bola Tinubu
Popularly known as the “Jagaban” of politics, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a former governor and former senator of the shortly lived third republic. Beginning his career in 1992 under the now-defunct Social Democratic Party of Nigeria (SDP), Tinubu contested for and won the senatorial seat of Lagos West Constituency. However, following the annulment of the June 12, 1993, general elections and his establishment of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Tinubu was forced into exile.
Tinubu eventually returned and contested for the office of the state governor, an election he won in 1999 under the Alliance for Democracy (AD), despite the heavy presence of the then-ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West at the time. The former senator ran for and won a second term in office in April 2003.
Regarded as one of the godfathers in Nigeria’s political sphere, Tinubu has been present in founding the AD, the Action Congress (AC) political party as recourse to the decimated AD, and more recently, the All Progressives Congress (APC). In 2015, Tinubu’s APC won the country’s presidential elections, ending the PDP’s longstanding reign that started with the Olusegun Obasanjo tenure of 1999.
While Tinubu has remained coy about the 2023 presidential elections, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he announces his transition from kingmaker to the actual king. Despite his massive support system in Lagos and other parts of the south-west, his main challenge would be winning over the north (a region his party has a stronghold over) to his side.
This story is part of our new series on Nigeria where we analyse electoral and political reform in the country ahead of the next general elections in 2023.
