Is February 25 presidential poll still a three-horse race?

By Lateef Ibrahim

No fewer than 18 presidential candidates would be listed on the ballot paper next Saturday when Nigerians of voting age are expected to throng out in their numbers and cast their votes for the nation’s fifth president since the return of civilian rule in1999.

But many Nigerians are of the belief that the entry on the ballot papers not withstanding, the presidential contest remains a three-horse race among the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) Atiku Abubakar; the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) Bola Tinubu and Labour Party’s (LP) Peter Obi.

Yet, others have insisted that it’s a fourhorse race with the inclusion of New Nigeria Peoples Party’s (NNPP) Rabiu Kwankwaso as one of the frontliners in the contest. With exactly one week to the Presidential and National Assembly elections slated for February 25, those claims and counter claims on the popularity of the individual candidates have not abated.

The stage, however, seems set for the successful conduct of the elections, barring any last meeting change in plans by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Although eighteen registered political parties are fielding candidates for the elections, not more than four or five of the parties are well known to the electorate who would be making a choice on the D-Day.

For example, in the case of the presidential election, during which the successor of President Muhammadu Buhari will be elected, only about four of the parties’ presidential candidates are believed to be on ground. Others are seen more or less like pretenders in the race.

By the time the names of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Peter Gregory Obi of the Labour Party, LP, and Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP are mentioned, a lot of people will find it difficult to name the remaining fourteen presidential candidates and their parties.

Some analysts are of view that the Saturday, February 25 presidential election is actually a race between Tinubu, Atiku, Obi and possibly Kwankwaso, while other presidential candidates are perceived to be contesting the nation’s number political office for the fun of it.

The trio of Tinubu, Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso have been engaged in rigourous campaigns , which have taken them round most all the states of the federation, while not much is heard about the campaign activities of the other candidates.

The candidates of APC, PDP, LP and NNPP have also made their ambitions felt loudly in the media, particularly in the electronic media as well as the social media.

The APC, PDP and LP have particularly made their impact felt in the media, both in the cities, towns, villages and hamlets. Their billboards, flyers and hand bills are found everywhere.

They have actually demonstrated their readiness for the election, according to some politics watchers.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which is, constitutionally saddled with the task of conducting the elections, has repeatedly told Nigerians and others that they are ready for the polls.

The Prof Mahmood Yakubu -led Commission has severally assured that it is not contemplating any form of postponement of the elections.

The INEC Chairman recently declared that it is neither contemplating any adjustment to the timetable of the forthcoming general election nor the postponement of the election.

The Commission specifically assured that the Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on Saturday 25th February 2023 while Governorship and State Assembly elections will hold two weeks later on Saturday 11th March 2023.

The Chairman of INEC, Prof Yakubu gave the assurance during the

We will continue to take every step to protect the sanctity of the votes cast by citizens and to deal with infractions, including the arrest and prosecution of persons that attempt to perpetuate illegality at Polling Units on Election Day, be they underaged voters or vote buyers presentation of national register of voters to the political parties in Abuja.

Yakubu pointed out that the repeated assurance by the security agencies for the adequate protection of INEC personnel, materials and processes also reinforced the commission’s determination to proceed with the elections.

The 2023 General Election, he vowed, will hold as scheduled, stating that any report to the contrary is not the official position of the Commission.

According to the INEC Chairman, “In short, at no time in the recent history of the Commission has so much of the forward planning and implementation been accomplished days ahead of a General Election.

“Therefore, the Commission is not contemplating any adjustment to the election timetable, let alone the postponement of the General Election. “For the avoidance of doubt, the Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on Saturday 25th February 2023 while Governorship and State Assembly elections will hold two weeks later on Saturday 11th March 2023.

“The repeated assurance by the security agencies for the adequate protection of our personnel, materials and processes also reinforces our determination to proceed.

“The 2023 General Election will hold as scheduled. Any report to the contrary is not the official position of the Commission”, he declared.

Continuing, Prof Yakubu said, “As a further affirmation of the Commission’s readiness to conduct the 2023 General Election as scheduled, the final register of voters has been compiled.

Prof Yakubu thus reiterated INEC’s commitment to transparent, credible and inclusive 2023 General Election.

“We will continue to take every step to protect the sanctity of the votes cast by citizens and to deal with infractions, including the arrest and prosecution of persons that attempt to perpetuate illegality at Polling Units on Election Day, be they underaged voters or vote buyers”, he assured concretely.

The Commission, the Chairman revealed, was mobilising about 100,000 vehicles and 4,000 boats for the deployment of personnel and materials to 176,846 polling units spread across 8,809 Registration Areas (or electoral Wards) in 774 Local Government Areas nationwide.

Similarly, the Chairman, Board of Electoral Institute (BEI) of INEC, Prof Abdullahi Abdu Zuru equally assured that assurance the Commission is fully ready for the 2023 general election, assuring that every valid vote will count. Prof Abdu Zuru, who gave the assurance in Abuja at the training of party agents by the commission, reiterated that the will of the people will prevail in the forthcoming general elections.

According to Prof Zuru, “The Commission is determined to ensure that every valid vote will count, the will of the people will prevail, and the 2023 General Election will be free, fair, credible, inclusive, transparent and verifiable.

“Therefore, be reassured that we are indeed very ready for the 2023 General Election”, he said.

Continuing, the Chairman of BEI added, “May I at this juncture, reiterate that the Commission is committed to the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter verification, authentication and accreditation.

Analysts say with all the steps so far taken and arrangements made by the political parties and their candidates on one hand as well as INEC and the security agencies on the other hand, it is expected that Nigeria will hold a peaceful, credible and transparent elections that will be generally acceptable to all come February 25 and March 11.

The outcome of the February 25 polls will answer the question whether the race is a four-horse or three-horse race.

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