NIGERIA DECIDES: 5 indications that Tinubu will win the 2023 Presidential elections

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Elections will always come and go, the build-up to the elections is what gives the goosebumps, the fear, the hope, and more importantly the win and the loss. No one candidate believes he will lose, and neither do any supporters believe they will lose until the cast is called. The United State 2020 elections is a first call when looking at the outcomes of any election. You saw Biden whose campaign is less than 100 people in attendance due to the Covid- 19 surge in the US at that time, and you equally remember the Trump campaigns full of organic crowds and voters, but like Machiavelli portrays in his book, The Prince - "The end will justify the means", certainly it will. Trump lost, and Biden won.

It is a regular knowledge that emotions don't win elections, and Nigeria is not different, the 2023 elections, is one with high hopes, with several articles, slogan, ads flying to water down opposing candidates, and political parties throwing tantrums at each other, where will all this ends. This is the question?

Also read: Scarcity of petrol and Naira notes: The tales and reality

As the election date draws nearer, there remain major political parties contesting, looking at the main contenders and how each one may be considered the winner of the coming election. Mainly, the election is between two major political parties APC and PDP, and largely between 4 major political parties, the All Progressive Congress APC, the People's Democratic Party PDP, the New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP, and the Labour Party LP.

Where each candidate stands 

All Progressive Congress

The candidate of the APC is Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the only National Leader of the APC, a first-of-its-kind political officer, a former Governor of Lagos state, a seasoned political juggernaut, a leader of leaders, and an accountant, who formerly worked with Exxon Mobil, he is fondly called Jagaban of Borgu.

Asiwaju is aged 70 years and will be 71 years after the general elections. Many questions surround his age, as there is a section of the youth who think that he should go and rest having attain such age, while there stands a section which seems majority who believes the question of leadership is not age bound, giving example to major world leaders and even the celebrated Awolowo who contested for President at that age gap too, even higher. 

Also read: Celebrating Black history month: Nigerian impacts

He is accused of being the determining factor for all successive Governors and representatives in Lagos and Southwest, with some part of the South-South, while this is true, this can be attributed largely to leadership. As Tinubu was quoted to have said, "No matter how many skyscrapers, no matter how many steel and metals, no matter much of constructions you build, if you have not build a good successor, and good human beings you have built nothing.", in short, he is walking his talk.

Forecast

Asiwaju is leading the real forecast of winning the 2023 Presidential elections, He beats the likes of Atiku Abubakar candidate of the PDP based on many facts, but to mention a few:

1. Power Rotation: Asiwaju is enjoying the goodwill and the resolves of the Northern Governors who prevail over Northerners who are in the race to become President during the primary election of the APC. Leading that campaign were Nasir El-Rufai, and Governor Atiku Bagudu the Governor of Kebbi State, and they succeeded in doing that. Tinubu won the primary election in a landslide, indeed he is the master strategist in the game. After the primary election comes the main campaign, Asiwaju is enjoying the ride that power should shift to the South, with a slogan of him saying "Emi Lokan" - a Yoruba word meaning it is my turn. 

Also read: 5 ways to protest against the Government

2. Brand Spread: Asiwaju owns a brand to his name which is beyond the Niger, he is known to have built bridges before he contested for the Presidential ticket. He has helped many Senators, Honourable members get their tickets to contest and go forward to win amid the obvious. Asiwaju has stood by several Kings, Governors against the opposite reality, Asiwaju is a brand anywhere in Nigeria, he sealed the brand with his Positive and Negative PR including his latest gaffes, which are though trivial as compared to his strengths.

3. APC controls 22 States' Governments as we approach the elections, with a recent update in which the deputy Governor of Sokoto state decamped to the APC ahead of the rally of Tinubu and the APC in the state, APC will coast to victory, as Governors not gunning for re-election will want their successors in place, and the ones still up for election will want a win.

4. Disarray in opposition: The disorderliness ongoing in the main opposition camp is a plus for the APC and Tinubu, as many factions break out of the PDP. The first and troublesome of which is the G-5, also known as the Integrity Group, ably led by the Pride of the South Governor of Rivers State Nyesom Wike, with other members Governors of Oyo, Abia, Enugu, and Benue, also having a non-member in cloth but a member in spirit, Governor of Bauchi state, Bala Mohammed.

 

Also Read: Nigeria's employment landscape in the future

Aside from the G-5, the breaking away of Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, RMK from the PDP is a plus for Tinubu, Kwankwaso a renowned grassroots politician who is also a Presidential candidate under the NNPP was a member of the PDP before joining the NNPP. There are strong indications that RMK will step down for Tinubu in the coming days. Meanwhile, he has debunked all the lies that he will step down for Atiku, and he has always warned the Northern elites and oligarchs to stop running errands for Atiku, in a bid for him to step down.

5. The Obi factor: Mr. Peter Obi is the Presidential candidate of the Labour party, like Kwankwaso, Peter Obi also decamped from the PDP to join the Labour party, when the powers that be refused to give him the ticket of the PDP. He was the running mate of Atiku in the 2019 elections. They were defeated by Buhari in the free and fair election.

Many are of believe that Atiku was enjoying the goodwill of Peter Obi being an Igbo, as the region voting pattern is to the PDP, this time it is going to change, as one of their sons, who is also a former Governor is on the ballot. The fact that Peter Obi left the PDP is a -1 and +1 for the APC.

With the above submission, it is clear that the race will likely be called for Tinubu, nothing will make it too close to call, except the kingdom comes. 

As the elections draw near, it is an onus on all citizens to maintain a peaceful co-existence as we have no other home aside from Nigeria, during and after the election. Citizens are advised to shun election malpractices and hate speech in the bid to support candidates respectively. Celebrities are advised to watch what they say, nothing is worth the curse, killing, and pointing fingers at one another. It is all a game, and the best player wins.

Also read: My Live experience with protest

The Independent National Electoral Commission is advised to remain neutral and not to be seen supporting a candidate, against another. Candidates in their capacity should also advise their followers to maintain peace, Law & order.

God bless Nigeria.

...to be continued.