Old Faces, New Hopes - Meet Nigeria's 2023 Presidential Candidates: Nigeria
Four men lead the race to be Nigeria's next president. Who are they and what do they stand for?goes to the polls on 25 February 2023, they will be able to choose between 18 candidates to be the new president. For only the second time since the return to democracy in 1999, the incumbent - Muhammadu Buhari, who is coming to the end of his maximum second term - will not be one of the options.
Now, the four candidates are all up against each other as they vie for the support of more than 90 million registered voters. Who are they and what do they stand for?Bola Tinubu, 70, served as governor of Lagos state from 1999 to 2007 and remains an instrumental figure in the state's politics. He was also a key figure in the formation of the APC, which brought President Buhari to power. He is known as a kingmaker and bridge-builder with friends spread across the country.
Tinubu is running on a joint ticket with Kashim Shettima, the governor of Borno state and former chairman of Northern Nigeria Governors Forum. Shettima is an astute administrator and is seen as skilled at bringing together fellow governors. But the decision to go with Shettima means the APC is running a Muslim-Muslim ticket, a move which goes against the convention of having a"religiously balanced" ticket in Nigeria.
Atiku's running-mate is Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state. Okowa publicly identifies a member of the Igbo ethnicity, who predominate in the South-East, but is from the South-South and is chairman of the South-South Governors Forum.