The former vice president Atiku Abubakar is on the ballot paper under the People Democratic Party (PDP) asking to be the next president of Nigeria.
On Saturday, he will be contesting with 18 other candidates including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of All Progressive Congress and Peter Obi from Labour party.
Here, IkejaBird looks at issues that may affect Atiku at the polls on February 25 as well as analyze his strongest features.
1.Internal Ego Wars
Shortly after PDP’s primary election trouble began to rile its head. First, it was Wike who declared that all is not well.
The Rivers state governor came second in the primary election and felt that he was undone at the last minute.
In subsequent weeks after the internal party election, Wike has indicated that he won’t be supporting the emerging candidate until the PDP National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu is removed.
His wishes have not been granted. And it is widely believed that there are still other powerful politicians within the party who are fueling the party’s incoherence.
Going to the general election with this amount of baggage at home may not translate into a positive outcome.
2. The Unwritten Rule of Rotation
Nigeria is divided across ethnic lines. There are six geo-political zones in Nigeria as of 2023 and among them are the majority tribes which are Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo.
Although it is not a rule, it is generally believed that the presidency should be rotated within the major ethnicity in Nigeria to encourage a sense of belonging.
After Buhari’s two terms in office, many Nigerians believed it is best for the next president to come from the South.
This assertion may not be favorable for Atiku who is campaigning to succeed a president that comes from the same region as him.
3. Public Image
The former vice president can not enjoy the populism that is boosting the chances of Peter Obi, his opponent from the LP as a result of the fact his public image will be rated based on what his close associates have said about him.
His former boss, Olusegun Obasanjo has described Atiku as corrupt as well as other close associates.
Although Atiku has never been convicted for any corruption crimes, this image of a corrupt politician continues to trail his campaign.
4. Northern Effect
Northern Nigeria has the highest population in a country of over 200 million people. They have also recorded the highest voter turnout in all previous elections held in Nigeria. This time, it is not expected to be different.
Atiku may now enjoy the luxury of being the only Northerner on the ballot box as far as major political candidates are concerned.
Being a Muslim from Northern Nigeria automatically makes him the right candidate for most citizens from the Northern region.
5.Strong Opposition Party
Prior to Buhari’s victory in 2015, PDP has been the ruling party since 1999. They have the structure to back any candidate and they are seen as a party that has done better than APC in terms of solving economic problems.
Being a PDP candidate on Saturday will have its uses and perhaps it will help deliver the number that will clinch the seat.
