With less than 10 months to the presidential elections slated to hold in February 2023, all but one – Action Peoples Party (APP) – of Nigeria’s 18 registered political parties have elected their candidates for the polls.
This is even as the six days the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) granted political parties to conclude their primaries and prepare to upload the candidates’ list officially lapsed on June 9, 2022.
The fate of APP is uncertain, but a check on its Facebook page – party’s website is inoperative – showed that its last posting was in 2018. The national chairman of the APP is Uchenna Nnadi, according to information on the website of INEC.
Below are the parties and their candidates eying the presidency as President Muhammadu Buhari enters his final year in office. The list is based on based on alphabetical order.
1. Accord – Christopher Imumolen
A 39-year-old professor, Christopher Imumolen, is the presidential candidate of the Accord (A) for the 2023 general elections. Imumolen won the party’s ticket unopposed at the AP presidential primary election held in Abuja. He won the primary by voice vote as a sole aspirant for the party after his co-contenders in the race had stepped down.
2. AA – Hamza Al-Mustapha
A retired Major of the Nigerian Army and former Chief Security Officer (CSO) to late Head of State, Sani Abacha, Hamza Al-Mustapha, is the presidential candidate of the Action Alliance (AA). He won with 506 votes to defeat his opponent Samson Odupitan (216) at the party’s primary in Abuja. Two other aspirants – Tunde Kelani and Osakwe Johnson – stepped down for Al-Mustapha before the election which was conducted using option A4 formula. A total of 854 delegates were accredited for the election.
3. AAC – Omoyele Sowore
The publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, is the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) for the 2023 general election. The party’s delegates elected the publisher as their flag bearer through affirmation at their national convention in Abuja. Before his emergence at the convention, the Ondo-born Sowore stepped down as the AAC chairman after a court judgment in his favour.
4. ADC – Dumebi Kachikwu
In the 2023 elections, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) will be fielding Yusuf Yabagi Sani as its presidential candidate. Sani, who was ADP’s flag bearer in the 2019 elections, was declared the ADP presidential standard-bearer at a special national convention of the party in Abuja. He was chosen by consensus.
5. ADP – Yabagi Yusuf Sani
Founder of Roots TV Nigeria Dumebi Kachikwu emerged the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) with 978 votes. A younger brother to Ibe Kachikwu, the former Minister of State for Petroleum, who hails from Anioma extraction of Delta State, defeated his main challenger and former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Prof. Kingsley Moghalu (589), Dr Chukwuka Monye (339) and Princess Chichi Ojei (72). Dr. Chike Okogwu stepped down from the race.
6. APC – Bola Tinubu
Former Lagos State Governor Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is the candidate of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC). He emerged the party’s flag bearer after scoring 1271 votes in the presidential primary held, where he defeated 13 others.
They are immediate former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi (316), Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (235), Senate President Ahmad Lawan (152), Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello (47), Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi (38) Cross River Governor Ben Ayade (37), Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima (4), former Minister of Science and Technology Ogbonnaya Onu (1), former Minister of State for Education Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba (1), Pastor Tunde Bakare (0), Senator Rochas Okorocha (0), Mr Jack Rich (0) and Ikeobasi Mokelu (0).
7. APGA – Peter Umeadi
A former Chief Judge of Anambra State, Retired Justice Peter Umeadi, is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), a party that has a sitting governor in Anambra State. As the sole presidential aspirant of the party, Umeadi was declared the winner of the primary election after his candidacy was affirmed by the 150 delegates the party’s special convention in Abuja.
8. APM – Yusuf Mamman Dantalle
The Allied People’s Movement (APM) will field its national chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, as its presidential candidate in the 2023 general election. Dantalle, who ran as the sole presidential candidate of the party, was overwhelmingly elected by delegates in the presidential primary held in Abuja.
9. BP – Sunday Adenuga
The Boot Party (BP) will be fielding a business man from Ogun State, Mr Sunday Adenuga, as its presidential candidate in the 2023 general election. Adenuga won the party’s primary election in which citizens were allowed to cast their vote from all over the country. He scored 292 votes against Evelyn Ohevire (18), out of a total vote cast of 310.
10. LP – Peter Obi
Former Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi, who was the running mate of former VP Atiku Abubakar on the platform of PDP in the 2019 elections, will in 2023 fly the flag of the Labour Party (LP), where he emerged as the candidate unopposed after all other aspirants stepped down for him at the presidential primary election of the party held on Monday in Asaba, Delta.
Those who stepped down for Obi are Prof. Pat Utomi, Mr Joseph Faduri and Mrs Olubusola Emmanuel-Tella, while Mr Charles Uchenna withdrew from the election.
11. NNPP – Rabiu Kwankwaso
Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). He emerged the party’s flag bearer after picking its ticket at a special convention held inside the Velodrome of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. The former governor and onetime Minister of Defence was the sole candidate in the convention
12. NRM – Okwudili Mwa-Anyajike
Mazi Okwudili Mwa-Anyajike is the presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM) for the 2023 election. He emerged as the party’s flag bearer at the NRM 2022 Special Convection in Abuja. Owkudili polled 184 votes out of over 200 accredited votes with about 300 delegates to defeat eight other contestants.
13. PDP – Atiku Abubakar
The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. The Adamawa State-born politician scored 371 votes in the party’s presidential primary held in Abuja to defeat River State Governor Nyesom Wike (237), former Senate President Bukola Saraki (70), Akwa Ibom State Governor Udom Emmanuel (38), Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed (20), former Secretary to Government of the Federation Anyim Pius Anyim (14) and former President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria Chief Sam Ohabunwa (1).
14. PRP – Kola Abiola
First son of the late acclaimed winner of the 1993, June 12 election Moshood Abiola is the presidential candidate of the Peoples’ Redemption Party (PRP). Kola Abiola, who scored 2,097 votes from across the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT), defeated former member of the House of Representatives Dr Usman Bugaje (813), a female aspirant Patience Key (329) and a retired army colonel Gboluga Mosugu (263). He is from Ogun State.
15. SDP – Adewole Adebayo
A lawyer and founder of Abuja-based KAFTAN Television, Adewole Adebayo, is the presidential candidate of the the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Adebayo won the party’s primary election in Abuja with 1,526 votes against his closest challenger, Khadija Okunnu-Lamidi (83). Adebayowas born in Ondo State in 1972.
16. YPP – Malik Ado-Ibrahim
A civil rights activist and founder of the Reset Nigeria Initiative, Prince Malik Ado-Ibrahim, a son of the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland in Kogi State, is the presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP). The businessman won the primary election of the party with 66 votes to beat Mrs. Ruby Isaac (4). A total of 74 delegates were accredited for the primary but only 70 voted.
17. ZPA – Dan Nwanyanwu
Dan Nwanyanwu is the presidential candidate of the Zenith Progressives Alliance (ZPA), formerly known as Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). Nwanyawu was the national chairman of the ZPA before his emergence as the party’s flag bearer for the 2023 presidential election. The party’s convention was attended by over 200 party delegates and party executives.
