Nigeria 2023 Presidential Elections and Key Takeaways -By Ayodeji Olatubora, Esq.

There are key lessons that follow the recently concluded elections and there is also the need to look inwards. We must through this process, count our blessings, even as a nation in our democratic sojourn. The Presidential and National Assembly Election of 2023 have crystallized a reasonable balance in the political distribution and we are gradually tending towards a multi-party state. At the return to democracy in 1999, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) was the dominant party for about 16 years up until 2015 when the ALL Progressives Congress (APC), a coalition of political tendencies across the length and breadth of Nigeria; being the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and a breakaway of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) took out the PDP and ended a 16-year regime. Just within about 8 years of the APC in power, we now see the emergence of another formidable political party, The Labour Party (LP). It is noteworthy that the LP had always existed. Former Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State, won his Governorship election on the platform of the LP in 2007. However, the LP was never a major political party for the purpose of Elections into the office of the President and the National Assembly, up until the choice of Mr. Peter Obi as its candidate for the 2023 Presidential Election in which those who feel disillusioned by the established parties tended towards the LP as a protest of their dissatisfaction with the establishment. This is indeed a welcome development in our democratic space.

In fact, it is even dangerous for electorates to have ‘limited options’ in the real sense of the expression; particularly in a nascent and evolving democracy like ours where politicians often openly demonstrate totalitarian tendencies. With the outcome of the Elections and the votes returned by the APC (8,794,726), The PDP (6,984,520) and the LP (6,101,533), it is fair to now say that the APC, PDP and LP are evenly matched with each having strongholds and weaker areas of presence. Many former Governors who would even naturally go to the Senate after completing their term (s) of office as Governors were consumed by the inferno of the Labour Party that swept across the country. As aforementioned, this is a good development in our democracy. The LP even went ahead and won in states like Lagos, FCT, Plateau and Nasarawa, which means that there is a considerable national spread of the party and a cross-regional acceptance of its candidate. Indeed, our democracy is a Work-In-Progress. The future of our democracy is really in our hands; more particularly the fact that we can now see an unusual interest by the younger generation. Politics is a long game. The youth must also keep learning the polity as this is the first real moment that they have shown genuine interest and concern in the democratic process and indeed, a good start because it clearly made a difference. I will admonish them to also play an active, knowledge-driven and patriotic role in nurturing this infant democracy; seeing that their collective interest has helped to crystallize a landmark in the political infrastructure. Every Government and every dispensation must be committed to Electoral Reforms, Judicial Reforms, Constitutional Reforms and Institutional Reforms; being prerequisites for the enthronement, development and sustenance of democracy. The results of the 2023 Presidential Elections might not have gone in the way some thought. However, there is still some progress that we have made from the recent past; more particularly with the introduction of modern technology in our Elections. We have seen political parties that have been pronounced and adjudged structureless, go on to win seats in both legislative houses of our bi-cameral legislature. I do not think that the LP are losers here.

In fact, they just could be the biggest winner here by strengthening democracy through voter participation of a group that had been largely indifferent about the electoral process and as we can all see, the 2023 Elections altered the political order. Therefore, I guess it has served its purpose. It was never meant to see that a particular candidate that had been tipped to win must win and that if he doesn’t, then there are no lessons to take so as to move forward as a nation. No, democracy is a life-long process.

Across the Federal Republic of Nigeria, there is now an even political distribution in the imminent dispensation, as the three major political parties would now have representatives in the 10^th Assembly. It would no longer be business as usual and plenaries would be much anticipated. It is noteworthy that there would never be perfect Elections anywhere in the world and we would recall that the 2016 American Presidential Elections that returned Former President Donald Trump was even alleged to have been influenced by the Russians and of course, the United States ought to be the model for global democratic practices. Again, I am not saying that there are no reasons to be aggrieved by the manner in which the Elections were conducted. Certainly, the individual actors are permitted to form their grievances and issues arising from the conduct of the polls.  The democratic process has also put in place a system of redress where aggrieved persons can ventilate their grievances by submitting same to the Court. More important to note is the fact that it is not a must-win for any candidate. This democracy was fought for and indeed, the struggle for the enthronement and sustenance of democratic values is a life-long struggle. The next few weeks are definitely intriguing.

Many Congratulations to Nigeria and more Importantly, the President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who also took part and in fact, led from the front in the struggle for the enthronement of democracy after the infamous 1993 Presidential Election that was annulled by the General Ibrahim Babangida-led military junta. Asiwaju’s victory has been an admixture of ‘A Long Walk to Freedom’ and the ‘Audacity of Hope’.

Ayodeji Olatubora is a Legal Practitioner and  a Development Professional.