2023 general elections: Political campaigns kick off today
Political parties in the country will officially kick off their campaigns today for the 2023 general elections, in line with the guidelines released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Going by the electoral umpire’s guideline, presidential and National Assembly campaign take off on 28th September 2022, while those of governorship and State Houses of Assembly will kick off on 12th October 2022.
Going by Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, campaign in public by every political party shall commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.
The presidential and National Assembly elections will be held on Saturday, February 25, 2023, followed by the governorship and State Assembly elections on Saturday, March 11, 2023.The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has, however, postponed the commencement of its campaign indefinitely.
The party said the postponement was to allow the expansion of the campaign council list “to accommodate more stakeholders and interests within the APC family.”
Eighteen candidates will contest the presidential election to replace President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock.
Of the 18 however, only four are frontrunners. They are Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (APC), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar (PDP), Peter Obi (LP) and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Other candidates are Imumolen Christopher, Accord Party (AP); Al Mustapha Hamza, Action Alliance (AA); Omoyele Sowore African Action Congress (AAC); Kachikwu Dumebi, African Democratic Congress (ADC); Sani Yabagi Action Democratic Party (ADP).
Also on the ballot are Umeadi Chukwudi, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Ojei Princess Chichi, Allied Peoples Movement (APM); Nnadi Osita, Action Peoples Party (APP); Adenuga Oluwafemi, Boot Party (BP); Osakwe Johnson, National Rescue Movement (NRM); Abiola Kolawole, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP); Adebayo Adewole, Social Democratic Party (SDP); Ado-Ibrahim Abdulmalik, Young Peoples Party (YPP) and Dan Nwanyanwu, Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
