Three Horse Race

_{horse racing}

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Nigerians will be heading to the polls next year to cast their votes to elect political candidates that will occupy various positions in government. These prospective elected individuals will be saddled with the responsibility of steering the country on the course of economic growth and development. Consequently, political parties and politicians have set plans in motion to secure the votes of the electorates. They have been organizing campaigns, rallies, and forums to achieve this goal. The political arena has become a bee hive of activity!

Among the numerous political parties seeking the votes of Nigerians in the upcoming elections with the focus of this post being on the office of the president, three parties seem to be the most prominent from my observation. These political parties are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and Labour Party(LP). The candidates representing these parties appear to be the major contenders for the office of the president of Nigeria in the elections coming up next year. These candidates are experienced politicians who have served the country in various capacities. I want to use this medium to shed more light on them.

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_{atiku abubakar}

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The candidate representing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the presidential election next year is Atiku Abubakar. Atiku Abubakar was born on the 25th of November 1946 and hails from Jada, Adamawa state. He is a Muslim, successful businessman, retired civil servant, and seasoned politician. He is the co-founder of Intels Nigeria, a logistics company that offers services to port operations in Nigeria and the oil and gas industry. He is also the founder of the American University of Nigeria, Yola in Adamawa, and the owner of Adama Beverages Limited. Atiku Abubakar also served in the Nigeria Customs Service where he rose to the rank of Deputy Director before his retirement. After the transition from a military government to a democratic one in Nigeria in the late 1990s, Atiku served in the capacity of Vice president from 1999 - 2007. He has contested for the office of the President of Nigeria on five occasions unsuccessfully. The upcoming elections next year will be his sixth bid to become the number one citizen in Nigeria.

_{bola tinubu}

Bola Tinubu is the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the present ruling party in Nigeria. Bola Tinubu was born in Lagos state on the 29th of March 1952. He is a Muslim, accountant, politician, former governor, and senator. Bola Ahmed Tinubu worked for Mobil Nigeria as an accountant in the 1980s before going into politics to contest for a senatorial seat in Lagos in 1993. A few years later, he contested for the office of the Governor of Lagos State under the platform of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and won. As the governor of Lagos, he succeeded in increasing the internally generated revenue of the state and invested in infrastructural development across the state. He was in office from 1999 - 2007. As the political landscape in the country changed in the country in early part of the last decade members of opposition parties agreed to work together to boost their chances of defeating the PDP, the ruling party at that period in time in the upcoming elections. The All Progressives Congress was formed from this initiative and Bola Tinubu played a significant role in its creation.

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_{peter obi}

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The Labour Party (LP) which recently became a dominant force in the Nigerian political sphere has Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in the general elections next year. Peter Obi was born on the 19th of July 1961, in Onitsha, Anambra state. He is a Christian, successful businessman, and politician. He has served in leadership positions in several companies like Next International Nigeria Ltd, Chams Nigeria Ltd, and Fidelity Bank Plc where he became the youngest chairman of the bank. He aslo served as the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Peter Obi contested the gubernatorial elections in Anambra state on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) n 2003 but was not declared the winner. He reclaimed his mandate three years later through a judicial ruling and was made governor of the state. He encountered several challenges while he was governor which included impeachment and the inauguration of another governor in the general elections of 2007. Obi overcame these challenges by seeking redress in the Court of law. He served the state of Anambra as governor for two terms and was renowned for improving education, healthcare, and road networks in the state. He was also commended for being prudent with the resources of the state. Peter Obi became a member of the PDP in 2014 and was the Vice presidential candidate of the party in the 2019 general elections.

The resume of the top three contenders for the Office of the President of Nigeria in the general elections coming up next year shows that they all have vast experience as public administrators and leaders in the corporate world. What is unknown is if they can lead Nigeria as president if elected. The power to elect one of them for this position lies in the hands of Nigerians. Nigerians should assess these candidates and cast their votes for however they feel has what it takes to lead the country. Vote wisely Nigeria!

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Thanks for reading,
Have a splendid day folks.

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