NIGERIA @66: POST 66TH INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION AND THE ELECTORAL MATTERS ARISING IN 2027 WITH INEC DECLARATION OF 103MILLION REGISTERED VOTERS

Nigeria, a multi-cultural country made up of beautiful people and blessed with abundant resources in human and natural resources, spanning from the Atlantic Ocean in the South to other sahelian countries in the North with extension to the Lake Chad basin.

The 66th anniversary celebration marked the beautiful memories of Independence, the ugly experience of Biafra war and terrorism affecting certain parts of the country and remarkable achievements of over 250 tribes living together as one with potential of becoming a global power in the nearest future.

The fast approaching electoral exercise to determine who leads the giant of Africa for the next four years is scheduled to take place in the mid of January 2027, and many political parties preparing, canvassing, campaigning for their favourite candidates with Nigerians scrutinizing and comparing manifestoes to one another to determine their direction into the poll.

The policies and systemic restructuring of organs/institutions of the state by the incumbent President of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR) have earned his administration credit, approval and commendations, while oppositions have criticised the direction of his government citing the cost of living (hardship), insecurity and effect of the removal of fuel subsidy on the economy.

The candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Mr Peter Obi, have position himself as the right alternative from the South with capacity to surmount against the challenges APC policies and manifestoes have not been able to address.

Alh. Atiku Abubakar, who have contested for the apex office on several occasions on different political platforms, will be contesting on African Democratic Congress (ADC), the former vice president will be on the ballot as an experienced alternative having served in the Presidency as vice during the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Many Nigerians that are familiar with the administration of Former President Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007) have raised concerns about the loyalty of Waziri and his inconsistency due to transfer from one political party to another  (SDP, PDP, AC, ACN, APC, PDP & ADC), with many labelling it as desperation and loyalty to his personal conviction, interest and ambition.

Freedom of movement and choice is a fundamental human rights, a right enshrined in the 1999 Nigeria Constitution for citizens of Nigeria, so the movement of the former V.P should not be term as Political wandering, but as someone who seeks to better Nigeria, but the words and tantrums of his former superior, Former President Olusegun Obasanjo have further rub salt on the injuries of Alh. Atiku Abubakar and raising different underlying questions in the minds of Nigerians.

Some Nigerians have compared the building tendency and laying of grassroots foundation structure of President Tinubu to others seeking the office in 2027. A close look into the history of democratic government since the end of military rule in 1998, and drawing the map of growth of different parties which seeds were sown by President Bola Tinubu. The journey from the Alliance for Democracy (A.D) to transition to Action Congress (AC), a party that offered a Presidential ticket to Alh. Atiku Abubakar in 2007 to contest the Presidency against the Umar Musa Yaradua of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 24,638,063 votes, while Alh. Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress of Nigeria polled 2,637,848 votes in the electoral exercise held on the 21st of April 2007.

The structural expansion of the Action Congress to Action Congress of Nigeria, also gave Nuhu Ribadu an opportunity in 2011 to challenge Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in the Presidential contest, before the merger of the political party with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) led by Muhammadu Buhari, All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and factions of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) that gave birth to the All Progressive Congress (APC) on 6th of February, 2013 and later registered by INEC on July 31st, 2013.

Many online polls and analysis have favoured the incumbent President of Nigeria to win the 2027 election, as many factors aside from international support and power of incumbency, but the division of Mr Peter Obi and Alh. Atiku Abubakar with decision to run separately on different political platforms will shortchanged their polling strength, whereas; their unity into the election could have provided a strong and United opposition alternatives to the incumbent.

With the recent Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC) unveiling total numbers of registered voters in the database of the commission, as 103million voters were captured as registered to participate in the 2027 Presidential and State election's, while Lagos, Kano, and Kaduna recorded the highest numbers of votes to be expected in the coming election,  the next few weeks into the general election is an opportunity for Nigerians and the electorates to assess manifestos, enlighten their neighbors about the candidates who has the solutions to the nationwide challenges rooted in the formation of the country, preparing their permanent voters card (PVC) to approve the visionary and workable policies capable of healing the nation from the age-long predicament suppressing the growth, transformation and development of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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