List of Top 5 Key Political Events Happening in Nigeria in 2023

List of Top 5 Key Political Events Happening in Nigeria in 2023

The New Year 2023 is significant for Nigeria. It will feature some epochal political events that will shape the future of the most populous African nation for years to come.

Here is a list of the top five political events in the year 2023:

Key Political Events/Nigeria/2023 General Election
President Muhammadu Buhari took his oath of office during his inauguration in Abuja, Nigeria on 29 May 2015. Photo credit: Henry Chukwuedo/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

2023 General Election

Nigeria will conduct a general election in 2023.

The Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, February 25, while the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, March 11, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo aptly said in one of his recent interventions that the 2023 general election may make or break the country.

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May 29 presidential handover

After the conduct of the general elections, a new set of leaders will be sworn in to take up the mantle of political leadership for the next four years.

On May 29, President Muhammadu Buhari will officially handover to the newly elected president, signally the end of an era and the begininng of a new one.

Inauguration of 10th National Assembly and swearing-in of new governors

Why the bulk of Nigerian's attention appears to be on the presidency, the National Assemly and the state governors wield significant influence in the nation's polity.

After the elections, the 10th National Assembly will be inaugurated with its new set of leaders while new governors will also assume power at the subnational level.

Bayelsa and Kogi elections

In November 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states.

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In Kogi state, Governor Yahaya Bello will not be on the ballot as he is already completing his second term and cannot run for the third term based on the Constitutional provisions.

However, the current governor of Bayelsa, Douye Diri, is just in his first term and will most likely seek re-election in November.

National census

Though this is not a political exercise, it is a significant event that has a direct impact on politics and governance.

The National Population Commission(NPC) has projected that the fifth national census since Independence will hold in April 2023.

The last national census took place in 2006.

Buhari speaks on May 29, 2023 handover date

In another report, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, December 5, 2022 restated his commitment to handing over leadership to an elected president on May 29, 2023.

The president stated this in a brief remark to Mr Shakib Ben Musa, the minister of national education, pre-school and sports of the Kingdom of Morocco, who visited the State House, Abuja, as Special Envoy of King Mohammed the VI.

He said his term in office would end on that day in line with the constitution.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Nurudeen Lawal avatar

Nurudeen Lawal (Head of Politics and Current Affairs Desk) Nurudeen Lawal is an AFP-certified journalist with a wealth of experience spanning over 8 years. He received his B/Arts degree in Literature-in-English from OAU. Lawal is the Head of the Politics/CA Desk at Legit.ng, where he applies his expertise to provide incisive coverage of events. He was named the Political Desk Head of the Year (Nigeria Media Nite-Out Award 2023). He is also a certified fact-checker (Dubawa fellowship, 2020). Contact him at lawal.nurudeen@corp.legit.ng or +2347057737768.