10 Reasons Why The APC May Lose 2023 Elections – Opinion

Here are the 10 reasons why the All Progressive Congress (APC) may be kicked out of Aso Rock in 2023.

1. Presidential flag bearer: Of the two contenders, Atiku and Tinubu, only Atiku has a national appeal. Atiku is popular in the North, SE, SS, NC, and SW. With 11 million votes in 2019, Atiku would be polling over 22 million in 2023.
2. Buhari not on the ballot: With Buhari out of APC ballot, the core North would not be motivated as they were in 2015 and 2019. This time, NE, NW, and NC will be fully Atikulated. The North will rather prefer 16 years of an uninterrupted rule than 8 years of Buhari’s disappointing rule, it is common sense. The North wants to know that Atiku would achieve what Buhari failed to do in 8 years.
3. APC’s Muslim-Muslim Ticket: This is a no-brainer. Christians in Northern Nigeria are well over 70 million, from Southern Kaduna to Bauchi, Bornu, Taraba, Niger, Nassarawa, Plateau, Benue, and even up to Jigawa. It is funny that APC could not find one, just one of them worthy to be VP candidate. It is unfortunate. Then down South, even SW Christians are against the Muslim-Muslim ticket. We all know that Ondo, Ekiti, and Lagos are predominantly Christians. The Christians see Tinubu’s obsession on the Muslim-Muslim ticket as an affront.
4. Tinubu’s ill-health: It is a known fact that Tinubu is sick, and very sick. After Buhari’s 8 years characterize by absenteesm and bed-ridden affairs, no sensible Nigerian wants a repeat of that. We see that Tinubu cannot hold a microphone to speak, He only uses a standing microphone because his hands are shaking violently. He cannot hold a paper to read, he is sick and not good enough to be president.
5. Electronic transmission of results: This is where PDP killed APC. We all saw how APC fell woefully in Anambra as the BVA ruined their rigging plan. Prior to the elections, the APC candidate was parading over 250,000 members. In the election, APC came a distant third to APGA and PDP. This will repeat in 2023. People will collect APC money and vote PDP or LP (that is if Obi is contesting, but I doubt)
6. APC and Buhari’s failure: It is on record that the APC led Nigeria into two consecutive economic recessions, wiped out the middle class, and created the highest amount of poverty in Nigeria’s history such that the average family in Nigeria has been reduced to beggars. This is against their promised “CHANGE” and eldorado they promised Nigerians in 2014/15
7. Siddon look chieftains: In case you have not noticed, most chieftains of the APC did not want Tinubu as the party’s flagbearer. Even Buhari has not shown that level of enthusiasm you would expect from an outgoing president eager to hand over to a successor in the same party. Up North, the slogan is from baba to kaka? Some of the APC leaders are already looking to jump ship, but as usual, will wait to see how the campaign will go.
8. Tinubu’s antecedents: The North does not trust Tinubu. Forget all the photo razzmatazz with Gandulje and Shettima. They know Tinubu to be a tribal leader, who will not only destabilize the power balance. but will create a Yoruba cabal. Also, the Yoruba Muslims are not accepted as Muslims, moreso parading a Christian pastor as a wife, is a BIG NO1
9. Insecurity: What is the APC going to tell people who are under the scourge of bandits, kidnappers, Boko Haram, ISWAP, etc? Will they tell them that PDP is the cause as they did in 2014? Will APC tell the people paying daily taxes to bandits that they are going to rescue them after the elections? What will APC tell Nigerians that they inherited over 5000 Megawatts of electricity, but now only generate 99 megawatts? What will APC tell Nigerians, that they took over when Dollar was N186, but now N600? Or that Petrol that was N87 is now no longer available or that Diesel that was N150 is now N1500? What will APC and Tinubu campaign with?
10. Peter Obi and Kwankwaso effect: As I write, neither Peter Obi nor Rabiu Kwankwaso, who are presidential flag bearers of the Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) have presented their running mates, 24 hours before the deadline. I believe that these two are not going to contest the presidency.

Kwankwaso left PDP because of Wike’s overbearing influence on the party’s structure, more particularly how Secondus, a trusted ally was removed by Wike’s high-handedness.

The same applies to Peter Obi. Most analysts do not understand why Atiku did not accept Wike, it is to assure all those aggrieved members that he is a neutral candidate, who is out to reconcile all parties. So, I see Kwankwaso and Obi re-alligning with Atiku to chase APC out of Aso rock.