Nigeria’s Uninspiring Presidential Candidates

This June, Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress settled on a former governor of Lagos state, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as its flag-bearer for the 2023 elections. Slightly over a week earlier, the largest opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had chosen former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its own. Both choices ended the possibility that the next president of Africa’s most populous country would be someone belonging to an emerging—rather than dying—generation. Tinubu claims to be 70, although his opponents say he’s at least 80, while Abubakar is 75.

To be sure, older presidential candidates are a familiar sight in many countries, not least the United States. But the average age in Nigeria is just over 18, making the contrast with much older contenders even sharper. The problems don’t end there, though. A third candidate, who is currently generating excitement among young people disenchanted by