Four southerners have now aspired to take over or succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023. The floor is open for southern politicians to flex muscle and fight hard for the seat of the president. Though there are northerners in the race as well, below is a list of southerners who may succeed Buhari.
Recall that the southern governors made a firm decision last year that the next presidency must be from south. It is true that they aren’t really working towards it, at least four top southerners are in the struggle.
Bola Tinubu kept the dream to himself for long until early January when he decided to unveil the big dream of his. He travelled to Abuja to inform the president, who is also the leader of the All Progressives Congress.
Tinubu is seen as a kingmaker considering the peaking number of politicians he has personally raised to become great political leaders. The emergence of Buhari as the president of the country involved Tinubu. Now he wants to succeed the president himself.
He will need to cross a number of hurdles. And one of them is to perfectly secure the ticket of the party in which he is a “national leader”. More politicians will struggle against him for that ticket.
The Chief Whip of the House of Senate, Mr. Orji Uzor Kalu, also wants to succeed the president. He hails from southeastern Abia. He had led the state in the past and he is representing a senatorial district in the state.
His focus now is keenly and sternly on the seat of the president. He wants to take over from Muhammadu Buhari, who leaves power next year. Orji Uzor Kalu’s ambition may be rooted in the interest of Tinubu. After Tinubu’s declaration, Kalu showed up.
Of course, the momentum is very low in the southern chapter of the PDP. Aspirants have been coming out, but they are not as strong as those in the PDP. Notable among the few top ones are Mr. Anyim Pius Anyim and Sam Ohuabunwa.
View pictures in App save up to 80% data.Some reports have linked Mr. Nyesom Wike to the 2023 elections. If he has that ambition, it is still unverified. Meanwhile, Mr. Anyim Pius Anyim, who was once the Senate President and the secretary to the government of federation, wants to succeed the president.
