Nigeria will hold Africa’s biggest election in February 2023 when the continent’s most populous state selects a new president. The election will be a test of the country’s democratic progress since the end of military rule in 1999. It will also be a bellwether of how the “Giant of Africa” will navigate a series of evolving economic, social, and security challenges amid democratic backsliding in the region.
This contest differs from previous elections in many notable regards. First, a new electoral act is in place along with a first-of-its-kind digital election register that will be tested in a country with a history of widespread vote manipulation. Second, the playing field is more diverse and divided, with a third-party candidate from a historically marginalized region challenging the two long-dominant parties. Third, the youth are increasingly vocal in the aftermath of anti-police-brutality protests that swept the country in 2020. All the while, global macroeconomic shocks and high-profile terror attacks have exacerbated Nigeria’s fragility, prompting heated debate about whether the country needs experienced leadership or a clean slate to weather the storm. An uptick in election-related violence and ethnically charged rhetoric throughout the year has led observers to warn that the country may face its most volatile political contest in over a decade.
Please join Hudson Institute for a discussion with three of Nigeria’s leading researchers to understand what is at stake in the 2023 election and what implications this election will have for West Africa.
Representative Mike Waltz will moderate a panel on China’s influence operations in the United States.
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