20 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BY FANI KAYODE

1. President Muhammadu Buhari will be the longest serving civilian and democratically-elected Northerner that has EVER sat on the throne in Nigeria.

2. President Muhammadu Buhari will be the only CORE Northerner (meaning someone from the NW or NE), military or civilian, that did not pass on or was not removed in a military coup whilst on the throne.

3. President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be the first Southern Muslim to be sworn-in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

4. Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima will be the first Kanuri to be sworn in as the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

5. This will be the first time in the history of Nigeria that a Muslim President and a Muslim Vice President have been sworn in as a democratically-elected President and Vice President respectively.

6. This is the first time that an Igbo presidential candidate (Peter Obi) has won a presidential election in Lagos, Plateau, Nassarawa and the FCT and that the SE states have given 94% of their votes to an Igbo.

7. This is the first time in the history of our country that a Fulani presidential candidate (Atiku Abubakar) has scored the lowest number of votes in the NC and could not win one state in that entire zone. 

8. This is the first time in the history of our country that the majority of people and leaders in the North INSISTED on a power shift to the South.

9. This is the first time in the history of our politics that the Church played such an active and pivotal role in a presidential election by openly endorsing and supporting one candidate (Peter Obi) and despite that that candidate lost.

10. This is the first time that a Presidential candidate and later President-elect (Bola Ahmed Tinubu) has been so conspired against, opposed, denigrated, vilified, humiliated, misrepresented and insulted by members of the opposition and even a few elements within his own party and yet he managed to win the primaries, win the election, overcome against all odds, come out victorious and be sworn in as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

11. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that there has been such a strong and formidable collaboration and unassailable political alliance between the leaders and people of the North and the SW.

12. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that a Vice Presidential candidate (Dati Baba Ahmed) has threatened the President, the Chief Justice of the Federation and the Chairman of INEC with unspecified consequences, claiming that "no-one would be safe", calling for military intervention and making treasonable statements on national television in the event of a President-elect being sworn in.

13. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that a Vice Presidential candidate (Dati Baba Ahmed) burst into tears and openly wept on national television because of the verbal and literary attacks he received from his opponents and what was written about him in an essay.

14. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that a presidential candidate (Peter Obi) has described a presidential election as a "religious war" and asked a Bishop to use his Church and influence with members of the Christian Community to deliver a state for him.

15. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that a man held up a plane and stopped it from taking off for over one hour and eventually had to be dragged off all in an attempt to protest and stop a President-elect from being sworn in.

16. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that a winning presidential ticket had no Fulani and no Christian in it and yet won.

17. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that a PDP presidential candidate (Atiku Abubakar) lost in Rivers state and could not make 25% of the valid votes.

18. This is the first time in the history of Nigeria that a First Lady (Remi Tinubu) has been a Pastor, a First Lady of a state for 8 years, a Senator for 8 years and now First Lady of the nation.

19. It is the first time in the history of Nigeria that a Muslim President and a Muslim President-elect enjoyed and celebrated sallah at the same time.

20. It is the first time that a democratically elected Muslim President will hand over power to a democratically elected Muslim President-elect.