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Vol 67 No 21

Published 23rd October 2026


Nigeria

Tinubu builds the machine

The president’s widening coalition and deep pockets give him an advantage as the opposition tries to turn protests into votes

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approaches Nigeria’s 16 January presidential election with the strongest political machine, but little popular enthusiasm. Turnout in the elections is likely to be even lower than the average 26.7% than four years ago. Nigerian voters are among the least enthusiastic in the world. That reality is rooted in deep-seated scepticism about the politicians’ self-dealing and grand corruption. Out of more than 93.4 million registered voters, 24.9 million total votes were cast. This represented an 8.03 point decline from the 2019 elections and was the lowest voter turnout since Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999.

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