A month after their emergence as presidential candidates the economic programmes of Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar extolling the virtues of untrammelled market economics face more serious scrutiny than their chequered business histories (AC Vol 63 No 12 Rival parties set up a battle of the oligarchs)...

Bola Ahmed Tinubu 70 won the APC's presidential primaries on 8 June setting up a showdown in February with former Vice-President Atiku Abukabar 76 another plutocrat and veteran campaigner (AC Vol 63 No 12 Rival parties set up a battle of the oligarchs) While Tinubu a political godfather in the south-west secured the backing of about 55% of party delegates beating former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo his path to victory wasn't guaranteed...

They shut down trading at Alaba market in Lagos one of the biggest in the country to allow the workers to register and have used similar tactics across the south-south and south-east always targeting those younger voters unimpressed by the front-running candidates Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar...

The ease with which Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar defeated their rivals to win their parties' presidential nominations for next February's elections highlights their similarities – super-rich politicians who have spent three decades building up their national networks...

That could be a particular problem for Bola Tinubu whose base in Lagos state has the biggest bloc of registered voters in the country but one of the lowest turnouts sometimes under 20%...

That could damage the chances of another billionaire and former governor of Lagos State Bola Tinubu but it may benefit younger candidates such as Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and Ekiti State governor Kayode Fayemi...

On that basis party veterans point to two frontrunners – ex-governor of Lagos Bola Tinubu for the APC and ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar (AC Vol 63 No 8 Vice-President Osinbajo's bid challenges APC leader Tinubu and bank governor Emefiele)...

This sets up a clash with some of the leading barons in the party who are backing ex-governor of Lagos and consummate political deal-maker Bola Ahmed Tinubu Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi and those some of whom are close to Buhari who are backing an unorthodox campaign by central bank governor Godwin Emefiele for the party nomination...

Here Osinbajo might benefit from the weaknesses of his main rivals: Bola Tinubu Rotimi Amaechi and Godwin Emefiele...

They reserve a particular contempt for the campaign of the former governor of Lagos State Bola Ahmed Tinubu...