Top 10 quotes in Nigerian politics in 2023

Pulse is pleased to curate a collection of the top 10 quotes that encapsulate the depth and significance of political conversations in 2023.

“If you must be referred to as ‘Your Excellency,’ then the process through which you arrived in office must be excellent.”

Peter Obi criticised the electoral process that crowned Bola Tinubu as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

“Emefiele has committed a crime against humanity, over and beyond even any electoral mago mago (foul play).”

Prof. Wole Soyinka criticised the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, for the controversial naira redesign policy that resulted in a nationwide scarcity of banknotes.

3. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“A little homework and they would know what is manifestly obvious to me and so many others: The process was imperilled not by technical shortcomings but by deliberate manipulation.”

Famed author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, criticised the United States over its congratulatory message to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, who was declared the winner of the February 25 presidential election.

“We are supposed to be in a democracy and one of the tenets of democracy is that after an election, INEC being supposedly an impartial umpire will have documents and these documents are available to everybody who participated in the election.”

Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18 governorship election in Rivers State, Tonye Cole, accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of sending thugs to attack him and his team to prevent them from accessing the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Port Harcourt.

“The appropriate thing is that the position should go to a southern Christian. I believe that anybody who wants it the other way round loves himself more than the country.”

A chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in Kano State, Abdulmumin Jibrin, said any Nigerian who loves the country should not support a northern Muslim to be the next Senate President.

“I repeatedly stated that no one should vote for me based on tribe or religion, but rather on the assessment of character, competence, capacity, credibility, and compassion that can be trusted to create a new Nigeria!”

Peter Obi distanced himself from a purportedly leaked phone call between himself and the founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide aka Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo.

“It is a testament to the maturity of our democracy and to the amazing sophistication of the voter.”

The outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari said the 2023 elections demystified money politics and proved Nigerian voters wouldn’t be underrated anymore.

“The seeds of incipient fascism in the political arena have evidently matured.”

Prof. Wole Soyinka continued to weigh in on the 2023 general elections and the rhetoric of political actors following the electoral exercise.

“I do hope Mr and Mrs Ekweremadu have learnt from this distressing experience of theirs to guide their future actions or inactions so they will continue to be outstanding members of their community and will continue to contribute fully to the good of the society in particular and the nation in general.”

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo pleaded with the Central Criminal Court of England, otherwise known as the Old Bailey, to temper justice with mercy in the May 5 sentencing of convicted Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu; and his wife Beatrice.

10. Pesident Bola Ahmed Tinubu

“With full confidence in our ability, I declare that these things are within our proximate reach because my name is Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and I am the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

President Bola Tinubu’s final words in his inaugural speech.