In a few hours, 87,209,007 Nigerians will cast their votes for a new president in 176,606

polling locations spread across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. This election will mark 24 years of unbroken democratic experience in the nation.

6,259,229 registered voters had not yet shown up to pick up their Permanent Voter Cards as of February 5, which was the deadline for doing so nationwide. Indeed, Nigerians are considering choosing the leader of their country who will succeed Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) on May 29, 2023, at the end of his two terms in office.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) broke down the total number of eligible voters by state and found that Lagos State had the most collected PVCs (6,214,970), followed by Kano State (5,594,193), Kaduna State (4,164,473), and Ekiti State (958,052).

The top four candidates are Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People's Party. There are 18 candidates from various political parties vying for the position seat. Five key elements that could impact the outcome of tomorrow's election in this report: 1. Regionalism and ethnicity Nigerians have historically used racial and ethnic factors to their

advantage during elections. It has actually always been the case that "our son is the one, let him do it." Many Nigerians think that electing someone from their area or ethnic group will significantly advance their lives. Political leaders agree that due to the heterogeneous nature of the country, a power rotation arrangement had become necessary to address complaints of marginalization and domination and to give equal power to ethnic groups. Since the advent of the Fourth Republic in 1999, there has been an unwritten law that presidential power should rotate every eight years between the North and South.

Zoning has been effective, enabling Musa Yar' Adua, a Northerner who replaced former president Olusegun Obasanjo, who had been in office for eight years, to assume office smoothly. This is what prompted the APC candidate, who openly declared his support for Buhari to win the presidency, to call for 'Emilokan,' a term that denotes that it is the time of the Yoruba. Because they feel they have been sufficiently marginalized since the restoration of civil rule in 1999, the South East is not giving up on their campaign for the presidency either.

It is thought that this is what sparked the calls for secession and the endorsement of the Labour Party candidate by Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the leading sociocultural organization in the region. 2. Theology

The outcome of the election on Saturday will also be significantly influenced by religion. Since 1999, all of the parties in power have chosen their president and vice president in an equitable manner. For instance, a Muslim running for president will make sure to pick a Christian as his running mate. The South is predominately Christian, whereas the North is predominately Muslim. However, this equilibrium was upset when Kashim Shettima, a Kanuri Muslim and the former governor of Borno State, was selected as Tinubu's running mate.

Many Nigerians and Christian organizations strongly condemned this action. As things stand, many voters might have to camp out with others who share their religious beliefs. 3. The potential appearance of a third force party

Up until February 2013, when the Action Congress of Nigeria, the Congress for Progressive Change, the All Nigeria Peoples Party, and a breakaway faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance formed a coalition and established the APC, the PDP had controlled Nigeria's political landscape. By defeating the incumbent President, Goodluck Jonathan, the newly formed coalition ushered in a period of a two-party dominant state. The LP and NNPP are aiming to alter the electoral dynamics, so Saturday's election could change the narrative.

Supporters of Obi, collectively known as the "Obidient" Movement and primarily made up of young people, believe that the Labour Party candidate will significantly alter the political landscape of the nation. Ohanaeze Ndigbo, as well as some significant non-Igbo organizations and people, such as former president Olusegun Obasanjo, have endorsed Obi's candidacy. Another candidate is Kwankwaso of the NNPP, the leader of the Kwankwasiya movement and a well-known organizer at the local level. He is thought to be well-liked by common people in the North but to have little support in the South. 4. Money

Vote-buying could influence the outcome of the presidential election on Saturday due to the country's ongoing cash crunch.

Vote trading has become a significant motivator for voters to turn out to the polls, so Nigeria is not yet ready for a democratic election free of its influence. Recently, it was reported that some party chairmen from a political party were demanding mobilization fees from the presidential candidate or they would halt the elections. Money will probably continue to play a big role in the elections in 2023 despite efforts to increase electoral transparency.