In the 2023 Nigerian presidential election, Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secured more votes than Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) in the South-West region, despite the overall national contest where Peter Obi was seen as a major challenger.
While Peter Obi garnered about 6.1 million votes nationwide, finishing third, Atiku scored approximately 6.98 million votes overall, taking the second position in the presidential race, a region previously thought to have leaned more favorably toward Obi among southern blocs but gave Atiku more votes than him.
NN News Media Publisher’s Nkiruka Nistoran wrote: “This is evidence from the last presidential election: the South-West gave Atiku (PDP) more votes than Peter Obi (Labour Party). They are the ones pressuring him to contest in 2027 so that Tinubu can be rigged back into power.” “They preferred a Northerner in 2023. Now they want to use Atiku to justify another Southern turn it’s political manipulation,” she said.
This statement comes amid growing political tension over the 2027 presidency. President Bola Tinubu, who hails from the South-West, is reportedly insistent on retaining a Southern presidency. However, she argue that his region did not fully support other Southern candidates in 2023, instead favoring a Northern contender like Atiku.
While much of the public discourse focused on Peter Obi’s strong performances in the South-East and South-South regions, the detailed breakdown of votes across the South-West states Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo shows Atiku garnered a total of 941,941 votes, ahead of Obi’s 846,478 votes.
The result comes as a surprise to many observers, given Obi’s popularity among urban youths and professionals, particularly in Lagos, where he secured a narrow victory over All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Ahmed Tinubu. However, when aggregated across the entire region, Atiku edged Obi by nearly 100,000 votes, confirming his sustained grassroots presence in the South-West despite APC’s dominance.
Breakdown by Candidate in the South-West:
- Bola Tinubu (APC) – 2,279,407 votes
- Atiku Abubakar (PDP) – 941,941 votes
- Peter Obi (Labour Party) – 846,478 votes
- Rabiu Kwankwaso (NNPP) – 16,644 votes
Atiku’s second-place finish in the zone was bolstered by competitive showings in states like Osun and Oyo, where the PDP retains structural strength and loyal voter bases. Meanwhile, Obi’s support, though enthusiastic, was largely concentrated in metropolitan areas and failed to translate into wider regional dominance.
Implications for 2027 and Beyond
Analysts suggest the outcome points to a more complex political map in southern Nigeria than initially perceived. “It challenges the assumption that Peter Obi had the Southern vote on lockdown,” said Dr. Tade Olajide, a political analyst at the University of Ibadan. “Atiku still commands considerable influence in the South-West, and this could have ramifications for future elections.”
