Voting pattern and voting behaviour in 2023 Presidential Elections in Nigeria: a cursory prognosis

The 2023 Presidential Election is one of the most keenly and closely contested Elections in the history of Nigerian Presidential Elections since the colonial and post-independence period. The election was heralded with tensions, accusations and counter-accusations, intense campaign, trade of blames by the ruling and major opposition parties and other related issues. This study examined the voting pattern and voting behaviour of the Nigerian electorate during the 2023 Presidential Election, the outcome and analysis of the voting pattern and its implications. The work adopted both primary and secondary sources of data. The primary source is the direct participant observation where the author was part of the process of the election as a party agent for the Presidential Election in Ilorin West local governments in Nigeria. The research also observed directly on a live broadcast the presentation of the results by the state returning officers where the results were collected and used for analysis. The secondary sources include the use of books, journals and internet sources. The data obtained was presented in a thematic form using tables and statistical interpretations. The research discovered that the outcome of the 2023 Presidential Election continued to reflect the voting pattern in Nigeria where ethno-religious, regional affiliations, party affiliation or identification determine how the electorates choose their President even though, the three major contenders this time emerged from three zones. However, two Presidential candidates from the same Southern region of Nigeria just like the previous situations. The research recommends that there is a need for massive enlightenment among the electorates towards choice of leaders based on performance and not sentiments. The paper concluded that the determinant to imbibe for re-electing same party into power should be the performance of incumbent party should be a yardstick.