Key facts
- President Bola Tinubu launched his re-election campaign on Saturday in Kaduna.
- Tinubu faces challengers Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi in the January 16 election.
- Petrol prices rose to about 1,400 naira ($1.05) a litre in Lagos and Abuja in September.
- Tinubu claims support from 32 of Nigeria's 36 state governors.
President Bola Tinubu formally launched his campaign for a second term on Saturday in Kaduna, seeking to convince voters that his economic reforms are starting to yield results despite a severe cost-of-living crisis. Thousands of supporters of his All Progressives Congress party attended the rally.
Tinubu, who took office in 2023, has implemented reforms including scrapping fuel subsidies and devaluing the naira, which have improved public finances but fueled Nigeria's worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. Petrol prices have surged, adding pressure on household budgets. He blamed his rivals for the existing economic problems.
Security remains a challenge, with ongoing battles against armed bandits and kidnappers in the northwest and a long-standing Islamist insurgency in the northeast. Tinubu's campaign claims significant backing from state governors, potentially offering an organizational advantage.