Revealed: The Top 10 Most Tribalistic States in Nigeria Based on The 2023 Presidential Election Results

Nigeria is a state with over 250 ethnic groups and more than 500 languages spoken. This diversity in ethnicity and language often results in a struggle for power and control of resources.

However, this diversity has often been a source of tension and conflict, particularly during election periods, presidential elections in particular. Tribalism is also a sensitive issue in Nigeria, and also has become a significant issue in Nigerian politics with each ethnic group vying for a piece of the national cake. In the country’s history, tribalism has led to several conflicts and has also influenced the country’s politics.

The Nigerian state has had a long history of tribal politics, with several regions and states identified as hotbeds of tribalism and often led to violent clashes and electoral irregularities. In this article, we will examine the top 10 most tribalistic states in Nigeria based on the just concluded 2023 Presidential election results and also the potential impact on Nigeria’s democracy and national unity.
To determine the top 10 most tribalistic states in Nigeria, we analyzed the results of the 2023 presidential election. The data was obtained from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is responsible for conducting elections in Nigeria.

Using the percentage of votes received by each candidate in each state to determine the level of tribalism and focusing on the three leading candidates, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi who represented the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria, the Hausa-Fulani, Yorubas, and Igbos. We calculated the aggregate votes of each candidate received in their respective ethnic strongholds, which are the states where the candidate is from or has strong support.

10. Ogun

Located in the Southwest region of the country and dominated by the Yoruba tribe. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC Candidate emerged as the winner in all 20 local governments area in Ogun State pulling a total of 341,554 votes which represents 56% of the total votes cast. Atiku Abubakar had 20% of the votes cast and Peter Obi had just 14%. This reveals that the people of Ogun only voted for APC because the candidate is from the tribe and this makes it a tribalistic state.

9. Adamawa

The state is known for its rich cultural heritage, with over 80 ethnic groups and languages, and is home to various tourist attractions, such as national parks, cultural sites, and natural landscapes. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won the presidential election and nine National Assembly seats in Adamawa State. Mohammed Mele, the state returning officer, announced this at the end of results collated from the 21 local government areas of the state. Mr Mele, a professor, stated that PDP’s Atiku Abubakar had an aggregate of 417,611 representing over 57% of the total votes cast while Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress (APC), polled 182,881 votes with Peter Obi of Labour Party (LP) following with 105,648 votes.

8. Gombe

Gombe state, located in northeastern Nigeria, is known for its natural resources such as gypsum, limestone, and kaolin, as well as its fertile soil and agricultural resources. Atiku Abubakar of PDP polled 319,123 in the 11 local government areas (LGAs) of the state as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The former Vice President won ahead of his closest rivals – Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC who polled 146,977 votes and Peter Obi who had just 26,160 votes. Gombe State Collation Officer, Prof Maimuna Waziri, who announced the result around 1am on Monday, said the PDP candidate had the highest number of votes in the North-East state. This reveals that the people voted for Atiku because he was from the North.

7. Ondo State

A state which is known for its tourist attractions, including the Idanre Hills Ondo State is located in the southwest region of the country. The state is home to several ethnic groups, including the Yoruba, Ikale, Ilaje, Akoko, and Ondo. Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC had an aggregate vote of 361,944 which represents 64% of total vote cast and Atiku followed with a total of 115,467 votes, Peter Obi of the Labour Party came third with a total of 47,350 votes. From the above results, Yorubas as the dominant ethnic group in the state voted for Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Hence, the state is tagged as being tribalistic.

6. Ekiti State

The state capital is Ado-Ekiti, and other major towns include Ikere-Ekiti, Oye-Ekiti, and Efon-Alaaye. Ekiti State people also well known for their love for pounded yam and vegetable soup gave APC presidential candidate a large percent of their votes. INEC state Collation Officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila Orangun, Osun State, Professor Akeem Lasisi, announced the result at the state Collation Centre in Ado-Ekiti after the collation officers from the 16 council areas presented their results one after the other. He explained that out of the 18 registered political parties that took part in the exercise, APC got the highest number of votes with 201,494 votes which is equivalent to over 65% of the total votes cast.

5. Imo State

It is one of the five states in the region that make up the Igbo ethnic group. The state has a population of over 4 million people and its capital city is Owerri. Imo State located in the South Eastern part of the country gave Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, about 75% of their total votes while the remaining parties shared the 25% left. The results were finally announced at the presidential election collation center and it indicated that Obi had an aggregate of 352,904 votes, with Tinubu having an aggregate of 66,171 votes while Atiku had 30,004 votes.

4. Ebonyi State

Ebonyi State is a state located in the southeastern region of Nigeria. The state has a diverse cultural heritage with various ethnic groups such as the Igbo, Izzi, and Ikwo, among others. Peter Obi’s outstanding performance in the state is reflected in the total number of votes he garnered, which is 259,738, far exceeding his closest rival, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who managed to secure only 42,402 votes. Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) came third in the election with 13,503 votes.

3. Abia State

The state capital is Umuahia, and with Aba as its largest city is well known for its commercial and industrial activities. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), emerged as the winner of the February presidential election in Abia State with a total of 327,095 votes, which represents 86% of the 381,683 total votes cast in the election. His closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), came in a distant second with 22,676 votes, while Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 8,914 votes to come third.

2. Enugu State

Enugu State is a state in southeastern Nigeria. It was created in 1991 from the old Anambra State and is named after the capital city, Enugu. The Igbo (Ibo) constitute the majority of the state’s population . Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi secured 428,640 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Atiku Abubakar, who had an aggregate of 15,749 votes. Peter Obi won with about 93.91% of the total votes cast in the state. Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress scored 4,772 (1.05%) votes, less than one per cent of the total valid votes.

1. Anambra State

Widely dominated by the Igbos , Anambra State is home to many notable personalities in Nigeria, including the first President of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe, as well as Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi , we could recall that Peter Obi served as a governor of Anambra from 2006 to 2014 . The state capital is Awka, and other major cities in the state include Onitsha, Nnewi, and Aguata. The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, winner of the presidential election held in Anambra State. Obi emerged as the clear winner with a significant margin , Peter Obi polled a total of 584,621 votes ( which was over 90 per cent of the votes cast) to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who came a distant second with 9,036 votes and Bola Ahmed Tinubu who came third with a total 5,111 votes while other parties barely had up 5,000 all together .

Conclusively, Tribalism remains a significant challenge to Nigeria’s democracy and national unity. The analysis of election results has revealed the top 10 most tribalistic states in Nigeria, highlighting the need for concerted efforts to address this issue. While some argue that tribalism is a natural part of human behavior, it is clear that it undermines the principle of equal citizenship and contributes to electoral violence and irregularities. Addressing tribalism will require a multi-faceted approach, including promoting national identity and unity, ensuring free and fair elections, and promoting inclusive governance. It is crucial for Nigeria’s political leaders, civil society organizations, and citizens to work together to overcome tribalism and build a more inclusive and prosperous nation. Only by addressing this issue can Nigeria fully realize its potential and become a true leader on the African continent.