future of politics

Political year ahead in Africa: Which governments will lose power in 2023?

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Political Capital

By Nic Cheeseman

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Posted on December 20, 2022 15:29

 © Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari delivers a speech during the Paris Peace Forum, in Paris, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari delivers a speech during the Paris Peace Forum, in Paris, Thursday, Nov. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

The dust is just beginning to settle on President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo’s farcical election victory in Equatorial Guinea. Not satisfied with ruling the country since 1979, he engineered one of the most one-sided elections the world has ever seen. This included giving himself 97% of the vote in the presidential election and preventing the opposition from winning a single legislative seat. Equatorial Guinea is now a one-party state in all, but name.

Things look very different in Kenya, which also held elections in 2022.

Ahead of the polls, it became clear that President Kenyatta would respect term limits and support his former rival, Raila Odinga, as his successor.

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