Bola Tinubu declared winner of Nigerian Election 2023

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Bola Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress will be the President of Nigeria. This after the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress candidate (APC) the winner of the 2023 Nigerian Presidential Election. Africa’s largest democracy went to the polls over the last weekend.

Tinubu garnered 8,794,726 votes to Atiku Abubakar’s tally of 6,984,520. Abubakar’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who had to settle for second. In third place was Peter Obi of the Labour Party who came third, despite some the pre-election predictions of an unlikely victory.

Disputes

Nigeria’s electoral process encountered several technology related problems that appeared to overwhelm the country’s communications network. These issues have led to the main opposition parties questioning the legitimacy of the election results, and called for the country’s presidential election to be scrapped. They allege that results showing the ruling party’s candidate in the lead had been manipulated.

Earlier, Peter Obi had won the City of Lagos, where Tinubu had served as Governor. This win in what had previously been thought to be a APC stronghold was disputed by the ruling party.

Electoral officials rejected the criticism.

“Contrary to the insinuation by both parties, results emanating from the states point to a free, fair and credible process,” Inec said in response. “It is only fair for aggrieved parties to allow the conclusion of the process and approach the courts with their evidences to pursue their cases.”

The parties now have three weeks to appeal the results.

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has never overturned the results of a presidential election, despite court challenges being very common.

ECOWAS, the West African regional bloc, called on all political parties to lower the temperatures and call on their supporters to exercise restraint, and to refrain from using language and casting unfounded aspersions that could “exacerbate political tensions, divisiveness, and violence at this critical stage.”