2023 Presidential Election results

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state, will take over leadership of a country grappling with Islamist insurgencies in the northeast, armed attacks, killings and kidnappings, conflict between livestock herders and farmers, cash, fuel and power shortages, and perennial corruption that opponents say outgoing Muhammadu Buhari’s party has failed to stamp out, despite promises to do so.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said Tinubu garnered 8.79 million votes, ahead of main opposition challenger Atiku Abubakar’s 6.98 million votes. Peter Obi, an outsider popular with younger voters, garnered 6.1 million votes. Nigerian electoral law says a candidate can win by getting more votes than their rivals, provided they get 25% of the vote in at least two-thirds of the 36 states and the federal capital Abuja, which Tinubu did.

Opposition parties rejected the results as the product of a flawed process, which suffered multiple technical difficulties owing to the introduction of new technology by INEC, and on Tuesday (February 28) called on its chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, to resign.

SOURCE: REUTERS

U.S. congratulates Tinubu

The U.S. on Wednesday (March 1) congratulated Nigeria’s new president-elect, Bola Tinubu, on his victory in an election that has been disputed by opposition parties.

The United States congratulates the people of Nigeria, President-elect Tinubu, and all political leaders,” U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said.

Price added that the election represented a “new period for Nigerian politics and democracy.”

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said Tinubu garnered 8.79 million votes, ahead of main opposition challenger Atiku Abubakar’s 6.98 million votes. Peter Obi, an outsider popular with younger voters, garnered 6.1 million votes.

Opposition parties rejected the results as the product of a flawed process, which suffered multiple technical difficulties owing to the introduction of new technology by INEC, and on Tuesday (February 28) called on its chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, to resign.

The election was also marred by violence in places, although not yet on the scale of previous ones.

SOURCE: REUTERS

From godfather of Lagos to Nigeria’s president-elect

For much of his political career, Nigerian President-elect Bola Tinubu has exerted power from behind the scenes, widely regarded as a “godfather” who uses an extensive patronage network to back candidates for office.

Tinubu’s support helped outgoing leader Muhammadu Buhari win two terms in office, in 2015 and 2019. And since he bowed out as Lagos governor in 2007, Tinubu has hand-picked every subsequent winning candidate to run Africa’s biggest city.

That power will now be tested as Tinubu attempts to tackle Nigeria’s crises and improve on Buhari’s lacklustre record.

Nigeria is beset by armed groups that have rendered swathes of the country ungovernable, while its economy is barely keeping up with population growth amid surging inflation and crippling cash shortages after a botched introduction of new bank notes.

Many of these problems worsened under Buhari, on whose party ticket Tinubu ran. But asked at a weekend news briefing why voters should elect him, he distanced himself from the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) party he helped create. 

“I am not the party,” he said. “My track record should speak for me. Look at Lagos: Before I came, we had dead bodies on the road, a chaotic traffic system, robbery daytime and nighttime.” 

“Come on: clap for me,” he added in an appearance typical of the hubris that often marks the influential leader in Africa’s top oil producer and most populous country.

While Tinubu missed several of his own party’s big campaign events and has appeared frail during some public appearances, his speech often slow and slurred, he has repeatedly brushed aside concerns about his health.

Few doubted Tinubu’s well-resourced campaign would triumph in a country in which the ruling party has a major advantage, despite strong challenges from Atiku Abubakar, of the former ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi, of the insurgent Labour Party.   

SOURCE: REUTERS

Victory Dance

Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party candidate, Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday (March 1) defended the integrity of the national election that he won, and called on citizens to unite around him after a bitter dispute over results that opposition parties have said are flawed.

Video shared on Twitter showed people watching the election results with Tinubu and erupting into cheers as he was declared president-elect, and Tinubu doing a little victory dance afterward at an APC event.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said Tinubu garnered 8.79 million votes, ahead of main opposition challenger Atiku Abubakar’s 6.98 million votes.

Opposition parties rejected the results as the product of a flawed process, which suffered multiple technical difficulties owing to the introduction of new technology by INEC, and on Tuesday (February 28) called on its chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, to resign.

SOURCE: REUTERS

When does the 2023 Presidential election take place?

The Presidential election is to take place on Saturday 25 February 2023, in advance of the State Governors election on Saturday 11 March.  Should the Presidential election not produce a clear winner, a second round of voting will take place within three weeks.

How does a Presidential election work?

Eligible voters (those with a valid Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC), from all states of the country go to the ballot box to vote for their preferred candidate.  A candidate must have the highest number of votes nationwide and more than a quarter of votes in at least two thirds of the states to be declared President.  If no one candidate achieves this, the top two candidates then compete in a second round of voting within three weeks of the original election.

What issues are important in this election?

The economy, security and unemployment. Following ten months of inflation in 2022, the rising cost of living makes this a key issue. According to the World Bank It is estimated that four in ten of the population are now living below the poverty line.
Due to a kidnapping for ransom pandemic, as well as militant Islamist insurgencies in the North, security is another of the top issues concerning voters. Despite President Buhari’s attempts to tackle it, many still feel our country is not safe.
Finally with almost 40% of registered voters being under 34, unemployment is another central election issue. The National Bureau for Statistics estimates that 33% of the population is unemployed, rising to 42.5% of younger adults.

Will the Presidential election vote be free and fair

With the introduction of biometric verification (BVAS), there are hopes that this will be the fairest elections in Nigeria’s history.

However, there are fears that the judiciary may play a part considering the recent instance of the Osun gubernatorial election where the result was overturned by the courts due to over voting despite the introduction of BVAS.