2023 Presidential Election: INEC declares Tinubu winner

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) the winner of Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.

Tinubu polled a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who scored 6,984,520 to emerge second.

Peter Obi of the Labour Party, clinched third position with 6,101,533 votes. While NNPP came a distant fourth with 1,496,687.

Declaring the result Mahmoud Yakubu, the INEC chairman, said: “Bola Tinubu of APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner of the election.”

Breakdown of the Presidential election result as Presented at National Collation Centre, Abuja shows that total accredited voters were 25,286,616 and total votes cast was 24,965,218.

NIGER

APC – 375, 183 (Won)

PDP – 284, 898

Labour – 80,452

BENUE

APC – 310,468 (Won)

LP – 308,372

PDP – 130, 081

FCT

APC – 90,902

LP – 281, 717 (Won)

PDP 74, 194

AKWA-IBOM

APC – 160, 620

LP – 132, 683

PDP – 214, 012 (Won)

EDO

APC – 144,471

LP – 331,163 (Won)

PDP – 89,585

ABIA

APC -8,914

LP – 327,095 (Won)

PDP – 22,676

KOGI

APC -240,751 (Won)

LP -56,217

PDP – 145,104

BAUCHI

APC – 316,694

LP – 27,373

PDP – 426,607 (Won)

PLATEAU

APC – 307, 195

LP – 466, 272 (Won)

PDP – 243,808

BAYELSA

APC – 42,572

LP – 49, 975

PDP – 68, 818 (Won)

KADUNA

APC – 399,293

LP – 294, 494

PDP – 554, 360 (Won)

KEBBI

APC – 248,088

LP – 10,682

PDP – 285,175 (Won)

KANO

APC – 517,341

LP – 28,514

PDP – 131,716

NNPP – 997, 279 (Won)

ZAMFARA

APC – 298, 396 (Won)

LP – 1660

PDP 193, 978

SOKOTO

APC – 285,444

LP – 6,568

PDP – 288,679 (Won)

CROSS RIVER

APC – 130, 520

LP – 179, 916 (Won)

PDP -95,425

DELTA

APC -90,183

LP -341,866 (Won)

PDP 161, 600

EBONYI

APC – 42, 402

LP – 259,738 (Won)

PDP 13, 503

ANAMBRA

APC – 5,111

LP – 584,621 (Won)

PDP – 9,036

OSUN

APC – 343, 945

PDP – 354,366 (Won)

LP – 23, 283

KASTINA

APC – 482, 283

LP – 63,776

PDP- 489,045 (Won)

JIGAWA

APC -421,390 (Won)
LP -1889
PDP -386,587

ADAMAWA

APC- 182,881
LP – 105,648
PDP – 417,611(Won)

GOMBE

APC- 146,977
LP- 26,160
PDP – 319,123 (Won)

LAGOS

APC- 572,606
LP- 582,454 (Won)
PDP – 75,750

ENUGU

APC- 4,772
LP- 428,640 (Won)
PDP – 15,749

YOBE

APC- 151, 459
LP- 2, 406
PDP – 198,567 (Won)

OYO

APC- 449, 884 (Won)
LP- 99,110
PDP – 182,977

OGUN

APC- 341,554 (Won)
LP- 85,829
PDP – 123,831

ONDO

APC- 369, 924 (Won)
LP- 47, 350
PDP – 115,463

KWARA

APC- 263,572 (Won)
LP- 31,186
PDP – 136,909

EKITI

APC -201,494 (Won)
PDP – 89,554
LP -11,397

NASARAWA

APC – 172, 922
LP – 191, 361(Won)
PDP – 147,093

TARABA

APC – 135,165
LP -146,315
PDP – 189,017 (Won)

BORNO

APC – 252, 282 (Won)
LP – 7,205
PDP – 190, 921

RIVERS

APC -231, 591(Won)
LP -175, 071
PDP – 88,468

IMO

APC – 66,406
LP -360,495 (Won)
PDP -30,234

The 70-year-old veteran politician got 36% of the vote, official results show.

His main rival Atiku Abubakar polled 29%, and Labour’s Peter Obi 25%. Their parties had earlier dismissed the poll as a sham, and demanded a rerun.

Tinubu is one of Nigeria’s richest politicians, and based his campaign on his record of rebuilding the biggest city, Lagos, when he was governor.

He was nevertheless defeated in the city by Mr Obi, a relative newcomer who mobilised the support of many young people, especially in urban areas, shaking up the country’s two-party system.

Tinubu won most other states in his home region of the south-west, where he is known as a “political godfather”.

He campaigned for the presidency under the slogan: “It’s my turn”.

President Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after two terms in office, marked by economic stagnation and growing insecurity around the country – from an Islamist insurgency in the north-east to a nationwide crisis of kidnapping for ransom and separatist attacks in the south-east.

Tinubu now has the task of solving these problems, among others, in Africa’s most populous nation and biggest oil exporter.

After fighting military rule in Nigeria, escaping into exile and being one of the founding members of the country’s democracy in 1999, Tinubu will feel that he was destined to become president.

He was always the favourite to replace Mr Buhari – whom he helped become president – and the hurdles he has surmounted to get here will make this an even sweeter win for him.

He was not expected to win the party primary, yet he won.

Many said his decision to go with another Muslim as a running mate would prove an obstacle, but it was not.

Previously all major parties have split their presidential tickets with a Christian from the south and a northern Muslim in order to achieve broad support across this vast nation of 210 million people.

He will now have to prove that he can hit the ground running and that he is still the same formidable force who built modern Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub.

Tinubu will be taking charge of a crumbling economy, widespread insecurity and as the results map shows, a country retreating into regional and religious blocs.