ABUJA, Nigeria – March 1, 2023: The ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu, addresses supporters during a celebration at the campaign headquarters. Tinubu won Nigeria’s most disputed weekend election, electoral authorities said Wednesday, securing the former Lagos governor as president of Africa’s most populous democracy.
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Nigeria’s ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu was declared the winner of the country’s presidential election on Wednesday after polls were marred by transparency concerns and widespread technical problems.
The 70-year-old former governor of Lagos State polled 8,794,726 votes, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concluded, accounting for 36% of the votes counted in Nigeria’s tightest election since the return to civilian rule in 1999.
The main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar polled 29% and Labor Party candidate Peter Obi, who mounted the first serious challenge to the two dominant parties and notched a surprise win in Tinubu’s home state of Lagos, notched around 25%.
Tinubu succeeded President Muhammadu Buhari, who stepped down after reaching his two-term limit, with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to secure a third consecutive term in office.
A total of 18 candidates are competing for the presidency in Africa’s most populous country, and the largest economy, in 36 countries and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja. About 90 million people are eligible to vote, with the poll taking place against the backdrop of a worsening security situation and deep economic difficulties.
APC, PDP and Labor Party won 12 states while New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso claimed one state. However, the PDP, Labor Party and some other opposition parties have rejected the result when Tinubu was declared president on Wednesday.
In a joint press conference on Tuesday, the PDP, the Labor Party and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) demanded the resignation of INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu and a replay of what they called “fake” presidential and National Assembly elections.
ABUJA, Nigeria – February 25, 2023: A party observer argues with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as ballot boxes were reportedly placed at the wrong polling station in Abuja.
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Labor National Chairman Julius Abure accused INEC of failing to comply with the provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act, which was introduced by the Buhari administration to build confidence in the country’s electoral process and ensure free and fair elections.
“We have a responsibility to the millions of Nigerians who believe in us and our presidential candidate to defend our country from forces that seek to tear us apart,” Abure said.
“President Buhari, this is the time to test your integrity, use your office to save Nigeria from electoral malpractice and save your legacy.”
However, Buhari Wednesday morning congratulated Tinubu and said he is the best person for the job, affirming that the legitimacy of the election is not in doubt and urging opposition parties seeking to challenge the results to “take it to court, not to the streets.”
Tinubu is credited during his two terms as governor of Nigeria’s economic capital Lagos with increasing the state’s revenue and strengthening economic activities.
However, he caused controversy during his campaign by choosing a fellow Muslim as his running mate, breaking the unwritten rules of Nigerian politics for power sharing between Christians and Muslims.
‘Lack of transparency and operational failure’
The European Union’s Election Observation Mission said on Monday that “lack of transparency and operational failures undermine confidence in the process and challenge the right to vote.”
Although largely peaceful, the election was held against a backdrop of insecurity and shortages of fuel and the country’s naira currency, which according to the EU EOM report hampered INEC’s operational capacity, along with attacks on certain INEC premises and voter intimidation.
“Abuse of office by various political officials has leveled the playing field and there are widespread allegations of vote buying,” the EU EOM report said.
LAGOS, Nigera – February 25, 2023: Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to accredit people to vote at a polling station in Ojuelegba, Lagos.
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The widely welcomed Electoral Law includes the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the results display portal (IReV), technologies that are considered important steps to maintain the integrity and credibility of elections in the future.
However, the EOM noted that delayed training and inadequate mock tests, along with a lack of public information about the technology, lowered expectations among voters and “left room for speculation and uncertainty.”
INEC admitted that “technical glitches” had delayed the uploading of results to IReV, which recorded only 20% of the presidential election votes at noon the day after the polls.
The Commonwealth Observer Group led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki gave a more positive initial assessment on Monday, which determined that “despite the shortcomings identified in the election, Nigerians were largely given the right to vote.”
“We congratulate all Nigerians for their determination, patience and resilience shown throughout the election process,” Mbeki told reporters on Friday.
However, the COG also highlighted many logistical problems that lead to voter disenfranchisement, long queues, technological problems, the “not always positive” behavior of party agents and procedural inconsistencies in the closing and counting of ballots.
Both observation missions will submit their final reports in the coming days.