Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has been declared the winner of the 2023 presidential election.
Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced the results in the wee hours of Wednesday, March 1.
After reading out the total number of valid votes secured by each of the 18 candidates in the race, the INEC chair declared: “I now perform my responsibility as chief returning officer of the federation,” the INEC chair said.
“I, professor Mahmood Yakubu, hereby certify that I am the returning officer for the 2023 general election. The election was contested.
“That Tinubu Bola Ahmed of the APC, having certified the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned.”
Team Tinubu celebrates:
Over at the Abuja residence of Tinubu, he was surrounded by allies, family and his vice presidential candidate Kashim Shettima in a packed room following the proceedings.
In a video widely shared by the APC, Tinubu is seen with a clenched fist punching the air moments before Mahmood declared him winner.
He simultaneously stands on his feet along with everyone in the room as they jubilate for winning the February 25 polls.
Bola Tinubu and Shettima’s reaction moment INEC officially declared him Nigeria’s President Elect#electionresults2023
— Adeola Fayehun (@AdeolaFayehun) March 1, 2023
BREAKING NEWS
Obasanjo pic.twitter.com/kuGOtpfDz4
The Declaration! Tinubu is the President-elect. pic.twitter.com/WewOj1P4DD
— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) March 1, 2023
The hard figures as Tinubu prevails
Tinubu was in the race along with the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).
In terms of the hard figures, APC polled 8,794,726 valid votes as against the PDP's 6,984,520 and LP's 6,101,533 .
The New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) got 1,496,687 valid votes whiles the fourteen other aspirants together got the remaining 666,298.
Beating the at least 25% in 24 states threshold
Nigeria's peculiar means of determining president means that the winner must get at least 25% of votes in two thirds of the 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja.
Tinubu had at least 25% of votes in 29 states, Atiku had 25% of votes in 21 states, Obi had 25% of votes in 16 states whiles Rabiu Kwankwaso of NNPP passed the threshold in only one state.
Tinubu is expected to be handed his certificate later today at the Abuja International Conference Center where INEC had used as the collation center for the presidential elections.
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