*Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, declares ‘Tinubu Bola Ahmed of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scoring the highest votes, is hereby declared winner and elected’

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), winner of the February 25, 2023, Presidential election.

Tinubu, a former Governor of Lagos State, garnered 8,794,726 votes to defeat his major rivals: Atiku Abubakar of the People Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of Labour Party who secured 6,101,533 votes of the 24,965,218 total votes cast.

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of INEC

Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) also came fourth with 1,496,687 votes.

Announcing the winner of the Presidential Election to  an eager country of over 210 million people, and many across the world, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of INEC, said: “That Tinubu Bola Ahmed of the APC having satisfied the requirements of the law and scoring the highest votes is hereby declared winner and elected.”

Yakubu also listed the votes scored by other political parties and their Presidential Candidates as follows:

• Accord (A), Prof. Christopher Imumulen- 61,014
• Action Alliance (AA) Almustapha Hamza-14,542
• African Action Congress (AAC) Omoyele Sowore -14,608
• African Democratic Congress (ADC) Dumebi Kachikwu-81,919
• Action Democratic Party (ADP) Sani Yabagi -43,924
• All Progressives Congress (APC) Sen. Bola Tinubu-8,794,726
• All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof. Peter Umeadi -61,966
• Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Princess ChiChi Ojei-25,961
• Action Peoples Party (APP) Nnadi Charles Osita-12,839
• Boot Party (BP), Adenuga Oluwafemi-16,156
• Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi -6,101,533
• New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso-1,496,687
• National Rescue Movement (NRM) Osakwe Felix Johnson -24,869
• Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) , Atiku Abubakar-6,984,520
• Peoples Redemption Party ( PRP), Kola Abiola-72,144
• Social Democratic Party (SDP) Prince Adewole Adebayo-80,2067
• Young Progressive Party (YPP) Prince Abdulmalik Ado-Ibrahim-60,600
• Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) Nwanyanwu Daberechukwu-77,665

Voter analysis, by INEC

Yakubu during the announcement also gave the total number of registered voters in the West African country as 93,469,008, accredited voters as 25,286,616, valid votes as 24,025,940 whereas the rejected votes as 939,278.

ConsumerConnect reports  INEC has indicated the Commission would present the Certificate of Return to Tinubu, the President-elect and Send Shettima as vice President-elect at 3 p.m. Wednesday.

Opposition parties refuse to sign election result sheets

Meanwhile, PDP, LP, NNPP, and other parties, which earlier Monday, had earlier staged a walk out of the National Collation Centre, in Abuja, did not sign the Presidential election result sheets, agency report said.

It was learnt the opposition parties had alleged that the process of the Presidential election had been compromised.

They subsequently demanded the election should be cancelled, and fresh polls be conducted.

The aggrieved parties as well requested that the INEC Chairman should step aside and allow another person conduct the fresh election.

Besides, the Commission noted it would issue a statement Thursday as regards the time the INEC Certificates of Return for the Senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect would be issued.