Minutes past 4am on Wednesday, the Chairman of the Independent National Electiral Commision (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, announced the former Lagos Governor’s victory, at the National Collation Centre in Abuja, a hall packed full of journalists, party agents and observers.
“That Tinubu Bola Ahmed of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Professor Yakubu declared in an announcement watched by an eager nation and many across the world.
Right from the election on Saturday, opposition parties had complained bitterly that INEC officials at the polling units were unable to upload election results electronically to the commission’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV), as stipulated by Section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022.
Bola Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar who scored 6,984,520 and Peter Obi who got 6,101,533.
It is no secret that the President-elect has always wanted to be President.
In the buildup to the 2015 general elections, he is reported to have pushed to be Buhari’s running mate but was prevailed upon to shelve the idea by party members who did not believe Nigerians will accept a Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Eight years later, he has succeeded in getting such a ticket across the line, albeit with legal battles set to trail his victory, considering the vehement opposition to it by his opponents and the reports of violence and disruption at many polling units during the poll.
President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu would be taking over office from Muhammadu Buhari in May of 2023. Some of the policy he has proposed include students loan and reform of the almajiri education system as well as training of teachers to boost the educational sector.
For the time being Nigerians wait with feverish anticipation and hope in their hearts to see the policy reforms and implementations to come with the new administration.
States won by the foremost contestants in Saturday’s presidential election :
States won by the foremost contestants.
