Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for president, has been proclaimed the winner of the poll that took place last Saturday.
Atiku Abubakar of the PDP came in second in the election with a total of 6,984,520 votes, according to INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, who announced the final results in the early hours of Wednesday in Abuja. Tinubu received the highest number of votes—8,794,726—of all the candidates, meeting the first constitutional requirement to be declared the winner.
With a total of 6,101,533 votes, Peter Obi of the Labour Party came in third, while Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP came in fourth with 1,496,687 votes.
Only the top four contenders were successful in winning at least one state for the presidency.
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In Rivers, Borno, Jigawa, Zamfara, Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, and Ogun states, Tinubu won the election.
Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna, Gombe, Yobe, Bauchi, Adamawa, and Taraba states were won by Atiku Abubakar of the PDP. As well as winning in Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, and Osun states.
Peter Obi of the Labour party won in the states of Edo, Cross River, Delta, Lagos, FCT, Plateau, Imo, Ebonyi, Nasarawa, Anambra, Abia, and Enugu. While Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP won just in Kano State.
More than the 24 states needed by the constitution, Bola Tinubu of the APC received over 25% of the votes cast in 30 states.
Tinubu, who is regarded as the kingmaker behind the ascension of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) in 2015, has unexpectedly become the president-elect of Nigeria in an ironic political turn of events.
For the former governor of Lagos who said it was his turn to lead Nigeria, the task has been done, but the path to Aso Rock has not been easy; Tinubu himself would gladly confirm that he could not rest and could not enjoy the entire time.
As his campaign slogan was “emi lo kan,” literally means “It’s my turn” in his native Yoruba, Tinubu’s triumph represents the realisation of a long-held dream for him. And it is now.
The former two-term governor of Lagos has become a contentious yet dominant figure in Nigerian politics over the years. Tinubu, often known as the “political godfather,” is a power broker who supported outgoing president Muhammadu Buhari in his 2015 campaign for the office.
At the National Collation Center on Wednesday by 3 p.m., a Certificate of Return for the President and Vice President would be given, according to Mr. Yakubu.