INEC Finally Declares Ahmed Tinubu Winner Of 2023 Presidential Election Amid Controversy (TABLE)

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu has finally declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as winner of the 2023 presidential election.

The National electoral body, INEC, chairman made the declaration on Wednesday at the National Collation Centre, Abuja around 4 am.

From the results so far announced by Mahmood Yakubu, Tinubu had defeated 17 other presidential candidates who took part in the election. He polled a total of 8,794,726 votes, the highest of all the candidates, thus meeting the first constitutional requirement to be declared the winner.

He also scored over 25 per cent of the votes cast in 30 states, more than the 25 states constitutionally required.

INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, who announced the final results in the early hours of Wednesday in Abuja, said Atiku Abubakar of the PDP came second in the election.

Atiku polled a total of 6,984,520 votes in the election.

Peter Obi of the Labour Party trailed third in the election with a total of 6,101,533 votes while Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP came fourth with 1,496,687 votes.

Only the top four candidates won the presidential election in at least one state. Each of Messrs Tinubu, Atiku and Obi won in 12 states while Mr Kwankwaso won only in Kano.

However, winning a majority of states is not a requirement for a candidate to be declared the winner of the election.

The Tortuous Way To Victory

During the presidential primary election for the aspirants in the All Progressives Congress, there was alleged effort to stop Tinubu but the man trudged on even after he had expected the Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to step down for him, which never happened.

The Jagaban as he is proudly called did the magi, causing most aspirants to step down for him and went on to win the primary election.

The CBN and Her Policy of Redesigned and Money Swap Policy:

The Central Bank of Nigeria at the even of the presidential election had implemented its Redesigned Naira Notes and Money Swap Policy eliciting a reaction from the camp of Tinubu as he claimed that the policy was targeted at him so as to stop him from having his way through the presidency.

Again, it was at a time when Fuel Scarcity was biting hard even as one litre sold for between N450 and N800. Tinubu stated

Tinubu stated on January 26, 2023, “We will use our PVCs to take over government from them. If they like let them create fuel crisis, even if they say there is no fuel, we will trek to vote. They are full of mischief; they could say there is no fuel. They have been scheming to create fuel crisis, but forget about it. Relax, I Asiwaju, have told you that the issue of fuel supply will be permanently addressed.

“Whoever wants to eat the honey embedded in a mountain won’t worry about the axe. Is that not so? And if you want to eat palm kernel, you would bring stone and use it to break it, then the kernel will come out.

He further said:

“Let them increase the price of fuel, let them continue to hoard fuel, only them know where they have hoarded fuel, they hoarded money, they hoarded naira; we will go and vote and we will win. Even if they changed the ink on naira notes. Whatever their plans, it will come to naught. We are going to win. Those in the PDP will lose.”

Tinubu added, “I am homeboy, I have come here, you will not be put to shame, we will take over the government from them, the traitors who wanted to contest with us. They had no experience.

“The great Nigerian youth, the great Nigerian students, the confident Nigerian youth. This is a revolution. This election is a revolution. They are plotting, but they will fail. They said fuel price will increase and reach N200 per litre. Go and relax.

“They don’t want this election to hold, they want to scuttle it…”

Age And Health Question

Prior to the Presidential election towards the ending of September 2022, rumour mill had it that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu had been admitted in a London Hospital where he spent some time, thereby engendering questions over the state of his health. Meanwhile, he received barrage of visitors including APC chieftains and President Muhammadu Buhari.

However, Chairman, APC UK Presidential Campaign Council, Mr Joseph Adebola, in a statement on Thursday, October 6, 2022, said though some Tinubu’s detractors would wish him dead, the APC standard bearer is fine and kicking.

The development came as it emerged that governors of the party, the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee, NWC, and the Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, are set to meet again to finalise their plans for the flag off of the campaign in Abuja.

The Youth Movement:

Most of Nigerian youths and celebrities who wanted to make a statement had queued behind the Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi, they may an unimaginable impacts that brought most experienced politicians to their knees but Asiwaju like he said continued on his chosen path putting in everything into it.

What Next?

Now that the INEC has declared Asiwaju Bola Ahmed winner and the President-Elect, it is incontrovertible that the forntline candidates would not leave him unchallenged. Days ahead await another vista in the annals of Nigeria’s history. To be or not to be.

2023 Presidential Election Results By States (As Announced by INEC)

See results: