See Video Of Moment INEC Declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu President-Elect

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu declared Tinubu the winner at exactly 4.10 am today in Abuja. By this declaration, Tinubu would be the 16th leader of Nigeria since independence in 1960.

The former Lagos state governor polled total votes of 8,794,726 to defeat his closest rival and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar who scored 6,984,520 votes, and Peter Obi of Labour party who polled 6,101,533 votes.

The presidential candidate of New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso came a distant fourth with the total votes of 1,496,687 votes.

Yakubu said the registered voters for the election was 93,469,008, while 25,286,616 voters were accredited.

He put the total valid votes at 24,025,940, while total rejected votes were 939,278.

The INEC chairman said the total number of votes cast was 24,965,218.

He declared: “I certify that I am the returning officer for the 2023 presidential election held on the 25th of February 2003.

“That Tinubu Bola Ahmed of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and returned elected. The Certificate of Return to the president elect and Vice president elect will take place here at 3pm today.”

See Video Of Moment INEC Declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu President-Elect

Yakubu said for Senators and Members of the House of Representatives elect, the commission would issue a statement today on when the presentation of their own certification would be made.

Earlier yesterday, Tinubu had commenced move to stop Atiku and Obi from taking any action that would see to the stoppage of the ongoing collation and announcement of the results of the election.

Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kasim Shettima, who were the plaintiffs in the suit filed before a Federal High Court in Kano, in their motion on notice filed alongside the originating summons, had asked the court to make the order restraining the defendants from stopping the collation and announcement of the results because, “damages will not adequately compensate for the injury that may be occasioned on the Plaintiffs if by the Defendants stop the collation of the result.”

Also yesterday, INEC had responded to the groundswell of grievances about the conduct of last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections with an assurance that the polls would be reviewed where necessary in accordance with Section 65 of the Electoral Act.

But the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) had thrown its weight behind the electoral body, saying the ongoing collation of the presidential election results should continue, despite the overwhelming public misgivings.

Amid the growing complaints about the polls, the PDP, Labour Party (LP), and African Democratic Congress (ADC), had yesterday, called on Yakubu, to stand down from superintending the election process on account of his alleged biases.

The parties stated this during a joint press conference in Abuja, where they played a tape of Yakubu promising last November that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be used in the 2023 elections.

However, a statement yesterday by Yakubu’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, described the calls for the INEC chairman’s resignation as misplaced and irresponsible.

Nonetheless, the national leadership of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said INEC had explanations to make to Nigerians on why its officials failed to use the BVAS machines on election day as provided in the election guidelines.

Similarly, a top member of LP, Mr. Dele Farotimi, said any attempt to foist on Nigerians a new president based on a flawed election would result in legitimacy crisis for the president.

As part of the widespread loathing of INEC’s conduct during last Saturday’s elections, protesters from different political parties, yesterday, stormed the Presidential Collation Centre at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, to demand electronic transmission of results by the commission.

Curiously, Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, yesterday, intervened in the controversy over the manual collation of the presidential election results, saying the upper chamber never approved electronic transmission of results in the Electoral Act it passed.

Lawan said the senate only approved a transfer of the results after all the paper work had been done, with the party agents having copy of the results.

Responding to the wave of negative reactions to the elections, Yakubu said, “In accordance with the new Electoral Act, particularly, under section 65 of the Electoral Act, we will review the election where it is absolutely necessary.”

IPAC chairman, Yabagi Sani, however, urged INEC to continue with the result collation process, saying, “We are here with most of the members of the council. We are here to express our delight that this process should continue. This is because when democracy fails, political parties are the first casualties and the politicians are the biggest losers.

“Democracy is crucial to the people of this country and we believe that the elections are the fundamental pillars of our democracy. So, the mere fact that we held this election amid the current circumstances, we need to congratulate this country.”

Sani noted that IPAC was aware of the challenges in the country, and the unexpected developments the commission and political parties had to deal with.

He said, “From our findings, it is not uncommon to experience such in any technology usage. We believe that we are at a crossroads but Nigerians are highly resilient. We should summon up the courage to conclude this process.”

National Chairman of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Chief Dan Nwanyanwu, had also urged the INEC chairman to go ahead with the process.

Nwanyanwu stated, “Without prejudice to whatever challenges, we must not burn down Nigeria. Nigeria must exist first before we can become whatever we become. Nobody can believe that Lagos can fall to third force. Nobody believes that three governors will lose their senatorial seats. A state they governed for eight years.

“Nobody believes that an Okada rider is now moving to the House of Representatives. Party leaders lost their polling units and states. This is the same election we want to throw the baby with the bath water. So go ahead with the process.”

See video below;

𝗕𝗼𝗹𝗮 𝗔𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗯𝘂 has been declared winner & the hall, Nigeria at large is as silent as the grave yard.
We will laugh last.

Femi Falana Okwute Chief of Staff #Revolution Obasanjo Atiku and Obi #protest #SupremeCourt The FBI Section 134 Japa Igbo Lagos Buhari Wike pic.twitter.com/hVhL1uay8a

— Osamagbe (@EniyeAmeze) March 1, 2023

BY IYABO AINA

Publisher News Rain Nigeria