Obi, Atiku, others reject INEC’s declaration of Tinubu as winner of presidential election; Ask Yakubu to step aside for conduct of election
By Emmanuel Oloniruha and Angela Atabo
Abuja, March 1, 2023
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Tinubu winner of the Feb. 25 presidential election.
But NAN reports that the election result sheet was not signed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and other parties which had earlier on Monday staged a walk-out on the national collation centre, alleging that the process of the election had been compromised and demanding that the election should be cancelled, and a fresh poll conducted.
They also demanded that the INEC chairman should step aside and allow another person conduct the election.
Tinubu, who was former governor of Lagos State, according to INEC, got a total vote of 8,794,726 to defeat his major rivals; Atiku Abubakar of the PDP who polled 6,984,520 votes and Peter Obi of LP who secured 6,101,533 votes of the 24,965,218 total vote cast.
Also Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP came a distant fourth with 1,496,687 votes.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said that Tinubu is declared returned and elected having satisfied the requirements.
“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 said.
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.
Others are the 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 and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso-1,496,687.
Others Yakubu said are the 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 and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) Nwanyanwu Daberechukwu-77,665.
He gave the total number of registered voters in the country as 93,469,008, accredited voters as 25,286,616, valid votes as 24,025,940 and rejected votes as 939,278.
Yakubu said a Certificate of Return for the president-elect and vice president-elect would be issued today, Wednesday at 3pm.
He also said that the commission would on Thursday issue a statement on when the Certificate of Return for the senators-elect and House of Representatives members -elect would be issued.
