Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has emerged as the winner of Nigeria’s most fiercely contested presidential election. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made the announcement in the early hours of this morning at the National Collation Centre in Abuja. The event was attended by journalists, party agents, and observers.
Tinubu, a former Lagos Governor, won in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states, securing a total of 8,794,726 votes, which was almost two million more than his closest rival, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 6,984,520 votes. The candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, finished third with 6,101,533 votes, winning in 11 states, including the home state of the APC candidate, Lagos.
The election, which took place on February 25, was marred by controversy, violence, and ballot box snatching in some states of the country. However, Professor Yakubu’s announcement brings an end to the suspense and marks the climax of this hotly contested presidential election.
