Against all odds, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) as the winner of the 2023 presidential election.

INEC chairman Yakubu Mahmood declared Tinubu the election winner and president-elect Wednesday morning at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

It was a moment of wild jubilation by members of the ruling party who jumped from their seats to embrace and congratulate one another for emerging victorious in the keenly contested election.

The Lagos based politician popularly known as Jagaban polled 8, 794, 726 and topping the first runner up with 1,920,320 votes.

APC ….8 794 726

LP………6 101, 533

PDP….. 6, 984, 520

Tinubu in his acceptance speech promised to run an inclusive government as he enjoined the opposition parties to drop their grievances and work with him to move the country forward.

Singling out some persons especially from the core northern states for contributing immensely to his success, Tinubu specially thanked President Mohammadu Buhari for his unflinching support.

He appreciated his wife Senator Oluremi Tinubu for standing firm with him from the beginning to now. He said.

” I really thank my wife for standing by me. She is a very prayerful woman”.

To Nigerians he said, ” I am profoundly happy that you elected me as the 16th President” of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is a really from my heart and truly from my heart, I say thank you very much”

” I wish all of you well. I wish you very well. I really thank you whether you are obedient, atikulated, Kwankwasia, you voted and stand for better Nigeria”.

According to the figures by INEC, it was a keenly contested election with Tinubu only winning through the number of votes cast and national spread. Otherwise, he won 12 states like the People’s Democratic Party’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar as well as Peter Obi of Labour Party , who even added the Federal Capital Territory.

Hours before the declaration of the final result, Tinubu and his party had ran to a High Court in Kano asking it to halt moves by the opposition party to stop the collation of results.

The Peoples Democratic Party and Labor party had called for the outright cancellation of Saturday’s Presidential election, describing the exercise as a sham.

The parties made their position known at a joint news conference by their vice presidential candidates Ifeanyi Okowa (PDP) and Datti Baba-Ahmed (LP).

Addressing Journalists at the news conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Okowa who is the Governor of Delta State said the election was neither free nor fair adding that what played out at the National Collation Center exposes the National Chairman of INEC of playing to a predetermined script.

They argued that INEC as a body is under a statutory obligation to transmit election results electronically as supported by the electoral act 2022 as they vowed to use all Constitutional means to ensure that the election does not stand.

While that happened and the masses already protesting against the poll in some cities ,
Former President Goodluck Jonathan , Former Ghanaian President John Mahama, and other prominent leaders in the West African region visited Bola Ahmed Tinubu at his residence in Abuja on Tuesday.

In a post shared via his social media platforms, Jonathan said similar visits were made to the major contenders in the election.

His post was titled ,

“WAEF election mission to Nigeria in continuation of its engagement with major presidential candidates in the Presidential election today met with H. E Peter Obi and H. E Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.

According to the post, “The delegation comprising of former President of Ghana John Mahama, former Beninese President Boni Yayi, former President if Sierra Leone Ernest Bai Koroma, former President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, former Vice President of The Gambia, Fatoumata Tambajang, former Burkinabe Prime Minister and President of the Economic Community of West African States Kadre Ouedraogo, and former Deputy Chair of the African Union, Dr. Erastus Mwencha had earlier met with H. E Atiku Abubakar and H. E Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and other stakeholders to sue for peace in the interest of our nation during and after the elections.

• GEJ”.