Nigerian ruling party candidate declared winner in highly disputed election

Nigeria's ruling enactment campaigner Bola Tinubu was declared the victor of the country's statesmanlike predetermination connected Wednesday aft polling was marred by transparency concerns and wide method problems.

The 70-year-old erstwhile politician of Lagos State gained 8,794,726 votes, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concluded, amounting to 36% of the votes counted successful Nigeria's astir tightly contested election since its instrumentality to civilian regularisation successful 1999.

The main absorption Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaigner Atiku Abubakar polled 29% and Labour Party campaigner Peter Obi, who mounted the archetypal superior situation to the 2 ascendant parties and notched a astonishment triumph successful Tinubu's location authorities of Lagos, notched astir 25%.

Tinubu succeeds President Muhammadu Buhari, who is stepping down aft reaching the two-term limit, with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) securing a 3rd successive term.

A full of 18 candidates vied for the presidency successful Africa's astir populous nation, and its largest economy, crossed 36 states and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of Abuja. Around 90 cardinal radical were eligible to vote, with polls taking spot against a backdrop of worsening information conditions and heavy economical hardship.

The APC, PDP and Labour Party won 12 states apiece, portion the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) campaigner Rabiu Kwankwaso claimed 1 state. However, the PDP, Labour Party and respective different absorption parties had already rejected the results by the clip Tinubu was declared president-elect connected Wednesday.

In a associated property league connected Tuesday, the PDP, Labour Party and African Democratic Congress (ADC) demanded the resignation of INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu and a rerun of what they called "sham" statesmanlike and National Assembly elections.

Labour Party National Chairman Julius Abure accused the INEC of failing to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, introduced by the Buhari medication to physique spot successful the country's predetermination process and guarantee escaped and just elections.

"We person a work to the millions of Nigerians who enactment their religion successful america and our statesmanlike candidates to support our state from the forces that question to teardrop america apart," Abure said.

"President Buhari, this is the clip of large trial of your integrity, usage your bureau to prevention Nigeria from this electoral mismanagement and prevention your legacy."

However, Buhari connected Wednesday greeting congratulated Tinubu and said helium was the champion antheral for the job, asserting that the legitimacy of the predetermination was not successful uncertainty and urging absorption parties seeking to situation the effect to "take it to the courts, not to the streets."

Tinubu is credited during his 2 presumption arsenic politician of Nigeria's economical superior of Lagos with expanding the state's gross and bolstering economical activity.

However, helium caused contention during the run by choosing a chap Muslim arsenic his moving mate, violating an unwritten regularisation successful Nigerian authorities to stock powerfulness betwixt Christians and Muslims.

'Lack of transparency and operational failures'

A European Union Election Observation Mission said connected Monday that a "lack of transparency and operational failures reduced spot successful the process and challenged the close to vote."

Though mostly peaceful, the predetermination was held against a backdrop of insecurity and prevailing shortages of some substance and the country's naira currency, which the EU EOM study said hampered INEC's operational capacity, on with attacks connected definite INEC premises and elector intimidation.

"Abuse of incumbency by assorted governmental bureau holders distorted the playing tract and determination were wide allegations of ballot buying," the EU EOM study said.

The wide welcomed Electoral Act included the instauration of a Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and effect viewing portal (IReV), technologies perceived arsenic an important measurement successful shoring up the integrity and credibility of aboriginal elections.

However, the EOM noted that delayed grooming and inadequate mock testing, on with a deficiency of nationalist accusation connected the technologies, diminished expectations among voters and "left country for speculation and uncertainty."

INEC acknowledged that "technical hitches" had delayed the uploading of results onto the IReV, which had recorded lone 20% of statesmanlike predetermination votes by noon the time aft polling.

A Commonwealth Observer Group led by erstwhile South African President Thabo Mbeki delivered a much favorable preliminary appraisal connected Monday, determining that "notwithstanding the shortcomings identified successful these elections, Nigerians were mostly accorded the close to vote."

"We congratulate each Nigerians for their determination, patience and resilience displayed passim the electoral process," Mbeki told journalists connected Monday.

However, the COG besides highlighted a big of logistical problems that resulted successful elector disenfranchisement, agelong queues, technological issues, "not ever positive" behaviour from enactment agents and procedural inconsistencies successful closing and counting ballots.

Both reflection missions volition present last reports successful the coming days.