Nigeria’s Bola Tinubu wins presidency in disputed election
- Nigeria presidential election victory will place Bola Tinubu at the helm of Africa’s biggest economy
- Opposition parties called for the vote to be cancelled, alleging massive manipulation of the results
Ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu won Nigeria’s highly disputed weekend election on Wednesday, securing the former Lagos governor his lifelong ambition of the presidency of Africa’s most populous democracy.
With President Muhammadu Buhari stepping down after two terms, many Nigerians hoped Saturday’s vote would usher in a leader capable of tackling the country’s widening insecurity, economic malaise and growing poverty.
Tinubu, candidate for All Progressives Congress (APC) party, won 8.8 million votes against 6.9 million for opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Atiku Abubakar and 6.1 million for Labour Party’s Peter Obi, according to final results.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, confirmed Tinubu as president-elect after he also secured the required 25 per cent of votes in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and capital.
Supporters packed into the APC party campaign headquarters in Abuja, dancing to Afrobeats music to greet Tinubu, who arrived wearing a pale blue traditional robe and red cap.
“This is a serious mandate – I hereby accept it. To serve you … To work with you and make Nigeria great,” Tinubu said as supporters cheered “Jagaban”, a local chieftain title.