Bola Tinubu from the All-Progressive Congress (APC) has been proclaimed the victor of the 2023 presidential election by Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). With a total vote count of 8,794,726 for Tinubu, the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) Atiku Abubakar finished second place with 6,984,520.

Overview

In Africa’s largest democracy, nearly 90 million people were eligible to vote. Many Nigerians hoped a new leader would better address insecurity, economic stagnation, and expanding poverty.

On February 25, elections were held all over the country. Due to technical difficulties, some areas of the country had to extend voting through Sunday. The two-term governor of Lagos, Nigeria’s financial center, Bola Tinubu, is credited with raising state revenue, and his supporters anticipate that he will enjoy a similar level of success on a national level.

He has courted controversy by choosing Kashim Shettima, the former governor of Borno, as his running mate, which was unthinkable for over three decades.

End Note

The major parties have amicably agreed to divide power between Christians and Muslims and between the north and south. However, Tinubu and Shettima argued that competence took precedence over religion before the vote on Saturday.