Nigeria's Bola Tinubu declared winner of presidential vote
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Nigerians awoke to a new president Wednesday, with ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu declared the winner of the country's election. As he thanked his supporters he appealed for reconciliation with his rivals, who are already demanding a revote in Africa's most populous nation.
Nigerians awoke to a new president Wednesday, with ruling party candidate Bola Tinubu declared the winner of the country's election. As he thanked his supporters he appealed for reconciliation with his rivals, who are already demanding a revote in Africa's most populous nation.
The announcement by election officials overnight was likely to lead to a court challenge by the second- and third-highest finishers in the weekend vote, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. Abubakar also finished second in the previous vote in 2019, and appealed those results although his lawsuit ultimately was dismissed.
Tinubu's ruling All Progressives Congress party urged the opposition Tuesday to accept defeat and not cause trouble after they had demanded a revote, saying that delays in uploading election results had made room for irregularities.
Tinubu received 37% of the votes, or nearly 8.8 million, while main opposition candidate Abubakar won 29% with almost 7 million. Third-place finisher Obi took 25% with about 6.1 million, according to the results announced on live television by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The president-elect thanked his supporters in the capital, Abuja, after his victory was announced and struck a reconciliatory tone in a message directed at his political adversaries.
"I take this opportunity to appeal to my fellow contestants to let us team up together," Tinubu said. "It is the only nation we have. It is one country and we must build together."
The announcement of his victory came after 4 a.m., but celebrations already had started late Tuesday at the ruling party's national secretariat where Tinubu's supporters had gathered in anticipation of his victory.
