Nigerian election officials said that Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party won last Saturday's presidential election.
The announcement will likely be challenged in court by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, the second- and third-place candidates, whose parties alleged that the APC committed electoral fraud and have called for a new vote.
- According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Tinubu won 37% of the overall vote, versus 29% for Abubakar, and 25% for Obi.
- On Monday evening, representatives of nine opposition parties walked out of the national results collection center to protest alleged irregularities.
- This is the first time that a candidate wins a presidential election in Nigeria with less than 50% of votes.
- position parties will have three weeks to appeal the result.
- For the election to be invalidated, they need to prove that the national electoral body committed irregularities that altered the result of the election.
- The ECOWAS West African regional bloc urged opposition parties to restrain their supporters and refrain from using provocative language that could "exacerbate political tensions, divisiveness, and violence."
