The presidential and National Assembly elections took place on Saturday as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission. A total of 18 presidential candidates competed for the nation’s highest political office, while 1,101 candidates vied for 109 senatorial and 312 House of Representatives seats. Analysts had narrowed the presidential race to four leading candidates: Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
Tinubu cast his vote at Polling Unit 085, Ward 3, Alausa, Ikeja, where he secured 33 votes, defeating Obi and Atiku, who received eight and one vote, respectively. However, voter turnout was notably low, with only 43 out of 324 registered voters participating in the election at his polling unit. Accompanied by his wife, Oluremi, and greeted by a large crowd, Tinubu expressed confidence in his chances of winning, stating, “I am very confident. I worked hard for it. I traversed the country sometimes four times, attended town-hall meetings and various interest groups. I believe Nigeria will reward me for my hard work.”
In Adamawa State, Atiku won his Polling Unit 012 in Ajiya Ward, Yola North Local Government Area, garnering 282 out of 350 total votes cast. He outperformed Tinubu, who received 57 votes, while Obi and Kwankwaso received six and one vote, respectively. The announcement of Atiku’s victory was met with cheers from his supporters, and he expressed optimism about his overall chances, praising the Central Bank of Nigeria’s naira redesign policy as a significant step in combating vote-buying.
Obi also achieved victory in his home state of Anambra, winning Polling Unit 019, Ward 2, Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area with 236 votes. He defeated Atiku and Tinubu, both of whom received no votes, while Kwankwaso received two votes and the All Progressives Grand Alliance candidate, Prof. Peter Umeadi, received three votes. After voting, Obi described the election as seamless and peaceful, expressing his belief in his capacity to lead the country.
Kwankwaso won his Tandu 001 Polling Unit in Madobi Local Government Area of Kano State, securing 284 votes against Tinubu’s 112 votes, while Obi and Atiku received no votes. Kwankwaso, who voted alongside his family, noted the impressive voter turnout and expressed confidence in his chances of victory. He remarked on the popularity he enjoys in his constituency and prayed for a peaceful conclusion to the elections.
In Ondo State, Adewole Adebayo, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, voted at Polling Unit 19, Ward 10, Barracks Road, Ondo town. He received 19 votes, losing to Tinubu, who garnered 52 votes, while Atiku and Obi received 39 and 27 votes, respectively.
The vice-presidential candidates also participated actively. Kashim Shettima of the APC and Ifeanyi Okowa of the PDP both delivered their polling units for their respective parties. Shettima won his Polling Unit 023 in Maiduguri, Borno State, with 126 votes, while Okowa won his Polling Unit 017 in Delta State with 160 votes. In contrast, Datti Baba-Ahmed, the Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate, lost his polling unit in Kaduna State.
President Muhammadu Buhari delivered his Polling Unit Baru 003 for Tinubu, who received 215 votes compared to Atiku’s 51 votes and Kwankwaso’s 37 votes. Buhari expressed confidence in his candidates’ chances across the country. However, several prominent APC figures, including National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu and Senate President Ahmad Lawan, failed to secure victories in their polling units for Tinubu.
Former Senate President David Mark and ex-Plateau State Governor Jonah Jang, both PDP stalwarts, also lost their polling units to Obi. In Mark’s Polling Unit, Obi received 178 votes, while Atiku garnered 18 votes and Tinubu received 22 votes. Similarly, at Jang’s polling unit, Obi won with 239 votes, while Atiku received 29 votes and Tinubu only one vote.
In a surprising turn, Obi won all ten polling units within and around the Presidential Villa in Abuja, achieving significant margins over both the APC and PDP candidates. In Taraba State, Governor Darius Ishaku, who is the North-East Director of the PDP presidential campaign council, lost his polling unit to Obi, who received 211 votes compared to the PDP’s 65 votes and the APC’s 37 votes.
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