The Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, made a significant impact in Lagos on Monday by defeating Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Saturday’s presidential election. This defeat marked Tinubu’s first political loss since 1999, a period during which he has maintained a dominant presence in Lagos politics. Despite surviving numerous challenges to his political influence over the years, the election results announced on Monday shocked many and placed the former governor on the defensive. The final results for Lagos State were announced by the state Collation Officer, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, after compiling results from 20 local government areas. Obi received a total of 575,735 votes, while Tinubu garnered 573,001 votes. Obi won in nine local government areas, including Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin, and Eti-Osa, while Tinubu triumphed in ten areas, such as Agege, Apapa, and Surulere. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) secured 75,750 votes, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) received 8,844 votes. The Resident Electoral Commissioner for INEC Lagos, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, assured journalists and international observers that the results were not manipulated by the commission.
In response to Obi’s victory, the ruling APC welcomed the outcome, framing it as a testament to democracy in action. Bala Ibrahim, the party’s Director of Publicity, remarked that Tinubu’s defeat illustrated the beauty of democracy. Festus Keyamo, the spokesman for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, acknowledged the reasons behind the party’s loss but noted that Tinubu accepted the results in good faith. Tinubu himself called for calm among the residents of Lagos State, urging them to avoid any actions that could disrupt peace and order. He stated that he would accept the outcome of the presidential poll, regardless of whether it was favorable. In a statement issued by APC’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu reiterated the need for calm and order in the state.
Amid the political developments, there were reports of unrest among traders in Lagos, as hoodlums attacked markets in areas such as Ladipo and Balogun. These attackers took advantage of the tense atmosphere to rob unsuspecting individuals, causing fear among residents and traders. The Lagos State Police Command responded by stating that the hoodlums were enforcing a directive prohibiting market operations on Sunday and Monday. Despite the setback in his home state, Tinubu maintained a lead in other regions, being declared the winner of the presidential election in Jigawa State, where he received 421,390 votes, defeating his closest rival, former Vice President Abubakar Atiku of the PDP, who secured 386,587 votes.
In Sokoto State, Tinubu also took an early lead, outperforming Atiku and Obi in the ten local governments declared so far. However, Atiku dominated in Gombe and Adamawa States, where he achieved significant victories. In Gombe, Atiku received 319,123 votes, while Tinubu trailed with 146,977 votes. The Gombe State Collation Officer reported that the election was conducted peacefully, with a total of 533,778 votes cast. In Adamawa, Atiku won decisively with 417,611 votes against Tinubu’s 182,881 votes and Obi’s 105,645 votes.
In Plateau State, Obi emerged as the leading candidate, winning in 11 out of 17 local government areas, while Tinubu and Atiku won in two and one area, respectively. Meanwhile, Atiku secured victories in Yobe and Akwa Ibom States, where he polled 198,567 and 214,012 votes, respectively. In Akwa Ibom, Atiku won 22 out of 31 local government areas, while Tinubu and Obi trailed behind. However, Atiku’s success in Akwa Ibom did not extend to Kano, where he and Obi fell behind Tinubu and Kwankwaso.
In Rivers State, the APC was declared the winner in ten of the thirteen local government areas so far collated. The results indicated that the APC candidate received a total of 9,609 votes, surpassing the LP and PDP candidates. The LP managed to secure victories in a few councils, while the PDP won in others. The state collation officer announced a break in the process pending the results from the remaining local government areas.
In Cross River State, Tinubu won in four of the six local government areas where results have been declared, while the LP candidate also achieved victories in some areas. In Nasarawa State, Obi led with 191,361 votes, closely followed by Tinubu and Atiku. Obi was also declared the winner in Edo State, where he received 331,163 votes, winning in 12 local government areas. Meanwhile, in Bauchi State, Atiku defeated Tinubu by a margin of 109,913 votes, as announced by the state Collation Officer.
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