Nigeria: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of Nigeria has declared ruling party candidate Mr. Bola Tinubu the winner of the presidential election after defeating two of his closest rivals.

Mr. Tinubu’s victory extends the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party’s grip on power in Africa’s top oil producer and most populous nation, though he inherits a litany of problems from President Muhammadu Buhari, also of the APC.

“I am very happy to have been elected president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This is a serious mandate. I hereby accept it.” Mr. Tinubu shared while addressing his supporters in Abuja.

The former governor of commercial hub Lagos polled 8.79 million votes, ahead of main opposition challenger Mr. Atiku Abubakar’s 6.98 million votes. Mr. Peter Obi, who was popular among younger voters, received 6.1 million votes.

According to Nigerian electoral law, a candidate can win just by getting more votes than their rivals, provided they get 25 percent of the vote in at least two-thirds of the 36 states and the federal capital Abuja, which Mr. Tinubu also managed to secure in this election.

The major opposition parties in Nigeria have called for the presidential election to be scrapped, alleging that results showing the ruling party’s candidate in the lead had been manipulated.

The election officials stated that the results had been fully authenticated, and government loyalists accused the opposition of fomenting “lawlessness and anarchy.”

“Allegations that the agency is declaring doctored results are unfounded and irresponsible,” Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, a spokesman for the INEC, remarked in the statement.

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