Bola Tinubu wins the presidential election, the opposition denounces “massive” fraud

Bola Tinubu, the candidate of the ruling party in Nigeria, was declared the winner of the presidential election on Wednesday March 1st. According to the electoral commission, the candidate of the Congress of Progressives (APC) accumulated more than 8.8 million votes in the first round, winning one of the most disputed elections in the democratic history of the country. Atiku Abubakar, who was campaigning under the colors of the main opposition party PDP, won 6.9 million votes. Labor Party (LP) outsider Peter Obi won 6.1 million votes.

To win in the first round, Bola Tinubu had to not only obtain the majority of the votes, but also 25% of the votes in at least two thirds of the 36 states of the federation and the capital Abuja. Aged 70, this former governor of Lagos is nicknamed “the Godfather” because of his immense political influence. Numerous accusations of corruption punctuate his career, but he has never been convicted and has always denied them.

“I am deeply honored that you have elected me to serve our beloved country,” launched the president-elect to his supporters, gathered in the middle of the night at his campaign headquarters in Abuja. He also hailed a “victory of democracy”. His two main opponents, however, denounced fraud “massive” during the ballot and demanded its cancellation, which could open the way to legal action.