PUNCH
The 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections were keenly contested by 18 political parties, among which include the ruling All Progressives Congress, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, the Labour Party, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party and 14 others.
In the early hours of Wednesday, March 1, the Independent National Electoral Commission declared Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the APC as the winner of the February 25 presidential election.
Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, was declared the President-elect after the 70-year-old polled 8,794,726 votes to win the 2023 election ahead of other contenders — the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar; the LP candidate, Peter Obi; and the NNPP candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Amid Tinubu’s victory, last Saturday elections recorded some big upsets that redrew Nigeria’s political landscape.
1. Obi floors Tinubu in Lagos
Obi’s Labour Party floored Bola Tinubu in Lagos State. That’s the first in over two decades the Lion of Bourdillion could suffer such an electoral loss in his well-guarded political den since 1999. Having served as a two-term governor in the state between 1999 and 2007 and a Senator for Lagos West during the brief Third Republic, many pro-Tinubu supporters regard him as the “builder of Lagos.”
Many had expected Tinubu to win Lagos at the polls, being his touted stronghold.
However, even despite having a sitting governor under the APC, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Obi floored the ‘Jagaban of Borgu’ in Lagos.
Based on the collation of results at the INEC collation centre in Yaba, LP won nine local government areas of the state.
The LGAs are Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin, Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu, Ojo and Alimosho.
It polled a total of 575,735 votes while Tinubu’s APC garnered a total of 573,001 votes, which was however, a close margin.
Atiku had 75,750 votes while Kwankwaso had 88,442 votes.
2. APC chair, Adamu, loses polling unit to LP
The National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, lost his polling unit to the Labour Party.
The APC national chair cast his vote at Angwarimi Ward, GRA A1, LERCEST Office in Keffi, Nasarawa State.
In the presidential poll result, the LP presidential candidate polled 132 votes while the APC came second with 85 votes.
3. PDP demystifies El-Rufai in Kaduna
Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of the APC, was demystified by the PDP as Atiku emerged winner of the Saturday presidential election in the state.
Atiku of the PDP garnered 554,360 votes to beat Tinubu of the APC, who got 399,293 votes to come second while the Labour Party polled 294,494 votes to claim third position.
El-Rufai has been the governor of the state since 2015 under the APC. In the National Assembly election, the APC lost the three senatorial seats to the PDP.
4. Ayade loses senatorial election in Cross River
Governor Ben Ayade lost his bid to return to the Senate following his defeat by the incumbent senator representing Cross River North, Jarigbe Agom-Jarigbe.
Ayade, who was in the Senate between 2011 and 2015, lost the election with 56,595 votes against Agom-Jarigbe of the PDP who scored 76,145 votes.
Agom-Jarigbe, a two-time member of the House of Representatives, was elected into the Senate through a bye-election in September 2021 following the death of Dr Rose Okoh.
5. Benue gov Ortom loses senatorial election to ex-aide
The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, lost the senatorial election to the APC candidate, Titus Zam.
