2023 presidential election: Why Tinubu’s victory was announced at 2 AM – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has addressed concerns regarding the timing of the 2023 presidential election results.

Following a tense wait, President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner of the highly competitive election with 8,794,726 votes.

His main rivals were Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

The announcement was made in the early hours of March 1, 2023, around 2 a.m., which prompted various reactions nationwide.

According to Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the timing was a result of the intricate logistics involved in aggregating results from Nigeria’s vast geographical regions.

This process includes collating results from polling units to wards, local governments, states, and ultimately to the national level in Abuja.

Oyekanmi highlighted that neither the constitution nor the electoral act specifies a particular time for declaring election results, providing the commission with the necessary flexibility to ensure accuracy and thoroughness.

He explained, “In a presidential election, the entire country is treated as one constituency. Results are first declared at polling units, then collated at the ward, local government, and state levels before being submitted to Abuja for final processing.

“The timing of the announcement at 2 a.m. was misunderstood by some, but it was a result of waiting for 36 returning officers, including those from remote areas, to deliver their results. The electoral act requires that results be presented and returning officers interviewed. The chairman verifies these results and, if necessary, requests corrections before finalizing the results.”

Oyekanmi also noted that delays were not unusual, referencing that Prof. Attahiru Jega declared the 2015 results around 4 a.m. He added, “The constitution does not mandate a specific time for result announcements, and the commission’s primary goal is accuracy and completeness in the electoral process.”