Bola Tinubu, former Lagos governor has won a tight race to succeed Muhammadu Buhari as the next president of Nigeria.
Tinubu, “having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected”, Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced early on Wednesday.
Tinubu polled 8.8 million votes to defeat former-associate-turned-foe Atiku Abubakar and surprise frontrunner Peter Obi, who scored 6.9 million and 6.1 million, respectively, to emerge president hours after three opposition parties called for a cancellation of what they called a “sham” of an election.
“This is a serious mandate – I hereby accept it. To serve you… To work with you and make Nigeria great,” Tinubu said as supporters cheered “Jagaban”, a local chieftain title.
“I appeal to my fellow contestants to let us team together. It is the only nation we have. It is one country that we must build together,” he added.
The former two-term governor of Lagos, seen as the most influential political godfather in current Nigerian history, lost his home state of Lagos to Obi but was ultimately successful in his bid to become Nigeria’s fifth president since the return of democracy in 1999.
His rise to fame began in 1992 when he was elected senator in Lagos. When the presidential elections were cancelled a year after by the military government, he joined a coalition of politicians and civil society to call for new elections.
“He has done it before, and we know that he will do better than what he did in Lagos,” said supporter Adenike Mutiat Abubakar, 43. “He’s the man of the people, so that’s why everybody wants him.”
SOURCE: ALJAZEERA