INEC Officially Declares Buhari As President-Elect as PDP Kicks

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, February 27th, 2019

By Tajudeen Balogun,

Head, African Examiner, Nigeria Bureau

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – President Muhammadu Buhari has polled the highest number of votes in the last Saturday Presidential election.

Following this, the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmood Yakubu Wednesday midnight declared Buhari and returned him as the winner of the keenly contested poll.

The results of States as collated at the International Conference Centre ICC, Abuja put Buhari in the lead, as he polled a total 15, 191, 847 votes, while his main rival, Atiku Abubakar trailed behind with 11, 212, 973 votes.

President Buhari who is the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) won in 19 States, while his challenger, Atiku – candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in 17 States, including FCT, Abuja.

The difference between the winner, given the overall result is 3, 928, 868 votes. The Electoral Act provides that the poll will be deemed inconclusive if the voided votes are more than the difference between the winner and the first runner’s up.

Also, the Electoral Law stipulates that for a candidate to be declared the winner, he must garner the total number of votes cast and record a spread – of not less than 25 per cent votes in at least two third of the States.

The President and his main rival have achieved this provision.

Meanwhile, various political parties have complained about irregularities such as malfunctioning of the smart card readers, multiple ballot thump printing, alleged manipulation, regarding the re-configuration of smart card reader.

In the meantime, Prof announced that the Certificate of Return would be issued to the winners later today, at 2 p.m.

A look at 2015 Presidential poll, showed that Buhari polled 15, 424,921 votes to beat the immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan who scored 12,853,162 votes.

Meanwhile, the opposition PDP has kicked against the result and rejected it.

Despite INEC late announcement the declaration was followed by wild jubilation by the APC stalwarts and their supporters in the FCT and other parts of the country.