Politics
INEC Explains Midnight Declaration of 2023 Presidential Election Results
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why it declared the 2023 presidential election result during the early hours of the morning.
On March 1st, at around 2 a.m., INEC announced Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner with 8,794,726 votes.
Tinubu defeated his main opponents, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).
The announcement, made by INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, left many Nigerians puzzled, especially those who had waited for hours and woke up to the final results.
For some, particularly supporters of losing candidates, the timing raised concerns and suspicions about transparency.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, addressed these concerns during a session with the INEC Press Corps.
He explained that during a presidential election, Nigeria is treated as one constituency, meaning the results must be meticulously collected and compiled from various stages.
This begins at the polling units and extends through the ward, local government, state, and national levels.
The detailed process of gathering and validating results from all 36 states, including regions as far away as Sokoto and Maiduguri, meant the announcement had to be delayed until all necessary figures had been presented in Abuja.
Oyekanmi emphasized that there is no constitutional or legal mandate specifying a time for declaring election results.
He clarified that INEC could only announce after receiving the necessary data from each state’s returning officer, who had to travel to Abuja.
The returning officers are interviewed by the INEC chairman to ensure the accuracy of the results before the final figures are accepted and announced.
In response to criticism about the late-night announcement, Oyekanmi pointed out that the 2015 election results were declared by the then-chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, around 4 a.m.
He explained that it’s the completion of the collation process, rather than the time of day, that determines when the results are announced.
Ultimately, the timing of the declaration in 2023 was influenced by the logistical challenges of collating and confirming results from across the country.
The explanation aims to provide clarity to the Nigerian public about the timing and transparency of the process, stressing that the delay was necessary to ensure the credibility of the results rather than an attempt to manipulate the election outcome.
Nigerian singer Seun Kuti causes a stir among the public after his comparison of activist Omoyele Sowore to Peter Obi.
Speaking in a live video, the singer shared his thoughts and stated that Omoyele Sowore is better at politics than Peter Obi. He explained how Sowore has done many works and brought justice like no Nigerian politician ever will.
He then compares the activist to Peter Obi, stating that Sowore is indeed better. Fans reacted to his statement, and many shared their insights on this matter.
Veteran Nollywood actor Kenneth Okonkwo has opened up about what he calls a betrayal by Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party. In a recent interview with Symfoni, Okonkwo revealed that his decision to quit the party earlier in February 2025 was influenced by Obi’s actions during a leadership crisis within the party.
Okonkwo, who once served as a spokesperson for Obi’s presidential campaign, said the former Anambra State governor ignored his counsel and returned to support the Julius Abure-led faction—despite ongoing controversies surrounding that group. He explained that Obi was misinformed by party executives who claimed that the Abure-led camp had been recognised by INEC. But in his view, Obi’s move went against everything he had previously stood for.
“Any serious politician knows how not to be misled,” Okonkwo said. “But in this case, it was Obi who betrayed me. I warned him—these people are not democratic. INEC recognition isn’t enough reason to return to a group that goes against the values you publicly uphold. If you align with them again, you risk your political credibility and everything you’ve worked for.”
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has promised to keep unsettling those who oppose President Bola Tinubu by continuing to deliver impactful projects across Abuja. Speaking at the commissioning of key roads including the Arterial Road N16 and other projects in the Katampe district, Wike said he now fully understands how much resentment some people have for the President’s achievements since taking office in 2023.
According to Wike, a recent moment while watching TV opened his eyes to how deeply some critics are affected by Tinubu’s progress. “Something just moved me to switch on the TV, and I saw the anger and pain on people’s faces,” Wike said. “Now I get it—some people are really hurting. So I’ve taken it upon myself to increase their blood pressure with more good work.”
He added that while critics stay bitter, he and others will keep enjoying the results of their efforts. “We’ll be smiling, moving around freely, while they stay mad and frustrated. That’s my new mission,” he said. Wike thanked President Tinubu for leading what he described as a development revolution in the FCT.
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