INEC Chairman under fire as Tinubu leads after results from 32 states

 The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof, Mahmood Yakubu, has come under fire as controversies emanated as the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, leads after the announcement of results from 32 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the National Collation Centre, International Conference Centre, Abuja, on Monday.

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu; the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralph Nwosu, and Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julis Aubure, at a joint press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, protested the non-transmission of the Saturday presidential results through electronic means to the INEC server by the commission.

The opposition party leaders protested that the failure of the INEC Chairman to approve the upload of results electronically as stipulated by Section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022 contradicted his earlier promises and assurance before the general elections commenced.

The PDP, LP and ADC leaders, therefore, said that there were irregularities in the presidential and National Assembly elections allegedly perpetuated by INEC officials at polling units with their failure to upload results electronically on the commission’s Results Viewing Portal (IReV). They, therefore, demanded cancellation and conduct of fresh elections.

Meanwhile, from the results announced from the 32 states, Tinubu of the APC leads with 8,120,391 votes, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP has 6,486,000 votes, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, has 5,406,931 votes, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has 1,478,985 votes.

Tinubu won in 10 states, Atiku Abubakar won in 11 states, Peter Obi won in 10 and the FCT, while Kwankwaso won in one state.

The four remaining states are expected to be received on Wednesday. Two of the states, Borno and Rivers may be in favour of Tinubu, thus, the lead may not be altered.