Bola Tinubu has won Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.
According to results, the veteran politician received 37% of the overall vote, the BBC reported.
The two rival contenders, Atiku Abubakar with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi (Labour) polled at 29% and 25% respectively. Both parties were reportedly unhappy with the results, and demanded a rerun, according to the BBC.
The Labour party stated it was taking legal action against Tinubu. Lawyers were “putting the papers together” to challenge Tinubu’s victory in court, BBC reported.
Tinubu’s campaign was orientated around the previous success he had as governor of Lagos State, in which he held a positive track record rebuilding the city. Tinubu is reportedly known as the “political godfather,” for his skills in assisting other officials into political office, according to the BBC.
Nigeria’s Tinubu defends win in disputed presidential poll https://t.co/2WUaOWg3Dk pic.twitter.com/jd30QK7Mx8
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 1, 2023
Tinubu made an acceptance speech, in which he said, “I take this opportunity to appeal to my fellow contestants to let us team up together. It is the only nation we have. It is one country and we must build it together.” He also said that they had the right to challenge the results of the election in a court of law, but stated any issues were “relatively few in number and were immaterial to affect the outcome of this election.”
Bola Tinubu has many challenges ahead. Nigeria is a religiously polarized country, with almost half being Muslim and the other being Christian denominations, the outlet noted. Both have struggled to live harmoniously, which has led to active extremist groups, such as Boko Haram. (RELATED: US Has Not Verified Death Of Boko Haram Terrorist Leader, Despite Reports)