The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why it declared Bola Ahmed Tinubu the winner of the 2023 presidential election at 2 am. According to Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, the declaration was made after collating results from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Oyekanmi stated that Nigeria is treated as a single constituency in presidential elections, requiring a detailed process of collating results from ward, local government, state, and national levels. He emphasized that the Electoral Act does not specify a particular time for declaring election results.
The INEC Chairman had to wait for the 36 returning officers to present their results, which led to the delay. Oyekanmi noted that this process is necessary to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the results.
He also drew comparisons to the 2015 presidential election, where results were declared around 4 am by former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega. Oyekanmi emphasized that the timing of the declaration is not a new phenomenon and is not specified in the constitution or Electoral Act.
The explanation comes after concerns were raised about the timing of the declaration, with some citizens expressing skepticism about the transparency of the process. However, INEC has maintained that the process was thorough and followed the necessary procedures to ensure the integrity of the results.
