Nigerians await election results amid boycott from opposition parties

Millions of Nigerians are anxiously waiting for the final results of Saturday’s general elections as the electoral commission continues to collate and declare them.

The electoral commission has been announcing state-by-state results but is yet to make significant progress in declaring the winner of the presidential election.

The winner of that race would succeed President Muhammadu Buhari.

Opposition parties though are unhappy with the conduct of the result declaration process.

They walked away from the national collation centre on Monday challenging the credibility of the process.

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party claimed there is a lack of transparency with the new electronic voter system.

Dino Melaye of the PDP has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been compromised and the election was rigged in favour of the ruling party.#NigeriaDecide2023#ElectionDay#2023Verdict#CTVTweets pic.twitter.com/bdZ4Zq7ozh

— Channels Television (@channelstv) February 27, 2023

This is the first national election where an electronic device has been used to accredit voters.

The election commission has denied the opposition parties’ complaints. The Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) chairman Mahmood Yakubu said the announcement of results would continue.

He asked the parties to hold onto their concerns and present them later for consideration.

Dino Melaye; and a former governor of Imo State, Emeka Ihedioha; amongst other party agents staged a walkout on the chairman of (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu over dissatisfaction with the process of the collation of results from state collation officers #NigeriaDecide2023#ElectionDay pic.twitter.com/HfgbMLLoAx

— Channels Television (@channelstv) February 27, 2023

Meanwhile the head of the ECOWAS Observation Mission has said that the voting process was marred by irregularities.

“The late start of voting beyond the 8:30 a.m. opening time due to the late arrival of polling officials, voting materials, and in some cases, the delivery of wrong materials at polling stations across the country,” Ernest Bai Koroma said.