The presidential and National Assembly elections held on Saturday as scheduled by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The elections featured 18 presidential candidates competing for the nation’s topmost political office, while 1,101 candidates slugged it out for the 109 senatorial and 312 House of Representatives seats.
Pundits had narrowed down the presidential race to a contest among four of the 18 presidential candidates.
They are the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu; candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; Peter Obi of Labour Party; and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party.
Tinubu voted and won at his Polling Unit 085, Ward 3, Alausa, Ikeja.
He scored 33 votes to defeat Obi and Atiku, who trailed distantly behind him with eight votes and one vote, respectively.
Sunday PUNCH reports that Tinubu’s polling unit recorded voter apathy as only 43 out of the 324 registered voters turned out for accreditation and voting.
But Tinubu, who was accompanied to the polling unit by his wife, Oluremi, and welcomed by a mammoth crowd, expressed confidence that he would win the presidential race, saying he worked or campaigned harder than his competitors.
“I am very confident. I worked hard for it. I traversed the country sometimes four times, attended town-hall meetings and various interest groups, I have attended to their request and I have worked harder than any other candidate in this country. I believe Nigeria will reward me, they will reward the hard work,” he said.
In Adamawa State, the PDP candidate, Atiku, also won his Polling Unit 012 Ajiya Ward in the Yola North Local Government Area of the state.
Atiku polled 282 out of the 350 total votes cast at the polling unit, to beat Tinubu, Obi and Kwankwaso, who got 57 votes, six votes and one vote, respectively.
The results declaration was received with chants of Sai Waziri by elated Atiku’s supporters.
Atiku, accompanied by his first wife, Titi, had earlier voted at about 9.08am, after wading through a throng of his supporters.
Decked in a white-green babariga with a cap to match, Atiku told journalists, “I am very optimistic of victory.”
He said the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria, was “a great step in addressing vote-buying across the country.”
On his part, Obi, in his Anambra home state, won his Polling Unit 019, Ward 2, in the Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of the state.
He polled 236 votes to beat Atiku and Tinubu, who both got zero vote. However, Kwankwaso got two votes while the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Prof Peter Umeadi, got three votes.
Obi, who spoke to journalists shortly after casting his vote at about 11.48am, described the election as seamless and peaceful and expressed confidence that he would win.
He said, “With what I have seen here today here, the election is seamless and peaceful but I don’t know of any other place. I hope it would be same in all places.
“I have the capacity and mental ability to lead the country. The BVAS worked for me and I have voted. So far, at this unit, INEC performed well, but I cannot say generally because I have not been to other polling units to know.”
Describing the election as existential, Obi added, “I have both the physical and mental capacity to do the work. I am ready and prepared for it. People will feel it, it will be clear and measurable, everyone will feel it. So I can’t step down for anyone.”
Similarly, the NNPP candidate, Kwankwaso, won his Tandu 001 Polling Unit, Madobi Local Government Area of Kano State.
He scored 284 votes to beat Tinubu, who got 112 votes. Obi and Atiku both got zero vote.
Kwankwaso, who voted at about 11.45am, alongside his wife and children, said he was confident of victory, noting that he was impressed by the massive turnout of voters.
He said, “Although, I did not visit all the polling units, I noticed a massive turnout in the few I visited, indicating that I would emerge victorious in the presidential race. Here in my Kwankwaso Village, all the polling units are jam-packed with voters, indication I am very popular in my immediate constituency. I am grateful to Almighty God for the success of the elections and praying the Almighty God for the peaceful conclusion of the general elections.”
In Ondo State, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party , Adewole Adebayo, voted at Polling Unit 19, Ward 10, Barracks Road, Ondo town, Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Commenting on the process, Adebayo said, “So far, everything is working well and I just want to urge Nigerians to come out and vote.”
He, however, scored 19 votes to lose to APC’s Tinubu, who polled 52 votes. While PDP’s Atiku got 39 votes, LP’s Obi got 27 votes.
Shettima, Okowa win
Meanwhile, the vice-presidential candidates of the APC, Kashim Shettima, and the PDP, Ifeanyi Okowa, delivered their polling units for their party. But the LP’s vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, lost.
Shettima delivered his Polling Unit 023, Lawan Bukar Ward, Maiduguri metropolis, Borno State for his party.
The APC scored 126 votes to floor the PDP and LP, which scored 22 votes and zero vote, respectively.
Shettima, who voted at 11.45am, expressed confidence that his party would win.
Similarly, Okowa won his PU 017 Ika North-East, Delta State for the PDP by a wide margin.
His party scored 160 votes while the LP and PDP trailed distantly behind with six and four votes, respectively.
But Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, failed to deliver his Polling Unit 021, Tudun Wada Ward, Zaria LGA, Kaduna State for Labour Party.
Labour Party scored 54 votes to lose to the PDP, which got 102 votes while the APC came second with 98 votes.
Buhari wins PU
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), delivered his Polling Unit Baru 003, Baba Tone, Sarki Yara “A” ward for the APC presidential candidate, Tinubu.
Tinubu got 215 votes to beat Atiku, who got 51 votes at Buhari’s polling unit. NNPP’s Kwankwaso got 37 votes.
Buhari and his wife, Aisha, had earlier voted at about 10.06am.
Shortly after casting his vote, Buhari told newsmen that he believed that “from Daura to Lagos, my candidates will win Insha Allah.”
But the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Governor of Gombe State,Muhammadu Yahaya, failed to deliver their polling units for Tinubu.
At Adamu’s Polling Unit Angwarimi Ward, GRA A1, LERCEST Office in Keffi, Nasarawa State, Tinubu got 85 votes to lose to LP’s candidate, Obi, who polled 132 votes.
At Lawan’s Polling Unit 001B Gashua in Yobe State, Tinubu got 107 votes while Atiku won with 186 votes.
Lawan, who is also a senatorial candidate, lost his polling unit to the PDP, which got 219 votes compared to his own 114 votes.
In Gombe, the state governor, Yahaya, failed to deliver his polling unit for Tinubu.
Atiku won the polling unit with 215 votes, while Tinubu polled 186 votes.
Mark, Jang lose
Former Senate President, David Mark, and ex-Plateau State governor, Jonah Jang, who are PDP stalwarts, failed to deliver their polling units for Atiku. They both lost their polling units to Obi.
At Mark’s Polling Unit 001 GRA Otukpo, Obi scored 178 votes to beat PDP’s Atiku, who got 18 votes. APC’s Tinubu came second with 22 votes.
At Jang’s Rabin Du Polling Unit in Du “A” ward, Jos South Local Government Area, Atiku scored 29 votes, while Obi won the polling unit with 239. APC’s Tinubu got only one vote.
Obasanjo’s polling unit
Obi got zero vote at the polling unit of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, despite that the ex-President endorsed the LP candidate.
At Obasanjo’s Polling Unit 22, Ward 11, Olusomi compound, Totoro/Sokori Abeokuta North, APC’s Tinubu scored 56 votes while PDP’s Atiku got eight votes.
Sanwo-Olu, Akeredolu, El-Rufai
The governors of Lagos, Ondo and Kaduna states, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Rotimi Akeredolu and Nasir El-Rufai, respectively, delivered their polling units for the APC flag-bearer, Tinubu.
At Sanwo-Olu’s Polling Unit 006, Eiyekole, Adeniji Adele, Tinubu got 86 votes to defeat Obi and Atiku, who got five and three votes, respectively.
At Akeredolu’s Polling Unit 006, Ward 5, in Owo Local Government Area, Ondo State, Tinubu scored 269 to defeat Obi and Atiku, who polled 22 and 11 votes, respectively.
At El-Rufai’s Polling Unit 024, Ward 07, Ungwan Sarki, Kaduna, Tinubu polled 173 votes to defeat Atiku, who got 134 votes. NNPP’s Kwankwaso got 20 votes while Obi got only three votes.
But Atiku won Polling Unit 013 inside the Kaduna State Government House.He polled 69 votes to defeat Tinubu, who got 40 votes.Obi got 48 votes while Kwankwaso got 11 votes.
Jandor, Dino’s PU
Meanwhile, the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State,
Abdul-Azeez Adediran, aka Jandor, delivered his Polling Unit 001, Ward G in Irewe village, Ojo Local Government Area of the state for Atiku.
Atiku polled 79 votes, defeating Tinubu, who scored 74 votes.
Similarly,the spokesman for the PDP Presidential Campaign Council,Senator Dino Melaye, also secured his Polling Unit 004 Aiyetoro/iluhagba Ward 1 in Kogi State for Atiku.
Atiku got 125 votes to defeat Tinubu, who got 31 votes, while Obi recorded zero.
Obi wins 10 Villa units
Labour Party’s Obi won at the 10 polling units inside and around the Presidential Villa, Asokoro, Abuja.
At PU 130, 0ut of the total 174 votes, Obi got 113 to beat the ruling APC, which got 26 votes and the PDP, which got 25 votes. The NNPP got only one vote.
At polling unit 121, Obi scored 58, APC scored 31 while the PDP scored 32. Also, at polling unit 131, Obi scored 17, APC scored six while the PDP scored three. At polling unit 126, Obi scored 42, APC scored 11 while the PDP scored 12.
Also, at polling unit 128, Obi scored 12, APC scored 1 while the PDP scored zero. At polling unit 122, Obi won 105, APC scored 29 while the PDP won 16. At polling unit 06, Obi scored 8, APC scored five, while the PDP scored two. At polling unit 123, Obi scored 86, APC scored 44, while the PDP scored 21.
At polling unit 021, Obi scored 194, APC scored 94, while the PDP scored 70. Similarly, at polling unit 022, Obi scored 174, APC scored 71, while the PDP scored 78.
Similarly, the LP’s candidate, Obi, defeated Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s party, APGA, at Polling Unit 017, Awka Ward located inside the Anambra State Government House.
Obi scored 61 votes while APGA’s presidential candidate, Umeadi, scored zero vote.
The polling unit is populated by civil servants, government functionaries and others.
Atiku got two votes while Tinubu had zero vote.
Also, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo won his Ojurege ward 1, polling unit 14 in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State for the APC. The party won 33 votes, Obi won nine votes while Atiku won seven votes.
In Taraba State, Governor Darius Ishaku, who is the North-East Director of the PDP presidential campaign council, lost his polling unit 004 in Takum to Obi. PDP scored 65, APC scored 37 while LP scored 211. The governor, who is contesting for the Senate won his polling unit with 196 against APC’s 108 votes.
