Nigerians decide: Sorting, Counting Underway as citizens await Presidential, NASS Elections results
Expectations are sky-high in Africa’s most populous nation as millions of citizens elect the country’s next president and National Assembly members.
Many have described the historic presidential poll as a three-horse race, with the consensus being that it is Nigeria’s most competitive election to date.
In all, 94 million citizens registered for the election; No fewer than 87.2 million of them have collected their permanent voter cards (PVCs) and are eligible to vote.
Salient Times monitored each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to give you the latest on the polls as it unfolds.
As at the time of this report, Sorting of votes at PU 089, Lugbe, Abuja, while voting was still on as at 12.37 am at PU 089, Tradermore Estate, Lugbe, Abuja Municipal Area Council.
Meanwhile, Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state has delivered his Polling Unit to the Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in Saturday’s Presidential election.
In the election result declared by the presiding officer of El-Rufai’s polling unit 024 at Ungwan Sariki Ward 7, in Kaduna North Local Government Area, the APC presidential candidate scored 173 votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who polled 134 votes.
Peter Obi of the Labour Party scored three votes while Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party got 20 votes.
Obi’s Running Mate Loses Polling Unit To Atiku
Also, the Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Datti Baba-Ahmed lost his polling unit to Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party in Zaria LGA of Kaduna state. In the result announced by the presiding officer of Polling Unit 021 at Tudun Wada Ward in Zaria Local Government Area, PDP scored 102 votes while the APC polled a total of 99 votes to come second.
The Labour Party came a distant third with 54 votes while the NNPP got eleven votes. The total number of accredited voters was 272.
As at 8 pm on Saturday, Voters are using torchlights to cast their ballot in Unguwar Galadima Primary School Polling Unit, Kangyere/Tirwun Registration Area of Bauchi. It’s about 9 pm.
Gombe State Governor and the North-East Coordinator of the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Muhammad Yahaya has lost his polling unit to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In the results, which were announced to the cheers of voters, the PDP presidential candidate Atiku polled 215 to defeat the APC candidate, who secured 186 votes at the unit.
Wike Disappointed As BVAS Fails To Accredit Him, Wife
Rivers State Governor, Nysome Wike has expressed disappointment with the functionality of the Biomodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission to his polling unit.
Atiku Says He’s Confident Of Victory
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; and his wife, Titi have voted at Polling Unit 012, Ajiya Ward in the Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
The former Vice-President, who addressed journalists, expressed optimism and confidence that he will emerge the winner of the presidential election and succeed President Muhammadu Buhari whose two-term tenure ends on May 29, 2023.
Meanwhile, suspected hoodlums have attacked a Registration Area Centre (RAC) in the Tudun Wada area of Gombe State, robbing ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The suspected thugs robbed the victims of their phones and injured some of the electoral officials who passed the night at a school, a few hours before the commencement of the Presidential/National Assembly polls.
BVAS failed to recognise, accredit Osoba in Ogun
A former Governor of Ogun, Chief Olusegun Osoba, has expressed disappointment over his inability to vote on Saturday during the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
Osoba’s inability to vote followed the repeated failures of the BVAS machine to recognise and accredit him for voting.
He spoke with journalists at Ward 14, Polling Unit 15, Ibara Government Reserved Area(GRA) in Abeokuta South Local Government Area.
“I have been here twice today and the BVAS failed to recognise my face and finger marks in spite of the fact that my name and picture are on the voter register of this polling centre.
“It is the same card that I used to vote in 2019 in this same polling centre that I presented now; yet, it is unsuccessful.
“I don’t want to vote unaccredited because I don’t want my vote to cause cancellation of other votes in this centre,” Osoba said.
The former governor said he was, however, encouraged by the large turnout of voters, including the aged who came out to exercise their civic responsibilities.
“I feel very sad, but I was encouraged by the huge turnout, particularly, many elders in their 70s and 80s, who turned out for the exercise.
“I have confidence in INEC. It was just a technological failure. Only two or three of us could not vote in this unit.
“Definitely, we will do everything possible to make sure that the technical team of INEC address the situation,” he said.
Osoba, commending the security arrangement across the state, appealed to INEC to extend voting in areas where voting started late.
“In terms of peaceful conduct of the election and security, one is encouraged.
“I want to thank our people and congratulate them for the peaceful and orderly manner in which they have conducted themselves, irrespective of whichever political party they are voting for,” he said.
