Learn How To Make Money From Home Using Your Smartphone In 2025
By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
AfricaNews360AfricaNews360
  • Politics
    PoliticsShow More
    Ghanaian Court annuls 2024 Parliamentary Election over irregularities
    November 24, 2025
    The future is African – Ghana President declares at UN Assembly
    September 26, 2025
    Burkina Faso to ‘street honour’ late Ghanaian President Jerry John Rawlings
    May 19, 2025
    Burkina Faso honours late president Thomas Sankara with memorial park
    May 19, 2025
    Nigeria Presidency refutes Catholic leaders’ criticism of economic hardship
    March 11, 2025
  • Business
    BusinessShow More
    President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, pose for photo before their US-China summit at Gimhae international airport in Busan, South Korea, on October 30, 2025 [Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo]
    Trump says China’s Xi Jinping agreed to accelerate purchases of US goods
    November 26, 2025
    Ghana, Dalian deepen bilateral ties to boost education, culture and trade
    November 13, 2025
    Ghana secures additional $28m grant from China for infrastructure projects
    October 17, 2025
    Ghana’s President Mahama seeks investment partnerships during Singapore visit
    August 25, 2025
    Ghana’s Tourism Minister commends Emirates at grand opening of Travel Store
    May 15, 2025
  • Showbiz
    ShowbizShow More
    Davido releases ’10 Kilo’ Music Video
    August 13, 2025
    Nigerian Star Davido’s Foundation supports 500 orphanages in annual Charity drive
    February 13, 2025
    Nigerian president Tinubu celebrates Nollywood icon Nkem Owoh ‘Osuofia’ at 70
    February 8, 2025
    Burkina Faso’s Bissa music sensation Eunice Goula drops new Banger ‘Mariage’
    September 25, 2024
    Kenya’s president hosts national music festival
    August 16, 2024
  • Sports
    SportsShow More
    Ghana to host 2026 African Senior Athletics Championships
    January 21, 2026
    Bliss turns to abbyss as Panenka dazes Díaz in AFCON Final
    January 19, 2026
    Mane bows out as AFCON legend with second title and Player of Tournament award
    January 19, 2026
    Mané breaks AFCON assist record as Senegal defeats Morocco in Final
    January 19, 2026
    Gueye stunner breaks Morocco hearts as Senegal claim AFCON amid chaos
    January 19, 2026
  • Biographies
    BiographiesShow More
    Michael Gallup Bio, Age, Net Worth, Height, Parents, Siblings, Wife, Children
    July 25, 2024
  • Columns
    ColumnsShow More
    Ghana Government does not subsidize Hajj Pilgrims: Debunking the myth with facts
    March 7, 2025
    Full Speech: South African president’s address at first G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting 2025
    February 22, 2025
    Ing. Abdullah Mohammed Billey: The Ghanaian road expert victimised for political reasons by the ousted Government
    February 3, 2025
    Ghana President Mahama’s speech at Africa Prosperity Dialogues 2025
    February 2, 2025
    An American opinion on the impending NDC Government structure
    December 17, 2024
  • Travel
    TravelShow More
    Ghana’s Tourism Minister commends Emirates at grand opening of Travel Store
    May 15, 2025
    Thousands of Ethiopian diaspora heed PM’s call to ‘come home’
    May 2, 2024
    Malawi and Ghana sign visa waiver agreement to enhance bilateral ties
    March 21, 2024
    Ghana signs visa waiver agreement with Bahamas
    February 22, 2024
    Malawi scrapes visa restrictions for 79 countries
    February 9, 2024
  • Editorial
    EditorialShow More
    FEATURE: Kigali City- A glittering jewel of Africa
    September 2, 2023
    All eyes on INEC as Nigeria decides
    February 26, 2023
    Feed Africa Summit: Continent Plans to Achieve Zero Hunger by 2030
    January 25, 2023
    Africa must speak with one voice at COP27
    November 8, 2022
    Nigerian headteacher sentenced to death after pupil’s murder
    July 28, 2022
  • World
    WorldShow More
    Robert Prevost
    American prelate Robert Prevost elected New Pope
    May 9, 2025
    Rwanda cuts diplomatic ties with Belgium amid Congo conflict tensions
    March 17, 2025
    ICC issues arrest warrants for Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, Ibrahim Al-Masri
    November 21, 2024
    Voting underway in US as Donald Trump faces Kamala Harris for presidency
    November 5, 2024
    Biden directs US forces to aid Israel’s defence against Iran
    October 2, 2024
Reading: Nigeria election 2023: Votes are counted but final results may take days
Share
Notification Show More
Latest News
Ghana to host 2026 African Senior Athletics Championships
January 21, 2026
Bliss turns to abbyss as Panenka dazes Díaz in AFCON Final
January 19, 2026
Mane bows out as AFCON legend with second title and Player of Tournament award
January 19, 2026
Mané breaks AFCON assist record as Senegal defeats Morocco in Final
January 19, 2026
Gueye stunner breaks Morocco hearts as Senegal claim AFCON amid chaos
January 19, 2026
Aa
AfricaNews360AfricaNews360
Aa
  • Technology
  • Science
  • Education
  • Health
Search
  • Topics
    • Business
    • Columns
    • Gossip
    • News
    • Politics
    • Showbiz
    • Fashion
    • Climate
    • World
    • Videos
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
AfricaNews360 > Politics > Nigeria election 2023: Votes are counted but final results may take days
PoliticsTop Stories

Nigeria election 2023: Votes are counted but final results may take days

Vote counting is under way in Nigeria's tightest presidential election since military rule ended in 1999.

Posted V February 26, 2023 7 Min Read
Updated 2023/02/26 at 3:34 AM
31/07/2018:Harare Zimbabwe. Counting of votes after the countries first general election since long-term President Robert Mugabe was ousted last year.433 Picture: Matthews Baloyi/AFrican News Agency (ANA)
SHARE

Vote counting is under way in Nigeria’s tightest presidential election since military rule ended in 1999.

Turnout appeared to be high, with many young, first-time voters arriving before dawn to cast their ballots.

Saturday’s voting was marred by long delays at polling stations, as well as scattered reports of ballot box snatching and attacks by armed men.

And some parties have raised alarm over allegations of irregularities, which could lead to a disputed outcome.

The elections are the biggest democratic exercise in Africa, with 87 million people eligible to vote.

Politics has been dominated by two parties – the ruling APC and the PDP – since the restoration of multi-party democracy 24 years ago.

But this time, there is also a strong challenge from a third-party candidate in the race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari – from the Labour Party’s Peter Obi, who is backed by many young people.

Tens of thousands of polling stations are counting the results, which will be collated and sent to the electoral headquarters in the capital Abuja.

The final result is not expected until at least Tuesday.

At a press briefing on Saturday, the electoral chief, Mahmood Yakubu, apologised for the delays in voting, but he said that everyone who was in a queue by 14:30 local time (13:30 GMT) would be allowed to cast their ballots, even though polling stations were officially supposed to close by then.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU  Fighting escalates in Sudan’s capital Khartoum as truce expires

Voters in the biggest city, Lagos, cheered as electoral officers arrived at a polling station in the suburb of Lekki nearly four hours after polls had officially closed.

“As a Nigerian you expect any eventuality, so I came out with my power bank and a bottle of water. I will wait till they arrive so I can vote,” first-time voter Edith told the BBC.

There have been reports from Lagos of violence and ballot boxes being snatched. Some voters complained of being attacked and chased out of where they had gathered to cast their ballots.

In other places, people reported being asked to either vote for a particular candidate or leave the polling centre.

Mr Yakubu said that armed men had attacked some polling units in the southern state of Delta and the northern state of Katsina, where voter card verification machines were carted away.

They were subsequently replaced and security boosted to allow voting to take place, he added.

But voting was postponed to Sunday at 141 polling stations in the oil-rich southern state of Bayelsa because of disruptions.

In the north-eastern state of Borno, Mr Yakubu said that militant Islamists had opened fire on electoral officers from a mountain top in the Gwoza area, injuring a number of officials.

A voter holds her her voter card while queueing with others at a polling at Agege, Lagos on February 25, 2023, during Nigeria's presidential and general election
Image caption,Almost 90 million were eligible to vote in the presidential and parliamentary elections

The lead-up to the polls was overshadowed by a cash shortage caused by a botched attempt to redesign the currency, leading to widespread chaos at banks and cash machines as desperate people sought access to their money.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU  Nigeria: Peter Obi unveils Datti Baba-Ahmed as running mate

The new notes were introduced in order to tackle inflation, and also vote-buying. On the eve of the election a member of the House of Representatives was arrested with almost $500,000 (£419,000) in cash, and a list of people he was supposed to give it to, police say.

Whoever wins will have to deal with the currency redesign, a crumbling economy, high youth unemployment, and widespread insecurity which saw 10,000 killed last year.

Voters also cast their ballots for 109 federal senators and 360 members of the house of representatives, with another vote for state governors in March.

The election has seen a huge interest from young people – a third of eligible voters are below 35.

Mr Obi, 61, is hoping to break up Nigeria’s two-party system after joining the Labour Party last May.

Although he was in the PDP before then, he is seen as a relatively fresh face and enjoys fervent support among some sections of Nigeria’s youth, especially in the south.

The wealthy businessman served as governor of the south-eastern Anambra State from 2006 to 2014. His backers, known as the “OBIdients”, say he is the only candidate with integrity, but his critics argue that a vote for him is wasted as he is unlikely to win.

  • Who is Peter Obi?
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU  Nigerian president Buhari defends record on eve of stepping down

Instead, the PDP, which ruled until 2015, wants Nigerians to vote for Atiku Abubakar, 76 – the only major candidate from the country’s mainly Muslim north.

He has run for the presidency five times before – all of which he has lost. He has been dogged by accusations of corruption and cronyism, which he denies.

Most of his career has been spent in the corridors of power, having worked as a top civil servant, vice-president and a prominent businessman.

  • Who is Atiku Abubakar?

Most people consider the election a referendum on the APC, which has overseen a period of economic hardship and worsening insecurity.

Its candidate, Bola Tinubu, 70, is credited with building Nigeria’s commercial hub Lagos, during his two terms as governor until 2007.

He is known as a political godfather in the south-west region, where he wields huge influence, but like Mr Abubakar, has also been dogged by allegations of corruption over the years and poor health, both of which he denies.

  • Who is Bola Tinubu?

A candidate needs to have the most votes and 25% of ballots cast in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states to be declared the winner.

Otherwise, there will be a run-off within 21 days – a first in Nigeria’s history.

RSS EDITORS’ SUGGESTIONS

  • OFFICIAL: German-Ghanaian attacker Davis Asante seals loan move to SV Rodinghausen
  • FC Bocholt confirm signing of German-Ghanaian forward Charles-Jesaja Herrmann
  • “Let’s get going” – Cameron Antwi says after joining Gillingham FC
  • OFFICIAL: Gillingham FC announce signing of English-born Ghanaian midfielder Cameron Antwi
  • GFA President Kurt Okraku hails U15 Girls Colts League as defining milestone for Women’s football development
TAGGED: Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria Election, Peter Obi
SOURCES: bbc.com
V February 26, 2023
Share this Article
Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp LinkedIn Telegram Email Print
Previous Article Northern Ireland Protocol: UK Prime Minister Sunak ‘giving everything’ for Brexit deal
Next Article Ghana’s love affair with reggae and Jamaican Patois
Leave a comment Leave a comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Latest on AfricaNews360

  • Ghana to host 2026 African Senior Athletics Championships
  • Bliss turns to abbyss as Panenka dazes Díaz in AFCON Final
  • Mane bows out as AFCON legend with second title and Player of Tournament award
  • Mané breaks AFCON assist record as Senegal defeats Morocco in Final
  • Gueye stunner breaks Morocco hearts as Senegal claim AFCON amid chaos

More recommendations for you

  • Luton Town star Gideon Kodua declared fit for Plymouth Argyle clash
  • OFFICIAL: German-Ghanaian attacker Davis Asante seals loan move to SV Rodinghausen
  • FC Bocholt confirm signing of German-Ghanaian forward Charles-Jesaja Herrmann
  • “Let’s get going” – Cameron Antwi says after joining Gillingham FC
  • OFFICIAL: Gillingham FC announce signing of English-born Ghanaian midfielder Cameron Antwi

You Might Also Like

NewsTop Stories

Ghana launches taskforce to combat illegal logging in forest reserves

January 12, 2026
SoccerTop Stories

AFCON 2025: Morocco defeat Cameroon to reach semis as Ndiaye strike sends Senegal into last four

January 10, 2026
BereavementTop Stories

Nigerian President Tinubu offers condolences and prayers to Anthony Joshua

December 29, 2025
BoxingNewsTop Stories

Anthony Joshua hospitalised after fatal car crash in Nigeria

December 29, 2025
  • Bereavement
  • Debt Management
  • Finance
  • Job Creation
  • Small Business
  • Climate
  • Education
  • Fashion
  • Health
  • Rights
  • Science
  • Sanitation
  • Mobilisation
  • Secondary Education
  • Celebrity News
  • Tertiary Education
  • Culture
  • Security
  • Corruption
  • Creed
  • Athletics
  • Basketball
  • Boxing
  • Formula 1
  • Rugby
  • Soccer
  • Tennis
  • Minning
  • Gaming
  • Technology
AfricaNews360AfricaNews360
Follow US

© 2024 - AfricaNews360 | All rights reserved.

  • About
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact

Removed from reading list

Undo
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Register Lost your password?