INEC to present certificate of return to Tinubu, Shettima Wednesday

The Independent National Electoral Commission is to present the certificate of return to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and vice president-elect, Kashim Shettima, on Wednesday.

The PUNCH reports that the electoral umpire declared the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Tinubu, as the President-elect during the early hours of Wednesday.

Tinubu, a former Lagos State governor, was declared the president-elect after he polled 8,794,726 votes to win the 2023 presidential election.

The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, announced Tinubu as the winner at the International Collation Centre in Abuja.

Declaring Tinubu as the winner, the INEC boss said, “That Tinubu Bola Ahmed of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and returned elected.”

Tinubu won the election ahead of other contenders — the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar; the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi; and the New Nigeria Peoples Party candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The top three presidential candidates won in 12 states each while Kwankwaso claimed only Kano State.

After announcing Tinubu as the winner, Yakubu explained that the commission would be presenting the certificate of return to Tinubu and Shettima at the International Collation Centre in Abuja.

The move, he said, would allow the commission to have ample time to adequately plan for the governorship election billed for March 11.

He said though Tinubu and Shettima would be getting their CoR, senators and House of Representatives members-elect would have to wait a bit.

Yakubu said the commission would issue a statement later today on when the ceremony for senators and House of Representatives members-elect would hold.