By Chris Owusu-Barfi

The much-anticipated Nigerian presidential election for 2023 has come and gone, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) nominee, Bola Tinubu, emerging as the winner. The 2023 Nigerian presidential election was a rollercoaster ride of emotions, with initial reports of high projected turnout and peaceful voting giving way to accusations of fraud, voter intimidation, and outright vote-buying. While the election was marred by various irregularities, the most damning was the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) failure to upload polling unit results to its result viewing portal as promised, leading to suspicion and mistrust by opposition campaigns.

As state results started to trickle in on 26 February, the opposition campaigns of Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Kwankwaso began to question the credibility of the results, citing reports of violence and irregularities. Civil society groups and former President Olusegun Obasanjo also weighed in, calling for a rerun of the election due to widespread fraud. Meanwhile, the campaign of the eventual winner, Bola Tinubu, praised the commission and called for the arrest of PDP spokesmen for "incitement of violence". In the early morning of 1 March, INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu declared Tinubu the winner after all state results were collated, leading to even more tension and rejection of the results by the opposition campaigns.

The drama continued when Peter Obi claimed he won the election and vowed to prove it, and both he and Atiku filed formal petitions challenging Tinubu's victory on 22 March. The aftermath of the election has left Nigerians divided and questioning the integrity of the electoral process, with many hoping for a fairer and more transparent election in the future.

As the dust settles on the election, Nigerians are now looking forward to the inauguration of the president-elect on 29 May 2023. There is a growing sense of anticipation and expectation, as the new administration takes office amid a plethora of challenges facing the country, including insecurity, corruption, and economic downturn. The incoming government will have a lot on its plate, as it seeks to address the various issues affecting the country and improve the lives of its citizens. As the countdown to the inauguration begins, Nigerians can only hope and pray for a new dawn of peace, prosperity, and progress for their beloved country.

There is still so much uncertainty as the election results are challenged in court. The upcoming months will be very interesting for any Nigerian. Hopefully, everything will be settled peacefully in the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

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