2019 nigeria election news
The 2019 Nigerian general elections were held on February 16, 2019, for the presidency and National Assembly, and on March 2, 2019, for the governorships and state assemblies. Here are some key news stories and updates from the election:
Presidential Election
- Muhammadu Buhari, the incumbent president, won the election with 15,191,847 votes, while his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), got 11,262,978 votes.
- The election was marred by reports of violence, voter intimidation, and technical issues with the voting process.
- The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Buhari the winner on February 27, 2019.
National Assembly Election
- The All Progressives Congress (APC) won the majority of seats in the Senate and House of Representatives, while the PDP won a significant number of seats as well.
- The APC won 63 seats in the Senate and 211 seats in the House of Representatives, while the PDP won 37 seats in the Senate and 114 seats in the House of Representatives.
Governorship Election
- The APC won 22 governorship seats, while the PDP won 13 seats.
- Some notable governorship elections included:
- In Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC won the election, defeating Jimi Agbaje of the PDP.
- In Rivers State, Nyesom Wike of the PDP won the election, defeating Tonye Cole of the APC.
- In Kano State, Abdullahi Ganduje of the APC won the election, defeating Abba Yusuf of the PDP.
Post-Election Developments
- The PDP challenged the outcome of the presidential election at the Supreme Court, but the court upheld Buhari's victory on February 25, 2019.
- The APC and PDP engaged in a series of protests and counter-protests over the election results, with some parties accusing each other of rigging the election.
- The election was also marred by reports of violence and intimidation, with some parties accusing each other of using thugs to disrupt the voting process.
International Reaction
- The international community, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, expressed concerns over the conduct of the election and called for greater transparency and accountability.
- The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also issued statements calling for calm and urging the parties to resolve their differences peacefully.
Controversies and Issues
- The election was marred by several controversies, including:
- The use of card readers, which malfunctioned in many areas, leading to long queues and delays.
- The deployment of military personnel to polling stations, which some parties accused of intimidating voters.
- The alleged rigging of the election by the APC, which was denied by the party.
- The reported cases of violence and intimidation, which led to the deaths of several people and the displacement of others.
Overall, the 2019 Nigerian general elections were marked by controversy, violence, and technical issues, but ultimately, the APC's Muhammadu Buhari was declared the winner of the presidential election.