2023 ELECTION UPDATES: Sorting, Counting Underway In Nigerian Presidential, NASS Elections 2023

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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.

Channels Television is in each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja to give you the latest on the polls as it unfolds. Keep refreshing this page for updates

12:00: It’s 12 midnight but sorting and counting are still ongoing at PU 138 New Site, Lugbe in Abuja. 

11:10 pm: Collation and sorting have just started at PU 138 New Site, Lugbe in Abuja.

11:07 pm: The last man standing to cast his vote at PU 138 New Site, Lugbe in Abuja.

10:20 pm: Night voting continues in some parts of the country while sorting and counting are ongoing in other areas. 

9:30 pm: Voters are left with just presidential and senate voting materials as INEEC officials run out of ballot papers for House of Reps… it’s 9:30 and voting is still on at PU 138 New Site, Lugbe in Abuja.

9:15: Kwakwachi Government Secondary School collation centre in Faggae, Kano, has only one party agent and that is the Labor Party’s agent. Collation is still ongoing.

9:10 pm: Atiku Wins His Polling Unit

Atiku Abubakar polled more than 80 per cent of the votes cast at Polling Unit 012 in Ajiya Ward, Yola North Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

The polling unit had a total of 750 registered voters, out of which only 354 were accredited.

He polled 282 votes while the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu scored 57 votes.

The Labour Party candidate, Mr. Peter Obi polled 6 votes while Mallam Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party got 1 vote.

8:40 pm: Tinubu Wins at  El-Rufai’s Polling Unit in Kaduna 

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 today’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

Meanwhile, 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.

8:31 pm: 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. 

8:30 pm: Tinubu’s North-East Coordinator Loses Polling Unit To Atiku

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.

08:04 pm: Governor Darius Ishaku wins Polling Unit in a bid to become Senator representing Southern Taraba.

He polled 194 votes to defeat his opponent of the APC who got 107 votes.

07:51 pm: Counting ongoing at Nza Street, polling unit 014 in Independence Layout, Enugu State.

07:44 pm: Voting is still ongoing here at PU 108, New Site in FHA Lugbe, Abuja.

 

07: 26 pm: Sorting and counting begin here in PU 042 Alheri under Tundunwada ward, Gusau in Zamfara State.

07:02 pm: It’s getting dark and the BVAS no longer captures faces. Voters had to support with their phone touch-light. Extra light has just been provided so the voting process continues. That is PU 108, New Site, FHA in Lugbe, Abuja. 

READ ALSO: Nigeria decides: Peter Obi thrashes Tinubu in Lekki polling units

07: 00 pm: Voting still ongoing at Tundunwada Ward under Gusau Local Government of Zamfara State

The Assistant Presiding Officer attributed the late voting to the late commencement of the entire process.

There are also reports of voting disruptions in some polling units under Rijiya Gabas in the Gusau Local Government Area. 

INEC officials told Channels Television that thugs invaded Polling Unit 083, Rijiya Gabas after they have concluded the voting, destroyed ballot papers and burnt ballot boxes

The same was also reported same in the Damba ward, Gusau. 

06: 42 pm: Counting ongoing at Baptist School Magaji, Ngeri Ward 06 in Ilorin West Locàl Government Area. 

06:35 pm: Voting is still ongoing at PU 108 New Site, FHA, Lugbe in Abuja.

6:30 p.m: There is a long voting queue at the Unguwar Galadima Primary School polling unit, Kangyere/Tirwun Registration Area of Bauchi Local Government Area. Voting commenced here at 1 pm due to the late arrival of election materials, and just as voting began, the BVAS machine developed a fault causing the delay.

06: 11: pm: Sorting and counting of votes are ongoing in several parts of the country at the moment.

5:57 pm: Sorting of election results in Unguwar Alkali Aminu Polling Unit, Majidadi Ward Bauchi.

5:30 pm: Sorting of votes at polling unit 029 Mukaila Road. At 5:30 pm, people are still voting in the Railway Football Groud Polling Unit, Dan’iya Hardo Ward of Bauchi.

04:51 pm: Counting of ballots is ongoing at Ward 5, units 1, 37and 38, Ibadan North LGA of Oyo State. 

04: 17 pm: Voters in ward 10 unit 1 are still waiting for vote counting but commended INEC for the free and fair exercise.

04:12 pm: Following our earlier report on the protest by the electorate at Akwakuma Girls’ Secondary School in Owerri North LGA of Imo State and Union Primary School in Mgbirichi, Ohaji Egbema LGA of the state, calling on authorities to reach out with election materials, normalcy has been restored.

INEC officials with result sheets, ballot papers and all election materials have arrived and voting has commenced.  

14: 07 pm: Counting of votes in PU 006, Sari Ward, Sari-Iganmu in Apapa LGA of Lagos State. 

4:06 pm: Sorting and counting are ongoing at PU 001 and 002 Government House Chapel 2, Owerri Municipal.

03:59 pm: In Inigbi Primary School, Elele Community, Uzuaire, Etsako West local Government Area of Edo State Ward 9, Units 9, 10, 11, 17 and 18, voting was ongoing in only two of the units.

However, the exercise is described as peaceful in the three wards the Commissioner of Police and his team visited in Edo North Senatorial district.

03:50 pm: NSCDC Loses Personnel In Road Accident

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) says it has lost one personnel, Corps Assistant II Abdusalam Roqeeb, from its Lagos State Command in a road accident.

Director of Public Relations, NSCDC National Headquarters, Olusola Odumosu, in a statement explained that the incident occurred on Friday 24, February 2023 at a sharp bend at Giri junction, Abuja.

Five other personnel are said to be receiving treatment in a hospital.

Odumosu added that the accident involved an NSCDC-branded vehicle which was conveying authorised identification tags meant for personnel on election duty in Lagos.

Following the unfortunate incident, the Commandant General (CG) of the Corps, Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi, reportedly commiserated with the families of the deceased, Lagos State Command and the entire Corps.

“The officer has been buried according to Islamic rites,” the statement said.

03:49 pm: Sorting and counting of ballots has commenced at PU 27 Model Secondary School in Maitama, Abuja.

03:28 pm: Voting is ongoing at polling unit 003, 010, 002 Avu Ward 1, Owerri West LGA Imo State.

03:25 pm: Sorting of ballot papers has begun at Danwaire Primary School, Sabon Gari in Kano State.

03:26 pm: Many wards and polling units in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State are yet to commence voting. No INEC officials in sight. A lot of youths are protesting and calling on the electoral umpire to ensure they bring the materials.

Gunshots were also fired at the INEC office to scare away youths demanding for materials to exercise their franchise

03: 06 pm: Sorting and counting underway at Ward 03 Unit 03, St Peters Primary School, Ikeja, Lagos State.

 

 

3:06 pm: JOB DONE: The top presidential candidates have cast their ballots with some of them taking to social media to share photos after the exercise. 

03:03 pm: Voting concluded, and sorting underway at Unit 026, Anifowose, Ikeja, Lagos State. 

An 80-year-old woman became emotional when she couldn’t vote. She claimed she’s paraded several locations before finally making it to this location. Unfortunately, she got here a few minutes past 2:30 and was told she can’t vote. 

02:57 pm: Sorting and counting have commenced at Hill Crest PU 028 Girin, Jos South, Plateau State.

02:50 pm: Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu casts his vote at Ward 5, Unit 6 in Ijebu Owo, Owo LGA.

02:44 pm: Sorting and counting of ballots commences in some polling units 025, 026, 027, and 028 in Amuwo Odofin Low-Cost Housing Estate, Lagos State. 

It is also going on in several parts of the country. 

2:25 pm: Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala says she has cast her vote alongside her husband in Abia State. 

2:32 pm: Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River cast his vote in his home town, Kakum a few minutes past 2 O’clock. He expressed worry over the delay in the arrival of voting materials as voters will be disenfranchised.

2:30 pm: After casting their ballots, the top presidential candidates and their running mates shared photos of the exercise in their areas.

1:55 pm: Voters turn out in most polling units visited within and outside Ibadan. 

 

The roads are also empty and there is calm in the Oyo State capital as voting continues in the city. 

 

01:35 pm: A guy pounds yam on the street in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital. Those around say they have voted but needed to be well-fed to witness the counting and declaration of results at their polling units.

 

01:10 pm: Governor Hope Uzodimma and his wife just finished voting at PU 010 in the Omuma community of Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State. 

Uzodimma is lauding INEC for the hitch-free exercise. 

01:09 pm: Former President Goodluck Jonathan votes in his Otuoke hometown of Bayelsa State minutes after arriving at the polling unit with his wife Patience. 

01: 03 pm: Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya casts his ballot at his polling unit (Yahaya Umaru 010), Jekadafari Ward in Gombe State. 

1:00 pm: All three BVAS machines in Umuode/Amechi Idodo/Oruku Ward in Nkanu East LGA of Enugu State are not allowing voting. Only one presiding officer is available at each of the three polling units and none seems to know how to operate the BVAS. It is now 1 pm and no one has voted in Polling Units 06, 08 and 012. My polling unit (006) has more than 1, 200 registered voters. The voters are angry and claim it was well-planned to disenfranchise them.

12: 52 pm: Voting is not going on in all polling units in Kadinma Primary School where one of the contestants for the Aniocha /Oshimili Federal Constituency in Anoicha North LGA, Delta State, Hon Ndudim Elumelu complained that ballot papers are insufficient and the result sheets are not available. The people decided to discontinue voting until all voting materials are available.

12:51 pm: Vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Senator Yusuf Datti-Ahmed has cast his ballot at Polling Unit 21, Tudun Wada Ward in Zaria, Kaduna state.

He expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the process and commends the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a smooth exercise.

Four frontline candidates in the race to become the next President of Africa’s most populous country on Saturday cast their votes at their respective polling units in parts of Nigeria. Though 18 candidates are in the race, pollsters and analysts have described the contest as a four-horse race between Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP).

12:45 pm: Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State finally votes after an initial delay. He cast his ballot at about 12:45 pm. He’s right now waiting for his wife to be accredited before addressing the media. 

Wike arrived at his polling unit 7 in Ward 9 in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area with his wife, Justice Suzzette Eberechi Nyesom-Wike at about 10:30 am.

However, the BVAS could not accredit the Governor ad his wife who were the first voters at the pilling unit.

After over 20 minutes of unsuccessful tries, a female electoral official appealed to the first family members to check back.

wike-vote-rivers

12: 35 pm: Former senate president, Dr Bukola Saraki after casting his vote at Ajikobi Ward, Opobiyi, Unit 005 Ilorin West Locàl Government Area of Kwara State, 

He expressed worry over the lateness in the commencement of the exercise but is satisfied with the conduct of the elections. 

12:29 pm: Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State cast his vote during the presidential and National Assembly elections. 

 

12:22 pm: Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State and his wife cast their votes for the presidential and National Assembly elections at their polling unit; 004 Alkali Mustapha in his country home Kontagora, Niger State. 

 

Governor Abubakar Bello-wife

 

Governor Abubakar Bello-wife

12:17 pm: Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State is accredited to cast his vote.

12:15 pm: Former Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State cast his vote at Kofar Audu

12:12 pm: Rabiu Kwankaso cast his vote at Kwankaso ward, Malamai, Kano State.

kwankwaso-elections-kano-2023-

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.

Wike arrived at his polling unit 7 in Ward 9 in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area with his wife, Justice Suzzette Eberechi Wike at about 10:30 am.

11:51 am: A physically challenged voter at Edo North, Etsako West, Ward 10, Unit 1, Iyamu Primary School.

physically-challenged-woman

 

physically-challenged-woman

11:49 am: Former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi finally casts his vote at Ubima.

 

11: 48 am: Election materials have started arriving at polling units in Takum LGA of Taraba State preparatory to the elections. Voters have also queued up to be accredited as well as cast their votes.

 

11:45 am: Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi votes In Agulu, Anambra State 

11:15 am: Photos from Kwankwaso Ward, Malamai, Kano State. 

 

10:52 am: Voting is in full swing in many parts of the country!

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.

10:48 am: Enugu State Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi has voted

 

 


10:40 am: Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and his wife vote at Polling Unit 14, Egunrege, Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State. 

10: 23 am: Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has arrived at his polling unit Ward at St. Stephens Nursery and Primary School, Adeniji Adele, Lagos Island.

10:20 am: Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has also voted in Kano. 

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu has cast his vote at a polling unit in Ikeja, Lagos State. Tinubu voted alongside his wife, Remi, and other party chieftains.

10:17 am: APC’s Tinubu casts his vote in the Ikeja area of Lagos State. 

10:11 am: The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu has arrived at his polling unit in Ikeja, Lagos State, and is being accredited. He is accompanied by his wife. 10: 05 am: President Buhari, Wife Vote In Katsina

9: 59 am: EFCC officials are on the ground in several polling units in the country. 

 

 

9:58 am: Amube ward in Udenu Local Government Area in Enugu State where the state governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi is expected to cast his vote. The governor is also contesting for the senatorial seat in the Enugu North district.

 

9:46 am: PDP vice presidential candidate Ifeanyi Okowa has cast his vote at the Eghoma Primary School Owa Alero Polling unit 17. 

Suspected Thugs Attack Gombe Registration Centre, Rob INEC Staff

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. 

9: 40 am: Voters queue for accreditation at Gaji Polling Unit 17 in Kaduna North Local Government.

9:40 am: Voting commences at Katuzu Primary School in Gashua Bade LGA of Yobe State.

 

9:09 am: While voting has commenced in some places, people are yet to see materials or begin the process in other areas. 

A civil society organisation, YIAGA Africa, on Saturday expressed approval of the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to postpone the 2023 general elections.

The last three elections – in 2019, 2015, and 2011 – were deferred for one or more weeks over different issues.

9:07 am: Voting has started in some states. 

9:03 am: Voters cast their ballot at PU 27 Model Secondary School, Maitama in Abuja.

 

8:30 am: Accreditation officially begins in some areas across Nigeria!

8:25 am: Empty roads and elderly waiting to vote in Ilorin, Kwara State. 

 

8:20 am:  INEC officials have started setting up as voters begin to trickle in across polling units in Lagos. 

7:41 am: Materials are already arriving at some polling units with voters eagerly awaiting the start of the process. 

7:35 am: In several parts of the country, the situation is calm, the roads are quiet with INEC officials already setting up for the elections!

 

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