Votes are still being counted in the closest run presidential election in Nigeria’s history.
The jury may still be out on who will be the next president of Africa’s most populous country and biggest economy, but the vote is in for its economic centre, Lagos.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the ruling APC party’s candidate and former governor of Lagos has lost his home state to 61-year-old former banker Peter Obi, who is running for the newer Labour Party.
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In what is proving to be the most exciting display of democracy in the country’s political history, Mr Obi beat Mr Tinubu in Lagos State by around 10,000 individual votes.
There have been incidences of voter disenchantment and suppressions with cases of armed violence at polling stations in Lagos and across the country.
Some polling units never arrived at their designated stations, leaving residents unable to cast their ballot.
Despite the discontent, young people who have been mobilising since the Lekki Tollgate massacre are incredibly satisfied by this result.
They see Tinubu, owner of Lekki’s tollgate, as responsible for the loss of life at the #EndSars demonstration protesting against police brutality in October 2020 and have been pushing forward Mr Obi’s campaign.
Bola Ahmed Tinubu with his wife Oluremi Tinubu
21-year-old photographer and activist Bishop Duke told us that the youth have been organising over the last two years.
Nigerians under 35 make up three quarters of all newly registered voters and nearly 40% of all registered voters.
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“It’s a cause for celebration, because, for the longest, Lagos has been to be owned by one politician,” says Bishop, referring to the “Godfather of Lagos” Mr Tinubu.
“There’s definitely been a lot of rigging when it comes to Lagos for a very long time. But there was a big push and this is the genuine vote.”
According to a Reuters tally of provisional results announced by electoral officials in 10 of Nigeria’s 36 states at midday on Monday, Mr Tinubu leads with about 3.29 million votes, compared to 2.28 million for main opposition party candidate Atiku Abubakar and 818,000 for Mr Obi.
The winner is not expected to be announced until Tuesday at the earliest.
