How Jonathan won, by INEC

President Goodluck Jonathan was on Monday formally declared winner of Saturday’s presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Out of the 38,209,978 total valid votes, Jonathan polled 22,495,187 votes (58.9 per cent) while his closest rival, Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change came second with 12,214,853 votes or 31. 98 per cent. Mallam Nuhu Ribadu of the Action Congress of Nigeria scored 2, 079, 151votes (5.4 per cent) to come third. The candidate of the All Nigerian Peoples Party, Alhaji Ibrahim Shekarau, garnered 917, 012 votes (2.4 per cent)zwz to place fourth. The candidate of the Liberal Democratic Party of Nigeria, Dr. Chris Nwaokobia, came last with 8, 472 votes amounting to 0.02 per cent of the total valid votes. One million, two hundred and fifty nine thousand five hundred and six votes were voided by the commission. INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, declared Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party winner after the results of the nine states whose results were not taken on Sunday at the National Collation Centre in Abuja had been announced. Jega said that apart from having the highest number of votes cast in the election, the President was also able to meet the constitutional requirement on the spread of votes. According to him, Jonathan scored the mandatory 25 per cent of votes cast in 31 states and the Federal Capital Territory to emerge the winner. He said Buhari also had a minimum of 25 per cent of the votes cast in 16 states. Ribadu, he said, was only able to make this percentage in four states. The INEC chairman added, “The constitutional requirement is that parties must be able to score at least 25 per cent in two third of the total number of states and the FCT. “Based on this, the positions of the parties are as follows: Ribadu of the ACN scored 25 per cent votes in four states; Buhari of the CPC scored 25 per cent of votes in 16 states and Jonathan of the PDP scored 25 per cent votes in 31 states.” Other candidates did not meet the constitutional requirement in any of the state. Before declaring Jonathan as the winner, Jega said that he was satisfied with the conduct of the election and that as the National Returning Officer, he was sure that the election was contested. “With this, I have discharged my constitutional responsibility as a returning officer for the presidential election. We have done our best to ensure a free and fair election,” he said. Jega thanked the staff of the commission, security agents and the media for their collaboration in ensuring that the result was fair. However, all the agents of the other political parties that were present at the collation centre refused to sign the result when called upon to do so by Jega. By Olusola Fabiyi and Ade Adesomoju Courtesy Of: Punch