Nigeria’s presidential election results move through a four-level collation chain from polling units to Abuja, where the Independent National Electoral Commission manages the process under electoral laws.
The collation chain starts when voting ends at individual polling units. Presiding officers count ballots in public and enter each party’s score on Form EC8A, which polling agents present then countersign.
Four Levels of Collation
The ward collation officer totals the Form EC8A sheets on Form EC8B.
Atiku Abubakar Leads in Katsina While Tinubu Wins Nationally
In Katsina during the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party led with 489,045 votes against 482,283 for Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
The national stage takes place in Abuja, with the INEC Chairman acting as returning officer for the presidential election. For the nationwide 2023 presidential election, total figures put registered voters at 93,469,008, accredited voters at 25,286,616, valid votes at 24,025,940, and rejected votes at 939,278.
Across the country, Bola Tinubu polled 8,794,726; Atiku Abubakar polled 6,984,520; Peter Obi of the Labour Party polled 6,101,533; and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party polled 1,496,687. Declaring the 2023 result, the returning officer stated that Tinubu was elected having satisfied the requirements of the law.
Resolving Disputed Results
Collation officers and returning officers must verify that the numbers of accredited voters and votes in a collated result are consistent with the records transmitted from polling units, and if a result is disputed, they must check the original result form and relevant data.
Where an error is identified, officials may take the steps permitted by the law and INEC’s guidelines to correct it, though a disagreement does not automatically mean that the result will be cancelled or that the election will be conducted again.
If the disagreement is not resolved during collation, aggrieved candidates or political parties can challenge the outcome through the judicial system. Under Nigeria’s electoral framework, candidates and political parties who are dissatisfied with an election outcome may approach the appropriate court or election petition tribunal, depending on the type of election and the applicable constitutional provisions.
For presidential, governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections, election petitions are handled by the bodies designated under the Constitution and relevant laws.
Depending on the issues raised, proceedings may include polling-unit result sheets, official election documents, witness testimony, and other relevant records. The tribunal or court examines the evidence presented by both sides before reaching a decision, and may uphold the declared result, nullify an election, or grant another remedy permitted by law, depending on its findings and the circumstances of the case.