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How Presidential Election Winner Will Emerge

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Nigerians on Saturday filed out to vote for the successor of President Muhammadu Buhari after his two terms of eight years.

This is coming after months of campaigns by 18 candidates of different political parties. The major contenders and an eventual winner is believed to be among the candidates of the ruling All Progressives Party, Bola Tinubu; the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party, Peter Obi.

Close to 90 million voters were eligible to vote during the elections with more than 176,000 polling units.

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READ ALSO: #NigeriaElections2023: Tension As Deltans Await Election Results

The PUNCH reports that Saturday’s elections, which include Nigeria’s two houses of parliament, the House of Representatives and Senate, were marred by violence in many parts of the country.

The situation led to the loss of lives and disruption of the voting process in many areas.

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Following the elections, there had been several unverified election results online with several party supporters claiming that their candidates are leading others in Saturday’s presidential poll.

This had led major political parties to engage in war or words over allegations and counter allegations on elections results being bandied around on the internet.

However, here are the three indices that will determine the winner of the poll

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1. The candidate that scores the majority vote.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: INEC Shifts Time For National Collation Of Results

2. The candidate with at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in two-thirds (24 out of 36) of the states.

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3. If no candidate meets the criteria, a run-off will be conducted within 21 days.

4. Only two candidates – the one with the highest number of votes and the candidate with 25 percent votes in more states – will take part in the run-off election
PUNCH

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Govt That Fails To Protect Its Citizens Has No Business Remaining In Office – Kwankwaso

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Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement and 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has accused the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of lacking the political will to tackle Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.

Kwankwaso spoke on Tuesday in Kano while unveiling 2,000 operatives of the Kano State Neighbourhood Security Network.

He urged President Tinubu to “rise to the occasion and truly act as the Commander-in-Chief” in addressing banditry and other security challenges.

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READ ALSO:Tinubu Embarks On Three-state Visit

According to him, Nigeria’s military “remains one of the most gallant in the world,” having served in international peacekeeping missions in Darfur, Liberia, and other conflict zones.

However, he said the armed forces are not being adequately supported to perform optimally.

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“Today, many innocent Nigerians are being killed, while the perpetrators walk freely as if nothing happened. The government must apologise to Nigerians for its laxity in the fight against insecurity,” he said.

Kwankwaso, who once served as Minister of Defence, added: “When I was Defence Minister, I knew the capability of the Nigerian military. They are courageous and professional but need clear direction, support, and political will to do the needful.”

READ ALSO:Soyinka Decries Seyi Tinubu’s ‘Excessive’ Security Escort

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He stressed that Nigeria’s armed forces had historically ranked among the best globally and urged the government to equip them properly to change the current security situation.

Kwankwaso also said that if elected president in 2027, he would recruit over one million additional military personnel to strengthen national security.

Any government that fails to protect the lives and property of its citizens has failed woefully and has no business remaining in office,” he declared.

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He further called on the Federal Government to integrate community-based security initiatives, like the Kano Neighbourhood Security Network, into the national security system to boost morale and improve intelligence-driven operations against criminals.

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ADC Announces Temporary Closure Of Secretariat

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The African Democratic Congress, ADC , says it has temporarily closed its National Secretariat as part of the end-of-year break.

A statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said full operations are scheduled to resume in the New Year.

According to the statement, the secretariat will close on December 23, 2025, and reopen on January 5, 2026.

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READ ALSO:Irresponsible Of You To Blame Trump Over Rising Insecurity – ADC Blasts Tinubu’s Govt

The party, however, said essential skeletal services will remain available throughout the period, while all other official activities at the National Secretariat will be suspended to allow staff and party officials observe the Christmas and New Year holidays.

This is to inform the public that the African Democratic Congress National Secretariat will close for the year on 23rd December 2025 and will resume full operations on 5th January 2026.

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“During this period, only skeletal services will be available, while all other official activities at the Secretariat will be temporarily suspended,” the statement said.

READ ALSO:Hoodlums Set Ablaze ADC Secretariat In Ekiti, Disrupt Party Excos’ Inauguration

The party thanked its members, partners and supporters for their continued loyalty and cooperation throughout the year, noting that their support remains critical to the growth and stability of the party.

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The ADC also said it is committed to its ideals and to democratic engagement as it prepares for activities in the coming year.

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PDP Reacts To Fubara’s Defection To APC

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The Kabiru Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the defection of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi FubaraGovernor, Siminalayi Fubara, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the move as a “self-inflicted injury” and a culmination of choices the governor “willingly embraced.”

Fubara on Tuesday defected from the PDP to the ruling APC.

He announced his decision during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday. Fubara joins several of his colleagues who have also switched to the APC this year.

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Recently, 17 members of the House of Assembly, loyal to former Governor Nyesom Wike and led by Speaker Martin Amaewhule, announced their defection from the PDP to the APC, thereby altering the balance of power in the legislature.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Fubara Dumps PDP For APC

In a statement issued Tuesday night by National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, the PDP said Fubara’s exit merely affirmed the legal maxim volenti non fit injuria—”to one who is willing, no harm is done.”

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According to the PDP, the governor’s political troubles and eventual departure were products of his own decisions.

“Everyone who has followed developments that culminated in this uneventful defection will recall that the Governor willingly travelled the path that took him to this destination,” the statement read.

“Having done so voluntarily, he cannot turn around and accuse our party or any person or group of failing to protect him.”

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The party insisted that at every stage of the crisis that engulfed Rivers politics over the past year, civil society groups, democratic actors and Nigerians across political divides stood in Fubara’s defence until he “capitulated.”

READ ALSO:Fubara Names New Rivers SSG

It added that rather than blame others, the governor should acknowledge the support he enjoyed before choosing his new path.

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Expressing concern about what it described as Fubara’s political capitulation, the PDP warned against the “Stockholm Syndrome”, a condition in which a victim develops affection for their oppressor—suggesting that the governor may have succumbed to pressures from forces aligned with the Federal Government.

In all, despite these, we pity the Governor and wish him well,” the party added.

READ ALSO:BREAKING: Gov Fubara Dissolves Rivers Pension Board

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The PDP further used the development to highlight what it called the “dysfunctional nature of Nigeria’s democracy,” lamenting a political environment where individuals wield power beyond institutions and allegedly deploy federal might to overwhelm opponents.

It warned that such tendencies threaten democratic stability and should be condemned by all well-meaning Nigerians.

With Fubara’s defection, the opposition party renewed its accusation that the ruling APC is bent on creating a one-party state and shrinking Nigeria’s political space.

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“Democracy is under severe attack,” the statement noted, urging Nigerians and the international community to resist what it called a slide toward electoral authoritarianism.

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