The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu has formally declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu as winner of the 2023 presidential election.

Yakubu who is the only person vested with such power made the declaration on Wednesday at the National Collation Centre, Abuja.

By this declaration, Tinubu will receive his Certificate of return by 3pm Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

Tinubu defeated 17 other candidates who took part in the election with a total of 8,794,726 votes.

He also scored over 25 per cent of the votes cast in 30 states, more than the 25 states constitutionally required.

INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, who announced the final results in the early hours of Wednesday in Abuja, said Atiku Abubakar of the PDP came second in the election with a total of 6,984,520 votes.

Peter Obi of the Labour Party came third in the election with a total of 6,101,533 votes while Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP came fourth with 1,496,687 votes.

Tinubu, Atiku and Obi won in 12 states (including FCT) while Mr Kwankwaso won only in Kano.