Who won Lagos in 2023?

Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) defeated Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State in the February 25, 2023, presidential election, overturning expectations in a state long regarded as Tinubu’s political stronghold.

Obi polled 582,454 votes to defeat Tinubu, who secured 572,606 votes, while Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came third with 75,750 votes, according to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) received 8,442 votes.

Obi won Lagos by 9,848 votes, making the result one of the major surprises of the 2023 presidential election. Tinubu, who governed Lagos from 1999 to 2007, had maintained significant political influence in the state through his party and political network.

However, the result showed that his longstanding connection to Lagos did not guarantee victory at the polls.

According to the results published by INEC and reported by The Punch, Obi won nine of the state’s 20 local government areas, while Tinubu secured victories in the remaining 11.

The Labour Party candidate performed strongly in Alimosho, Ojo, Oshodi-Isolo, Amuwo-Odofin, Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Kosofe, Somolu and Ajeromi-Ifelodun.

In Alimosho, the state’s most populous local government area, Obi polled 71,327 votes against Tinubu’s 62,283. In Amuwo-Odofin, Obi recorded 55,547 votes, while Tinubu received 13,318. Obi also won Oshodi-Isolo with 51,020 votes against the APC candidate’s 27,181.

Tinubu, meanwhile, won in areas including Agege, Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Mushin and Surulere.

Despite winning more local government areas, Tinubu lost the overall contest because Obi accumulated more votes across the state. The result demonstrated the Labour Party’s ability to attract substantial support beyond the traditional structures of the APC and PDP.

The outcome also reflected the appeal of Obi’s campaign among voters seeking an alternative to Nigeria’s established political parties, particularly young people who were prominent in the wider movement for political change.

Election-day controversies

The election in Lagos was also marked by reports of violence, intimidation and disruptions at some polling units.

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, which monitored the 2023 general elections, raised concerns about the scale of election-related violence in the state. Its report stated that “the incidents of violence in Lagos State appeared to have surpassed its existing threshold.”

The report documented an incident at Bishop Oluwole Memorial Primary School in Ward 005, Ifako-Ijaiye, where a disagreement involving INEC officials and party agents over a voided ballot paper led to a fight during vote counting.

In another incident, at Polling Unit 069 in Amuwo-Odofin, the Situation Room reported that thugs attacked voters, vandalised vehicles and prevented some people from voting.

The report also documented attacks on journalists covering the election. An ARISE TV crew was attacked in the Elegushi area of Lagos, leaving a cameraman with facial injuries, while camera drones and other equipment were seized.

Beyond violence at polling units, the 2023 elections attracted criticism over the electronic transmission of results. INEC’s election report addressed glitches affecting its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) during the presidential election. The commission maintained that the technical problems did not invalidate the election, although the delays fuelled public concerns about transparency and the credibility of the process.

These controversies formed part of the wider debate over the conduct of the 2023 general elections, with election observers calling for improvements in electoral administration, transparency and security.

A significant political upset

Ultimately, Obi’s victory in Lagos demonstrated that Tinubu’s political influence in the state was not enough to secure a presidential election win. Although the APC candidate won more local government areas, the Labour Party candidate prevailed on the total number of votes cast.

With 582,454 votes against Tinubu’s 572,606, Obi emerged as the winner in Lagos by a margin of 9,848 votes. Atiku finished a distant third with 75,750 votes.

The result became one of the defining stories of the 2023 presidential election, illustrating how voters in a state central to Tinubu’s political history chose a different candidate.