Brussels 27.02.2023 Nigeria’s electoral commission started announcing state-by-state results from national elections on Sunday, February 26, amid complaints of irregularities, though it is not expected to name a victor in the race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari for several days.

The presidential vote is expected to be the closest in Nigeria’s history, with candidates from two parties that have alternated power since the end of military rule in 1999 facing an unusually strong challenge from a minor party nominee popular among young voters.

Votes in presidential and parliamentary elections are collated in each of Nigeria’s 36 states before the count is transmitted to the electoral commission’s central tallying center in the capital Abuja.

The European Union has deployed an Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the Presidential, Senate and House of Representatives elections scheduled for 25 February and the Governorship and the State Houses of Assembly elections scheduled for 11 March. The EU EOM is led by Chief Observer Barry Andrews, Member of the European Parliament from Ireland.

“The European Union Election Observation Mission has come to Nigeria for the seventh election in a row. We follow a very clear methodology of non-interference in the political process, but we will produce reports with recommendations after the elections are completed” said in his interview to Punch newspaper the Chief Observer of the European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria, 2023, Barry Andrews.
“We are here on the invitation of the Independent National Electoral Commission. We have long-term observers across the country since January. We also have long-term observers this week throughout the country. In total, we have a total of 100 observers and we will produce a preliminary report two days after the election, February 27 and a final report within three months after the election. That is the process, we are completely impartial, independent and non-political. We will make our assessment ultimately about the transparency and credibility of the election”.