Nigeria: No, Opposition Presidential Candidate Abubakar Hasn't Defeated Ruling APC in 'All Local Councils' in Nigeria's Osun State

28 February 2023
Africa Check (Johannesburg)
By Allwell Okpi

IN SHORT: Osun state in southwest Nigeria has 30 local government areas, not 20. So the claim that PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar "won all 20 LGAs" to defeat his rival Bola Tinubu of the APC is misleading. Abubakar won 20, but Tinubu garnered 10.

A Facebook post claims that Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Nigeria's presidency, has defeated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Tinubu to win all local government areas in Osun state.

It includes a link to a media report with the headline: "BREAKING: Atiku Defeat Tinubu To Win All 20 LGAs In Osun."

Osun is in Nigeria's southwest geopolitical zone. The zone was considered Tinubu's stronghold.

But did Tinubu suffer a heavy defeat, losing all local government areas in Osun state?

Osun state has 30 local government areas, not 20

The headline of the report is misleading and misrepresents its body text.

On 25 February 2023, the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) conducted the presidential and national assembly elections across the country, including Osun's 30 local government areas.

The report correctly spells out the presidential election results Inec announced for Osun. Abubakar won in 20 local government areas with a total of 354,366 votes. Tinubu got 343,945 votes and "won in 10 local governments".

Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi came in third place in Osun, with a total of 23,283 votes. Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party scored 713 votes.

The headline implies Tinubu won no local government areas of Osun state. It is misleading.

Read the original story, with links and other resources.
Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. Twitter @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org

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