The outcome of the presidential election conducted last week has left many Nigerians uneasy amid concerns that the results from several states were manipulated.
On Wednesday, Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress as the winner of the election.
According to the results released by INEC, Tinubu scored a total of 8,794,726 votes to defeat 17 other candidates who took part in the election. He scored the highest number of votes, thus meeting the first constitutional requirement to be declared the winner.
The results also indicate that Tinubu scored over 25 percent of the votes cast in 30 states, more than the 24 states constitutionally required.
Several opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party, have rejected the results, with many Nigerians expressing worry that INEC might have betrayed the trust they have in the commission.
Kenneth Morgan, a banker in Lagos, told BusinessDay on Thursday that everything was calm in his area, adding that many were still apprehensive about the outcome of the presidential election results announced by INEC.
He said: “Business is still slow; some businesses are yet to open, and those that are open have low patronage. However, things are picking up gradually and the tension is cooling off.
“We are all wishing there’s no post-election violence, and the aggrieved parties should go to the court.”
Esther Enyinnaya, a public servant living at Ago-Okota, in Lagos, said she noticed on her way to her workplace that the number of vehicles on the road has reduced.
She said: “Few vehicles were on the roads, and banks still have customers clustered in queues to withdraw money. I experienced little to no traffic on the way. Surprisingly, the Cele-Ijesha expressway is a reputable hotspot for traffic. I got to the office quicker than I had anticipated.
“The atmosphere perceived by people in my area after the election has been calm. No sign of violence. I also noticed that as well on my way to Mile 2. People are going about their business as usual.”
Sunday Nwankwo, a businessman based in Kaduna State, said the business communities in Kaduna and especially Zaria were quiet.
“Though there is no violence anyway, probably because the announced result is in their favour, there is a noticeable level of anxiety impulses written all over people’s faces,” he said.
In Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, the report is not different from what is obtainable in many other parts of the country.
Chima Apollos, a businessman, said commercial activities in Aba were at a low ebb.
Read also: Bola Tinubu: From godfather of Lagos to Nigeria’s president-elect
“Business is slow, and this is borne out of the outcome of the February 25 election and the challenges of the scarcity of naira redesign,” he said.
Francis, a civil servant in Lagos, said many people in his area, the Egbe/Ile-Iwe axis, had not started going about their normal business.
He said: “The election tension is still high and people are talking seriously about the upcoming governorship election, particularly in Lagos.
“Drivers are reducing transport fares to attract more passengers. I paid N200 from my bus stop to Cele-Ijesha express where I usually would pay N400, and I didn’t experience a single traffic on my way, which is unusual under normal circumstances.”
However, Yemi Kayode, a fashion designer in Benin, Edo State, said although many people in the state were not happy with the results announced by INEC, they had moved on with their lives and business activities.
“There is movement in Benin despite plans for protest in the state capital today,” she said.
