After the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announces the winner of a presidential election, it is required to publish the full vote counts for each candidate and identify the person who has been returned as elected. Within fourteen days, the declared victor receives a sealed certificate of return, while the result remains open to legal contestation. The winner does not immediately begin the four‑year term; the Constitution stipulates that the term starts only when the president‑elect takes the oaths of allegiance and office.
What is a certificate of return?
INEC must deliver a sealed certificate of return to the candidate confirmed by the returning officer no later than fourteen days after the declaration. This document officially records that the individual has been declared elected. In addition, INEC is obliged to issue a public notice displaying the candidates’ scores and indicating who has been returned.
Can the result be challenged?
Yes. Any candidate or political party that participated in the election may lodge an election petition. For presidential contests, the Court of Appeal is the designated forum. The Constitution of Nigeria requires that such a petition be filed within twenty‑one days of the result’s declaration. Separately, the Electoral Act empowers INEC to review a declaration or return within seven days if it receives a credible report from its officials and is convinced that the declaration was made under duress or in clear violation of the prescribed result‑verification procedures.
When does the winner take office?
The president‑elect assumes office only after being sworn in at the commencement of the new presidential term. The Constitution provides that the four‑year term begins on the date the president takes the oaths of allegiance and office. Consequently, the declaration makes the individual a president‑elect, while the inauguration marks the official start of the term.
"The term of office begins on the date the president takes the oaths of allegiance and office," the Constitution states, underscoring the distinction between election declaration and the actual start of presidential duties.