Opposition Leader, Felix Tshisekedi, Wins Congo Presidential Poll

Hamilton Nwosa
Writer

Ad

What Tinubu told Amupitan as He Assumes the INEC Chairmanship Seat

By Abiola Olawale President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday administered the oath of office to Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), charging him to prioritize and staunchly defend the integrity of Nigeria's electoral system. ​The swearing-in ceremony, held at the State House, Abuja, followed the…

Amupitan’s Era as INEC Chairman Officially Begins After Tinubu’s Swearing-in

By Abiola Olawale President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday officially swore in Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). ​The swearing-in ceremony, held at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, follows the recent confirmation of the Amupitan by the Senate, solidifying his mandate to oversee the nation’s…

Concerns as Nigeria’s Fuel Imports Hit 15 Billion Litres Despite Dangote Refinery Production

By Abiola Olawale ​ New data from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has revealed that Nigeria imported approximately 15.01 billion litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), or petrol, between August 2024 and early October 2025. ​This import volume, representing nearly 69% of the nation's total petrol supply during the 15 months,…

Ad

Opposition candidate Felix Tshisekedi has won the Democratic Republic of Congo’s tightly contested presidential vote, the electoral commission has said.

Provisional results put him ahead of another opposition candidate, Martin Fayulu, and the ruling coalition’s Emmanuel Shadary.

If confirmed, Mr Tshisekedi will be the first opposition challenger to win since the DR Congo gained independence.

Current President Joseph Kabila is stepping down after 18 years in office.

He had promised DR Congo’s first orderly transfer of power since the country’s independence from Belgium in 1960.

The election outcome was initially expected to be announced on Sunday. The interim result can still be challenged.

In the early hours of Thursday, the head of DR Congo’s National Electoral Commission (Ceni), Corneille Nangaa, said Mr Tshisekedi had received 38.5% of the vote and had been “provisionally declared the elected president”.

The full results were, with turnout reportedly 48%:

Felix Tshisekedi – 7 million votes
Martin Fayulu – 6.4 million votes
Emmanuel Shadary – 4.4 million votes
Mr Tshisekedi, who is the son of late veteran opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, told supporters at his Union for Democracy and Social Progress party headquarters in Kinshasa that Mr Kabila should no longer be seen as a rival.

“I pay tribute to President Joseph Kabila and today we should no longer see him as an adversary, but rather, a partner in democratic change in our country,” he said.

Mr Tshisekedi has promised to make the fight against poverty his priority.

Mr Fayulu, a former oil tycoon, dismissed the results as having “nothing to do with the truth”.

“The Congolese people will never accept such a fraud,” he told the BBC, adding: “Felix Tshisekedi never got 7 million votes. Where did he get them from?”(BBC)

Ad

X whatsapp