Early results from Nigeria’s election give the opposition leader Muhammadu Buhari more votes than the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan.
Opposition leader Muhammadu Buhari has opened up a slight lead over President Goodluck Jonathan in an election that is said to be very tight.
Results from Nigeria’s elections, potentially the closest contest since the end of military rule in 1999, trickled in on Monday after a weekend vote marred by electronic glitches, arguments and sporadic violence.
After announcing results in 18 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), the Independent National Electoral Commision (INEC) suspended the announcement of results late on Monday night local time – saying that they would start again on Tuesday morning.
The electoral commission announced that the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), the party of presidential challenger Buhari, took the most votes in Oyo, Kogi, Kwara, Katsina, Kaduna, Osun, Kano, Jigawa and Ondo states.
However, populous states such as Lagos and Rivers are yet to declare.
With just over half of Nigeria’s states declared, Gen Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) was reported to be ahead by some two million votes.
Nigeria’s election commission (Inec) suspended the announcements of results late on Monday night, after giving the results for 18 states and the capital Abuja.
President Jonathan’s People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gained 6,488,210 votes and Gen Buhari’s APC party received 8,520,436 votes.
The presidential and parliamentary elections had been delayed by six weeks because of the insurgency by Boko Haram militants.
The Islamists attacked polling stations in north-eastern states, with a curfew declared in Bauchi State after fighting between the security forces and the group.
The UN gave an upbeat assessment of the vote on Sunday, with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praising the “determination and resilience” of Nigerian voters, despite the reports of attacks by Boko Haram and others.
