President Muhammadu Buhari took an early lead n initial official results from Nigeria’s presidential election but the party of his main challenger quickly rejected the tallies as “incorrect and unacceptable”.
In the northern state of Kano, hundreds of people celebrated Buhari’s provisional lead in what was billed as one of the key battlegrounds in this year’s elections.
Saturday’s election, which western observers said had lost some credibility after being abruptly delayed by a week by officials citing organizational glitches, was expected to be Nigeria’s tightest since the end of military rule two decades ago.
Buhari, 76, is a former military ruler seeking a second term on an anti-corruption platform, while Atiku, 72, a businessman and ex-vice president, has pledged above all to expand the role of the private sector.
Initial results released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday put Buhari ahead, having won in seven of Nigeria’s 36 states.
