Counting of votes in Saturday’s crucial presidential election in Nigeria is underway across the country.
The voting process was relatively peaceful despite reports of violence in parts of the country.
Voting was also characterized by delays at some polling stations as well as malfunctioned machines.
Key contenders in the election are President Muhammadu Buhari, 76, and the former vice president and opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar, 72.
There were over 60 million voters who voted to choose a president and new leaders for the national assembly.
Millions of Nigerians were disappointed when voting on February 16 was called off by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Shifting voting in Presidential and National Assembly elections to Saturday February 23 meant governorship and state assembly elections will take now place on March 9, instead of original March 2 date.
Incumbent Buhari is facing a tough challenge in Atiku Abubakar from the opposition.
Buhari who took office on May 29, 2015 defeated the then sitting President Goodluck Jonathan.
He contested for president in 2003, 2007 and 2011 but only became successful and 2015.
Key details of the elections
The electoral commission only declares a candidate winner in the first round should that candidate gain at least 25% of the votes in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states.
Nigeria has 73 registered candidates contesting the presidential election.
But the PDP and APC are the dominant parties and their candidates are the leading contenders.
There are 120 domestic and 36 international observer groups with the deployment of some 73,000 observers.
Source: Africafeeds.com
