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ABUJA, Nigeria — Every of the three frontrunners in Nigeria’s hotly contested presidential election claimed they’re on the trail to victory Monday, as preliminary outcomes trickled in two days after Africa’s most populous nation went to the polls.
Solely certainly one of Nigeria’s 36 states has formally introduced outcomes, with the ruling social gathering’s Bola Tinubu profitable by a large margin in Ekiti state, but every social gathering mentioned it was on observe to profitable.
On Monday there have been three front-runners within the 18-party race: Tinubu, the primary opposition social gathering’s Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi with the Labour Celebration. A winner shouldn’t be anticipated to be introduced till no less than Tuesday. After the earlier presidential election, it took 4 days for officers to declare a victor. A runoff election might be held if no candidate secures no less than one-quarter of the votes from two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and the capital metropolis, along with receiving the best variety of votes.
There have been fears of violence on Election Day, from Islamic militants within the north to separatists within the south, however voting was largely peaceable Saturday. Nevertheless, observers mentioned there have been no less than 135 vital incidents, together with eight reviews of ballot-snatching, that undermined the legitimacy of the election.
There have been additionally widespread delays, blamed by officers and observers on logistical points in addition to the upheaval created by a redesigned forex that has left many residents unable to acquire financial institution notes.
After Tinubu’s victory in Ekiti state, the incumbent social gathering mentioned it was on the right track to remain in energy. “If the data we’re starting to obtain from numerous elements of the nation is something to go by, one has each purpose to be optimistic that our candidate will win,” Abdullahi Adamu, the social gathering chairman, informed the state-run Information Company of Nigeria.
The Labour Celebration additionally claimed that it’s profitable.
“We’re far forward and we’re already main and we’re profitable in 24 states,” mentioned Yunusa Tanko, spokesman for the Labour Celebration. Its candidate, Obi, is a shock frontrunner in what’s normally a two-horse race, together with his recognition surging in polls weeks forward of the vote. The social gathering accused election officers of not being current of their strongholds and mentioned a few of their supporters had been denied the chance to vote.
As the total outcomes haven’t been launched but, analysts warning that early unsubstantiated claims of victory will do nothing however deepen public distrust of the electoral course of and undermine the legitimacy of the polls.
“The claims by the three events purpose to inspire their voters who’re urged to guard poll packing containers from rigging. However the unsubstantiated claims of victory enhance the danger of protests, each peaceable and violent by upset voters,” mentioned Mucahid Durmaz, senior analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, a world danger intelligence firm.
Related Press reporter Sam Mednick contributed from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso