The country’s independent electoral commission announces he won four million votes more than he main opponent Atiku Abubaker who has rejected this result.

Muhammadu Buhari has his work cut out in his second term as Nigeria’s president .

He has to restore the country’s faltering economy that has still not recovered from a 2016 recession.

This will mean a more equitable distribution of Nigeria’s oil wealth

And he has urgently to address the Islamist insurgency that has made large parts of North East Nigeria ungovernable.

He has to keep his promise to fight corruption that has become endemic.

He also has to deal with growing rural violence between farmers and cattle herders they accuse of  destroying their land.

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His opponent Atiku Abubaker has rejected this result that still has to be officially confirmed.

Reuters in Nigeria is reporting that Muhammadu Buhari won four million votes more than Atiku Abubaker in the Presidential election that was delayed for a week by operational problems.

The electoral commission will review the figures it has put out and deliver an official result.

Buhari has his work cut out.

He has to restore Nigeria’s faltering economy still not recovered from a 2016 recession.

And he has urgently to address the Islamist insurgency that has made large part of North East Nigeria ungovernable. 

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He’s commended the patience of the Nigerian people indexing with the week-long delay in the election.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari is basking in the congratulation of friends having beaten Atiku Abubaker and won a second term as President.

Buhari’s advised  his followers not to gloat about their victory.

In his message to Abuja, President Cyril Ramaphosa notes the findings the African Union observer mission that the election was peaceful and conformed with Nigeria’s legal framework.

He says he looks forward to working with Buhari to build on the close ties between the countries – they have no fewer than 34 bilateral agreements in place – especially in the economic fields.

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His chief opponent Atiku Abubaker disputes this and alleges there were irregularities in the vote that was delayed by a week.

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Election observers from the European Union, United States and African Union have expressed concern about delays in the arrival of voting material and malfunctioning of electrical voting machines that led to voting going into a second day in some centres.

They’re also critical of the electoral commission  delaying the elections by a week.

But none have supported the claims of fraud by the opposition People’s Democratic Party.

Early results have incumbent Muhammadu Buhari winning seven of Nigeria’s 36 states.

Atiku Abubaker is given two states and the capital Abuja.

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Both candidates are claiming victory after a at  least 35 deaths on polling day.

Nigeria’s electoral commission insists it is the only authority empowered to officially announcing results of the parliamentary and presidential elections.

This are not expected before mid-week.

Both leading candidates are posting confident tweets.

Voting was allowed on Sunday at centre affected by malfunctioning ballot machine or a delay in the arrival of voting materials.

The election has been a bloody affair with more than 250 deaths up until voting day, which was delayed by a week, and another 35 deaths during polling.

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Voting had to be extended last night in areas where polls opened late or voting was disrupted by ballot machine malfunctioning.

President Muhammadu Buhari, seeking a second term, says he’s confident of victory in Africa’s largest election to date.

Equally buoyant  is former vice president Atiku Abubaker in a contest that’s too close to call.

The election, which was a week late because of organizational problems, was marred by violence in the north east and south of the country.

Authorities, who initially denied it, admit that Islamist terror group Boko Haram fired artillery shells into Maiduguri in an unsuccessful bid to seize the Borno state capital. 

One soldier was killed 

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There’s a fear that this postponement will lead to a lower turnout of the 84-million registered voters in Africa’s most populous country.

Incumbent Muhammadu Buhari and former vice president Atiku Abubaker are the two main candidates to today’s presidential poll .

Buhari’s criticized for failing to adequately to deal with corruption, unemployment and insecurity.

Abubaker has a chequered record on corruption.

It is important the result is accepted by the losing side to avoid the ethnic violence that will inevitably follow a disputed outcome.

Putting Buhari in power in mid 2015 was the first democratic change of government in Nigeria post the end of military rule in 1999.

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There were shots fired in the north east and south of the continent’s most populous country where the result is too close to call.

Both Muhammadu Buhari, vying for a second term as Nigeria’s president, and Atiku Abubaker his main opponent for the position, cast their ballots early today.

The polls stayed open for just six hours.

Security force said the shots heard in Maiduguri, where terrorist group Boko Haram has threatened would-be voters, were simply a drill.

There was no explanation for why the gunfire rang through the southern city of Port Harcourt.

Voting was delayed for several hours in a number of centers.

The election had been posponed for a week because of organizational problems.

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They’ll defy the instruction of the Independent  Electoral Commission that campaign should have stopped before the original voting late last Saturday.

President Muhammadu Buhari ‘s dismissed Nigeria’s Independent Electoral Commission as incompetent.

This is the body that postponed the elections for a week for purely logistical reasons.

Buhari’s urged the authorities to act ruthlessly against anyone trying to rig the poll.

His ruling All Progressives Congress will resume campaigning today and stop on Thursday, ahead of Saturday’s voting.

The Peoples Democratic Party of his major opponent Atiku Abubaker agrees that the electoral commission is wrong trying to stop campaigning and says candidates will be back on the stump until Thursday.

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A local hospital reports 14 deaths with several injured.

The stampede occurred when supporters of President Muhammadu Buhari tried to get through a locked gate at a football stadium he was leaving to campaign around Port Harcourt.

Nigerians go the polls on Saturday so campaigning has reached fever pitch.

76-year-old Muhammadu Buhari is fighting for a second term having spent several months last year out of the country on medical leave.

His main rival, Atiku Abubaker is making his fifth attempt to win the presidency, hoping to gain majority support from the 84 million registered voters.

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