Buhari claims victory in Nigeria

ABUJA, Nigeria—As Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said an unofficial count indicated he won Saturday’s presidential contest against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the opposition has already rejected the outcome of the vote, causing concern about unrest. At least 53 people have been killed in election-related violence and there have been a handful of insurgent attacks in some of the northern areas known for conflict.

The final results are expected on Wednesday, at the latest. With 28 of the country’s 36 states reporting, Buhari captured 15 states, while Abubakar won in the capital and 11 other states, most of them in the majority Christian south. The YIAGA Africa civic group said its election observers recorded between 36 and 40 percent voter turnout, compared to 44 percent in 2015. Babatunde Fashola, a spokesman with Buhari’s campaign, said the ruling All Progressives Congress party was already preparing to celebrate its victory. He called on Abubakar to concede willingly, saying, “Let this nation move forward.”

Buhari, 76, and Abubakar, 72, are both Muslims from the country’s north. The two contenders remained at the forefront of a race with 71 other candidates, many of them first-timers. The incumbent promised to continue building on the foundational work his party began four years ago, while Abubakar and his People’s Democratic Party emphasized the need for more jobs and investment across the country.

In a Tuesday statement, People’s Democratic Party spokesman Uche Secondus said the results do not tally with what the opposition party collated and accused the ruling party of manipulating the results. He asked the commission to “remain impartial and not become willing agents to disenfranchise our people and derail our democracy, because the world is watching, and history will indeed pass judgment.”

So far, it seems unlikely either candidate will concede, and observers worry the weeklong delay of the vote enabled the parties to contest the result. In a joint preliminary statement, two U.S.-based observer missions—the National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute—said that postponing the vote and the delay in opening some polling units risked “undermining citizen confidence in elections and disenfranchising voters.”

The Nigeria-based SBM Intelligence analysis group reported at least 53 people died in election-related violence, including at least 16 casualties from two attacks in Borno state and Yobe state on the day of the vote. But Amaka Anku, who leads the Africa team with the New York–based risk firm Eurasia said a Buhari victory is not likely to trigger widespread violence. “Atiku’s voters do not match Buhari’s passion and are unlikely to risk their lives on the streets for him,” she said.