Jonathan takes early lead in Nigeria's presidential election

Incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan looks set to win Nigeria’s presidential election in the first round, according to early results released on Sunday. The count so far puts Jonathan well ahead of his closest rival, Muhammadu Buhari.

Reuters/Joseph Penney

By Sunday evening Jonathan had more than 20 million votes compared to 10 million for Buhari, according to Reuters. With results in from 30 states, the incumbent president had won 20 of Nigeria’s 36 states, while Buhari had nine and former anti-corruption chief Nuhu Ribadu had one.

Under the Nigerian constitution, to avoid a run-off a candidate must win at least a quarter of the ballots in 24 states or more.

Results showed a sharp division between the north and south. Each candidate did well in their home regions: Jonathan is from the predominantly Christian south and Buhari the mainly Muslim north.

Observers said the poll appeared to be fair, though some members of Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) expressed fears of vote-rigging by the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

In the northern state of Bauchi, election offices and PDP headquarters were set alight after allegations of fraud, while some voters are reported to have slept outside counting centres to ensure that ballot papers were not tampered with.

The Independent National Electoral Commission is expected to announce the full results within 48 hours.