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                  Nigerians Await Presidential Election Result

   by Anne Look, Chris Hannas

   Nigerians waited Monday for election officials to count ballots and
   announce the result of two days of voting to decide the country's
   president.

   Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said late
   Sunday that it would begin at midday Monday the process of collating,
   or pulling together the vote totals from states.

   To win the election without a runoff, a candidate needs a majority of
   the nationwide vote while also securing at least 25 percent of the
   ballots in two-thirds of the country's 36 states and the capital.

   President Goodluck Jonathan, who has been in office since 2010 and
   whose Peoples Democratic Party has held the presidency since 1999, is
   facing a challenge from former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari from the
   All Progressives Congress.

   The election was supposed to be held solely on Saturday, but voting was
   extended into Sunday because of delays caused by technical problems.

   The African Union and the Economic Community of West African States
   observer missions say despite logistical problems and some violence,
   the organization of the election was "acceptable."

   But there were tensions Sunday in Rivers state, where APC officials and
   supporters called for the election to be re-done after alleged vote
   rigging.

   Attahiru Jega, the head of the INEC, said his office was investigating
   the complaints in Rivers and other states.

   "We are concerned about what seems to be happening in Rivers state,
   there are many alleged cases of malpractices and we certainly pay a lot
   of attention to investigating this and if our staff are involved in any
   way or manner, obviously we will apply the appropriate sanctions and
   take the appropriate decisions as provided for by the electoral legal
   framework," said Jega.

   Nigeria was originally due to hold the election in mid-February, but
   officials pushed back the vote because of fighting and instability in
   northeastern states where Boko Haram militants have been battling the
   government since 2009.

   The security situation improved after a multinational offensive drove
   the militants from many towns they had controlled.

   Anne Look reported from Abuja, Ibrahim Yakubu reported from Kaduna,
   Hilary Uguru reported from Port Harcourt, Ardo Hazzad reported from
   Bauchi, Chris Stein reported from Kano and Katarina Hoije reported from
   Lagos.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/nigerians-await-presidential-election
   -result/2699517.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/nigerians-await-presidential-election-result/2699517.html