{"id":10798,"date":"2019-02-27T06:50:48","date_gmt":"2019-02-26T22:50:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.namnewsnetwork.org\/?p=10798"},"modified":"2019-02-27T08:26:18","modified_gmt":"2019-02-27T00:26:18","slug":"nigerias-buhari-ahead-in-presidential-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/namnewsnetwork.org\/?p=10798","title":{"rendered":"Nigeria’s Buhari ahead in presidential election"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Muhammadu Buhari ,center, during election Campaign in Abia and Imo States. Photo courtesy President Twitter<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

ABUJA, Feb 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Incumbent Muhammadu Buhari maintained a lead over his main rival in the race to become Nigeria’s next president, with more than half of all states declared but signs of low turnout across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The death toll from election-weekend violence meanwhile jumped from 39 to 53, according to the Situation Room, an umbrella group of civil society monitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buhari, 76, who is seeking a second term, has so far won 14 states, including Kaduna and Jigawa in his northwest heartland, according to the latest results from Saturday’s vote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also secured the country’s two most-populous states, Lagos and Kano. In the former, he won by nearly 133,000 votes and by just over 900,000 in the latter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Former vice president Atiku Abubakar, 72, has notched up 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four states, including Abubakar’s native Adamawa in the northeast, swung back to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To win the presidency, a candidate needs a majority of votes nationwide and at least 25 percent of support in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With 25 states and the FCT declared, Buhari, a former military ruler, was just under 1.6 million votes ahead, with 10,504,191 to Abubakar’s 7,909,541.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Results are not official until declared by INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu but a number of local media outlets indicated that Buhari was on course to be returned to office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They correctly predicted Buhari’s win in Lagos and Kano.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yesterday I visited our Presidential Campaign Headquarters in Abuja. I met the very hardworking members of our Team, many of them young people, and was briefed on the performance of our party so far in the Presidential Elections. I am very proud of what has been accomplished. pic.twitter.com\/O0dgZep31w<\/a><\/p>— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) February 26, 2019<\/a><\/blockquote>