3 parties claim early lead in Nigeria presidential election

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Each of the three frontrunners in Nigeria's hotly contested presidential election claimed they were on course for victory on Monday as preliminary results went by two days after Africa's most populous nation went to the polls.

Only one of Nigeria's 36 states officially announced the results, with Bola Tinubu of the ruling party overwhelmingly winning in the polls. Ekiti State, but each party said they were on track to win.

On Monday, there were three favorites in the 18-party race: Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition party and Peter Obi of the Labor Party. A winner is not expected to be announced until at least Tuesday. After the previous presidential election, it took officials four days to declare a winner. A run-off will be held if no candidate receives at least a quarter of the two-thirds vote from Nigeria's 36 states and the capital, in addition to receiving the highest number of votes.

There There were fears of violence on election day, from Islamist militants in the north to separatists in the south, but the vote was largely peaceful on Saturday. However, observers said there were at least 135 critical incidents, including eight reports of ballot theft, which undermined the legitimacy of the election.

There have also been widespread delays, attributed by officials and observers to logistical problems as well as the upheaval created by a redesigned currency that has prevented many residents from obtaining banknotes .

After Tinubu's victory in Ekiti State, the ruling party said it was on track to stay in power. "Judging by the information we are starting to receive from various parts of the country, we have every reason to be optimistic that our candidate will win," party chairman Abdullahi Adamu told AFP. Nigeria's official news agency.

Labour also claimed it was winning.

“We are far ahead and we are already in the lead and we are winning in 24 states,” said Yunusa Tanko, spokesperson for the Labor Party. Its candidate, Obi, is a surprise favorite in what is usually a two-horse race, his popularity rising in the polls weeks before the vote. The party accused election officials of not being present in their strongholds and said some of their supporters were denied the chance to vote.

As full results have yet to be released, analysts are warning that early unsubstantiated claims...