3 frontrunners in Nigeria's presidential election claim they are on the path to victory

Each of nan 3 frontrunners successful Nigeria’s hotly contested statesmanlike predetermination claimed Monday they are connected nan way to triumph arsenic preliminary results trickled successful 2 days aft Africa's astir populous nation went to nan polls.

Only 4 of Nigeria's 36 states had officially announced results by midday Monday, pinch 3 of those going to ruling statement campaigner Bola Tinubu. The 4th was won by main guidance statement campaigner Atiku Abubakar.

Also successful nan operation arsenic a perceived frontrunner was Peter Obi pinch nan Labour Party. A victor is not expected to beryllium announced until astatine slightest Tuesday. After nan erstwhile statesmanlike predetermination successful 2019, it took 4 days for officials to state a victor.

A runoff predetermination will beryllium held if nary campaigner secures astatine slightest one-quarter of nan votes from two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and nan superior city, successful summation to receiving nan highest number of votes.

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On Monday, nan African Union perceiver ngo said voting had been delayed successful much than 80% of polling units chiefly because of logistical challenges caused by Nigeria’s rate switch program. The redesign of nan Nigerian slope note, nan naira, caused rate shortages nationwide and voters and canvass workers had difficulties getting to polling stations Saturday. Voters successful immoderate states had to hold until precocious successful nan evening to formed ballots, while successful different states nan predetermination continued Sunday.

Observers from nan missions of nan African Union and nan West African location bloc known arsenic ECOWAS said that nan predetermination was mostly "encouraging" isolated from for isolated cases of unit that disrupted voting successful immoderate states.

A man arranges section newspapers pinch nan preliminary statesmanlike predetermination results connected a thoroughfare successful Nigeria connected Feb. 27, 2023.  (AP Photo/Sunday Alamba)

After Tinubu's triumph successful Ekiti state, nan incumbent statement said it was connected people to enactment successful power.

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"If nan accusation we are opening to person from various parts of nan state is thing to spell by, 1 has each logic to beryllium optimistic that our campaigner will win," Abdullahi Adamu, nan statement chairman, told nan state-run News Agency of Nigeria.

The Labour Party besides claimed that it was winning, though Obi has not yet officially won immoderate of nan states first announced.

"We are acold up and we are already starring and we are winning successful 24 states," said Yunusa Tanko, spokesperson for nan Labour Party. Its candidate, Obi, is simply a astonishment frontrunner successful what is usually a two-horse race, pinch his fame surging successful polls weeks up of nan vote. The statement accused predetermination officials of not being coming successful their strongholds and said immoderate of their supporters were denied nan opportunity to vote.

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As nan afloat results haven’t been released yet, analysts be aware that early unsubstantiated claims of triumph will do thing but deepen nationalist mistrust of nan electoral process and undermine nan legitimacy of nan polls.

"The claims by nan 3 parties purpose to motivate their voters who are urged to protect ballot boxes from rigging. But nan unsubstantiated claims of triumph summation nan consequence of protests, some serene and convulsive by disappointed voters," said Mucahid Durmaz, elder expert astatine Verisk Maplecroft, a world consequence intelligence company.