Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has been re-elected as the president for the second term of five years, the electoral commission chairman has said on Wednesday, following delayed election, violence and logistical glitches.
According to Reuters news reports, Buhari has received 56 per cent of votes in his favour against 41 in favour of his rival Atiku Abubakar, former vice president and businessman, of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
However, hours after Buhani was declared as the president of the nations, Atiku dismissed the polls result and vowed to challenge Buhari in an apex court.
Buhari, including reviving an economy facing a 2016 recession and decade-old Islamist insurgency that has claimed the lives of thousands in the northeastern region, a daunting to-do list.
He told supporters at the campaign headquarters of his All Progressive Congress (APC) party in the capital Abuja: “The new administration will intensify its efforts in security, restructuring the economy and fighting corruption.” He urged his supporters to not to “humiliate” the opposition or gloat.
But while rejecting the results, in a statement, Atiku said: It is clear that there were manifest and premeditated malpractices in many states which negate the results announced … I hereby reject the result of the February 23, 2019, sham election and will be challenging it in court.”