Nigerian opposition parties urged the nation’s election commission to immediately release results from Saturday’s poll to reduce the chances of the outcome being compromised.
Polling stations were supposed to transmit the counts as soon as they were tallied, but the Independent National Electoral Commission had published results from less than a quarter of them by 4 p.m. local time. Officials in some areas, including one south of the capital Abuja, uploaded notes saying the “election was declared not contested,” following attacks by criminals.
“It will be a disservice to Nigerians and a negation to democracy for anyone to subvert the will of the people as freely expressed in their votes,” Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, said in a statement.
