Election results 'suspicious' say officials from rival's camp

ABUJA, Nigeria - President Goodluck Jonathan secured election victory on Sunday as votes were tallied from around Nigeria, fuelling anger in the mainly-Muslim strongholds of rival Muhammadu Buhari.

Buhari, a former military ruler from the arid, dustblown north, had hoped to at least force a second round against Jonathan, the first head of state from the swamps and creeks of the oil-producing Niger Delta.

But a Reuters tally of results from 35 of 36 states across Africa's most populous nation showed Jonathan won 22 million votes to 12 million for Buhari. Nowhere near enough voters were registered in the remaining state for him to catch up.

Observers called the election the fairest for decades.

But Buhari's camp said some results looked suspicious, especially where turnout had been exceptionally high. In a sign of the growing tension in the north, youths set up burning barricades in several cities.

Jonathan's officials said there would be no victory claim until results were announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission. They were clearly upbeat.

"This is no time for triumphalism. It is a time for deep reflection, for strengthening the bond of our union and for all of us to work together," said Oronto Douglas, a senior advisor to Jonathan.

With formal announcements of results still awaited from eight states, the electoral body adjourned until Monday, the earliest winner is likely to be declared.

The president did particularly well in his predominantly Christian south, while Buhari swept many northern states in the country of 150 million people.

An outright win for Jonathan could ease worries over potential disruptions to crude exports from Africa's biggest oil producer and lift local financial markets awaiting the end of a series of elections.

But the voting made clear the challenge of ethnic and religious polarisation facing the election winner alongside the need for reforms to Africa's third-biggest economy, held back by poor infrastructure, mismanagement and corruption.

"While a near term relief rally is easily plausible in Nigerian financial markets, the political impetus behind real reform, and the extent to which these challenges are met head-on, will be the determinant of longer term outcomes," said Razia Khan, Standard Chartered's Africa economist.

Heading African Union observers, former Ghanaian president John Kufuor said Nigeria appeared to have ended its reputation for badly flawed elections and could set an example for Africa with at least a dozen more African polls due this year.

"I expect the developments here will have a very positive impact on the continent," he said.

The prospect of victory for the candidate of the ruling People's Democratic Party grated in the north, which had been buoyed by early results showing Buhari doing very well and had feared rigging.

Reuters