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VICTORY: Muhammadu Buhari has been re-elected as the president of Nigeria

MUHAMMADU BUHARI’s re-elected as the president of Nigeria has been rejected by his main opponent.

Buhari defeated his main opposition former vice-president Atiku Abubakar to win the vote yesterday.

The 76-year-old’s APC (All Progressives Congress) party received 15.2 million votes and the People’s Democratic Party received 11.3 million.

The turnout was 35.6 per cent compared to 44 per cent in 2015, the electoral commission said.

Abubakar, 72, has rejected the result, described the election as a sham and announced that he will be launching a legal challenge.

He wrote on Twitter: “I hereby reject the result of the February 23, 2019 sham election and will be challenging it in court.

“I want to assure my supporters and the entire Nigerian people that together, we will not allow democracy to be emasculated.”

2007 was a challenge, but President Yar’Adua was remorseful. In 2019, it is sad to see those who trampled on democracy thumping their noses down on the Nigerian people.

— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) February 27, 2019

He added: “I hope and pray Nigerians will someday summon the courage to defend democracy. That is the only way we can move away from being the world headquarters for extreme poverty.”

Speaking after securing a second four-year term, Buhari thanked his supporters and appealed to them not to gloat or humiliate the opposition.

“I thank the millions of Nigerians who voted to re-elect me as your president for the next four years. I am deeply humbled and profoundly grateful to you for judging me worthy of continuing to serve you and for your peaceful conduct,” he wrote on Twitter.

He added: “We will strive to strengthen our unity and inclusiveness so that no section or group will feel left behind or left out.”

While the election process was subject to delays as a result of violence and has been surrounded by claims of rigging, election fraud has not been identified by independent observers.

Chief justice Walter Onnoghen, the supreme court head whose jurisdiction included electoral disputes, was suspended from the role by Buhari just weeks before the election. Critics have argued that the decision was timed to protect the APC from losing any post election legal challenges.

Buhari expressed sadness at the loss of life that occurred during the lead up to voting but described Saturday’s elections as “relatively peaceful”.

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