Some polling units still open one day after Nigeria vote

KANO, Nigeria — Some polling stations remained open in several states across Nigeria on Sunday while votes were counted in Saturday’s presidential election, widely seen as a tight race between the president and a former vice president.

Although the electoral commission said it was happy that voting was generally peaceful in Africa’s largest democracy, there were outbreaks of violence in the vast West African country. Analysis unit SBM Intelligence, monitoring for a civil society platform, said at least 39 people had been killed, citing its own informants and media reports.

One election worker was hit by a bullet after completing work in Rivers state in the restive south, electoral chairman Mahmood Yakubu told reporters: “May her soul rest in peace.” He did not give an overall death toll, saying he was focused on election workers, who faced “intimidation, abduction, hostage-taking and violence.”

In one case, he had to make an urgent phone call to secure the release of workers and even police taken hostage in Rivers state, he said. All were unharmed.

Voting continued in parts of Abia, Bayelsa, Benue, Plateau, Zamfara and Sokoto states after the process was extended because of various issues. “Nigerians have demonstrated extraordinary resilience and abiding faith in the electoral process,” Yakubu said.

The national vote compilation center was opening in the capital, Abuja, on Sunday evening, with at least one state among Nigeria’s 36 already on the way after completing its vote count.

A formal declaration of the presidential winner would come “in the not-too-distant future,” the chairman said.

More than 72 million people were eligible to vote in Africa’s most populous country and largest economy. The election was held a week late after the electoral commission cited several logistical challenges, including bad weather.

President Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler who unseated the incumbent in the 2015 election, seeks a second term against more than 70 candidates. His main rival is Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and billionaire businessman.