Buhari wins landmark election in Nigeria

As counting in the closest-ever election in Nigerian history concludes, incumbent candidate Goodluck Jonathon has conceded defeat.

 

“This is the first time in Nigeria that a sitting government will be voted out of power using purely democratic means,” Lai Mohammed, spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC), told Reuters.

The winning candidate needs at least 25% support in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory if he wants to avoid a run-off. Electoral officials said they would announce official results later on Tuesday evening.  Buhari is a former military dictator who ruled Nigeria between 1983 to 1985 after he took control of the country in a coup. His return to government through democratic means has certainly shocked some.