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Nigeria elections

Nigeria's Peter Obi wins in Lagos state in presidential election

Nigeria has begun announcing the results of its national elections, with Obi of the Labour Party coming out ahead of former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu for the governing All Progressives Congress party. Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition People's Democratic Party followed with 75,750 votes. Obi's campaign was popular with younger, more urban and educated voters, but he still faces an uphill battle in rural areas. It is expected to be several days before a victor is announced.
Nigeria's Peter Obi wins in Lagos state in presidential election A supporter of Nigerian opposition candidate of the Labour party, Peter Obi (not in picture), wears a T-shirt with his image printed on it at a street procession in Ikeja district in Lagos, Nigeria 01 October 2022. EPA-EFE/AKINTUNDE AKINLEYE

Nigeria's electoral commission began announcing state-by-state results in the national elections on Sunday, though it is not expected to name a victor in the race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari for several days.

Obi of the Labour Party got 582,454 votes, just ahead of 572,606 for former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu for the governing All Progressives Congress party, electoral commission data showed on Monday. Lagos was previously Tinubu's main stronghold.

Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) got 75,750 votes.

Obi's campaign called on voters to reject the two parties that have run Africa's most populous nation for a quarter century, under whose governance corruption has flourished and insecurity has spread across the country.

He was most popular with the youth, but especially urban, relatively educated voters with access to smartphones and social media. But he still faces an uphill struggle in rural areas with a less sophisticated audience.

(Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

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