The two main candidates unsuccessful in the presidential election in Nigeria denounced, Thursday, March 2, fraud and the victory of Bola Tinubu, of the ruling party, Atiku Abubakar evoking a "violation of democracy" and Peter Obi a legal action .

Nearly 25 million Nigerians cast their ballots on February 25 in an election that was generally calm, but marred by delays in the counting of votes and major shortcomings in the electronic transfer of results.

These incidents have provoked the ire of many voters and the main opposition parties who denounce "massive fraud".

>> To see: Nigeria: Bola Tinubu elected president but contested by the opposition

"The manipulations and fraud that have accompanied this election are unprecedented in the history of our nation," said Atiku Abubakar, the 76-year-old People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate who came second with 29 percent of the vote.

According to him, the results proclaimed by the National Electoral Commission (Inec) were "grossly biased" in favor of Bola Tinubu, 70, of the Congress of Progressives (APC), who officially won the presidential election with more than 8, 8 million votes, or 36% of the vote.

The official turnout is around 27% – even lower than in the previous election, in 2019 (33%).

"A rape of democracy"

"I still do not understand why the electoral arbitrator was in such a hurry to conclude the collection and announcement of the results, given the number of complaints and irregularities" registered, Atiku Abubakar was surprised before the press in Abuja.

For him, "it is indeed a violation of democracy".

Youth favorite Peter Obi, 61, of the Labor Party (LP), who came third with 25% of the vote, has already announced his intention to go to court to challenge the results.

"I want to go to court. We will explore all legal and peaceful options to get our mandate back. We won the election and we will prove it to Nigerians," he said.

"This election will go down as one of the most contentious ever in Nigeria," said Peter Obi.

“The Nigerian people... have once again been robbed by our supposed leaders whom they trusted,” he added.

>> To see: Nigeria: "The election of Bola Tinubu is a disappointment for the youth"

The emergence of this outsider against the two main political parties is a first in the democratic history of Nigeria.

This former governor, perceived as honest, had established himself as the candidate for a break with the aging Nigerian elite, reputedly corrupt.

And his defeat was experienced as a terrible disappointment for his supporters.

Asked if he intended to do the same, Atiku Abubakar, who has unsuccessfully run for the presidency six times, simply replied: "Our lawyers are studying the results of the election, we are awaiting their advice (... ) and we will decide what to do".

After the proclamation of the results, the candidates have 21 days to challenge the election in court.

Accusations "unfounded and irresponsible", according to the electoral commission

Bola Tinubu, the former governor of the economic capital Lagos, will succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, 80, who is due to step down in May with a disastrous record marked by soaring poverty and insecurity.

On Wednesday, he called on his opponents to "team up together".

"We must work in unity" to "put the broken pieces back together", he insisted.

Nicknamed the "godfather", the "kingmaker" or even the "boss" for his considerable influence, Bola Tinubu has been repeatedly accused of corruption during his career, without ever being convicted.

>> To read: Presidential in Nigeria: Bola Tinubu, the "kingmaker" now crowned

In the past, elections in Nigeria have often been marred by allegations of fraud and violence.

This time, some voters and opposition parties say system failures in uploading results allowed manipulation of ballots and disparities in the results of manual counts at polling stations.

International observers, including those from the European Union, also noted major logistical problems, disenfranchised voters and a lack of transparency.

For its part, the electoral commission castigated accusations "unfounded and irresponsible" of the opposition.

With AFP

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