Africa
01:55, 25-Feb-2019
NIGERIA DECIDES: National tallying set to begin
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Nigeria's electoral commission is expected to begin the national counting of presidential results in Abuja later on Sunday.
In a media briefing held earlier, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said officials from the various states would arrive in the federal capital with the state results, after which counting and tallying will officially begin.
“We expect the state collation officers for the presidential election scope to start arriving at the national collation center later today and early morning tomorrow. Accordingly the national collation center will be officially opened today at 6:00PM,” Prof. Mahmood said.
Nigerians voted on Saturday in the delayed presidential poll to elect their new leader for the next four years. The vote was initially scheduled for 16 February but INEC postponed it to 23 February citing logistical and operational challenges.
The commission has note yet given any updates on the numbers of voters that participated in the election, though the turnout is believed to have hit high figures.
Prof. Mahmood also confirmed that areas that did not vote on Saturday as planned were allowed to vote today, and that counting in those areas would begin later.