Muhammadu Buhari has won Nigeria’s presidential election by a margin of at least three million votes.
This is the first time in the country that the election has been won by the opposition.
His opponent, Goodluck Jonathan, has conceded defeat and called Gen Buhari to congratulate him on his victory.
Observers have generally praised the election but there have been allegations of fraud, which some fear could lead to protests and violence.
However, a spokesman for Gen Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) party praised Mr Jonathan, saying: “He will remain a hero for this move. The tension will go down dramatically.”
“Anyone who tries to foment trouble on the account that they have lost the election will be doing so purely on his own,” the spokesman added in quotes carried by Reuters.
Significant moment
This is a hugely significant moment in Nigeria’s history – never before has a sitting president lost an election, the BBC’s Will Ross reports from Abuja.
For the first time, many Nigerians feel they have the power to vote out a government that is not performing well, our correspondent adds.
Nigeria has suffered from several attacks by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which has killed thousands of people in its drive to establish an Islamic state.
Many voters have said that they believe Gen Buhari is better positioned to defeat Boko Haram.
Credit: BBC
