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In Nigeria’s Election, Muhammadu Buhari Defeats Goodluck Jonathan In Nigeria’s Election, Muhammadu Buhari Defeats Goodluck Jonathan
(about 4 hours later)
KANO, Nigeria — With anger swelling over corruption, inequality and a devastating Islamist insurgency in the nation’s north, Nigerians chose a former general who once ruled with an iron hand to be their next president, according to election results on Tuesday. KANO, Nigeria — With anger swelling over corruption, inequality and a devastating Islamist insurgency in the nation’s north, Nigerians by a wide margin chose an austere former general who once ruled with an iron hand to be their next president, according to election results on Tuesday.
The election was the most competitive presidential race ever in Nigeria, one of the largest democracies in the world. Now, if power is handed over peacefully, it will be a major shift for the nation — the first transfer of power between civilians of different parties in a country that has spent much of its post-colonial history roiled by military coups. The election was the most competitive presidential race ever in Nigeria, one of the largest democracies in the world. Now, if power is handed over peacefully, it will be a major shift for the nation — the first transfer of power between civilians of different parties in a country that has spent much of its post-colonial history stirred by military coups.
With all but one of Nigeria’s 36 states counted, the former military ruler, Muhammadu Buhari, held a lead of more than two million votes over President Goodluck Jonathan. With all of Nigeria’s 36 states counted, the former military ruler, Muhammadu Buhari, delivered a crushing defeat to President Goodluck Jonathan, getting nearly 55 percent of the vote to Mr. Jonathan’s 45 percent.
The remaining state is in the north, where Mr. Buhari enjoys broad support and the government has been widely condemned for allowing the Boko Haram militant group to sweep through villages and towns, killing thousands of civilians.
Since the end of military rule in 1999, Nigeria has been governed by a single, dominant party — Mr. Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party.Since the end of military rule in 1999, Nigeria has been governed by a single, dominant party — Mr. Jonathan’s Peoples Democratic Party.
But on Tuesday, Mr. Buhari’s campaign said that the president had called the challenger at 5:15 pm to acknowledge defeat — a step that, if confirmed, many Nigerians would consider a big leap forward after previous elections marred by fraud and incumbents clinging to office. But on Tuesday, Mr. Buhari’s campaign said that the president had called the challenger at 5:15 p.m. to acknowledge defeat — an act many Nigerians considered a big step forward after previous elections marred by fraud and incumbents clinging to office.
“We knew that we had the numbers last night, but dealing with the type of government we have, we have never really felt we are out of the woods,” said Garba Shehu, a campaign spokesman for Mr. Buhari’s party, the All Progressives Congress. “Clearly we have won it. We are going to the party headquarters now and the presidential candidate will declare victory.” “We knew that we had the numbers last night, but dealing with the type of government we have, we have never really felt we are out of the woods,” said Garba Shehu, a campaign spokesman for Mr. Buhari’s party, the All Progressives Congress. “Clearly we have won it.”
Many analysts have long said that a victory for Mr. Buhari would be more of a repudiation of the current president than a celebration of Mr. Buhari’s past leadership. Later on Tuesday, Mr. Jonathan publicly thanked Nigerians for “the great opportunity I was given to lead this country,” congratulated Mr. Buhari and said he had kept his word to deliver “free and fair elections.”
On Mr. Jonathan’s watch, Nigeria has been pummeled by Boko Haram, its economic fortunes have plunged with falling oil prices, inequality is rampant and corruption scandals have buffeted the president’s image. “Nobody’s ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian” Mr. Jonathan said. “The unity, stability and progress of our dear country is more important than anything else.”
Mr. Buhari swept critical competitive states in the country’s southwest. A belated convert to democracy, Mr. Buhari also piled up large vote totals, as expected, in his northern stronghold, crushing the incumbent here in Kano, Nigeria’s second-largest city. Analysts said that the election could mean the beginning of a competitive two-party system in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and most populous nation with about 180 million people.
Analysts said that the election could mean the beginning of a competitive two-party system in a country often seen as a bellwether on the continent.
“It is very significant in our democratic growth, in grounding democracy and consolidating it,” said Ebere Onwudiwe, a political scientist with the Ken Nnamani Center for Leadership and Development. “We can’t have a one-party democracy. We’re setting a very great example for the rest of the smaller states in Africa.”“It is very significant in our democratic growth, in grounding democracy and consolidating it,” said Ebere Onwudiwe, a political scientist with the Ken Nnamani Center for Leadership and Development. “We can’t have a one-party democracy. We’re setting a very great example for the rest of the smaller states in Africa.”
Warnings on Monday from Britain and the United States suggested that the government might try to exert some influence over the election result. Others noted that the peaceful handover of power from one party to another was a relative rarity on a continent where strongmen or dominant parties rule in many countries.
“So far, we have seen no evidence of systemic manipulation of the process,” Secretary of State John Kerry and the British foreign minister, Philip Hammond, said in a joint statement. “But there are disturbing indications that the collation process — where the votes are finally counted — may be subject to deliberate political interference.” It is “a giant leap for democracy in Nigeria and Africa, particularly at a time when many incumbents are trying to change their constitution to extend their legal term in office,” said Pierre Englebert, an African politics specialist at Pomona College.
A diplomat later explained that “credible reports” had been received “that the army has been asked to go to collation centers around Nigeria” in order “to intimidate” and that the request had come “from the ruling party and the presidency.” On Tuesday evening, jubilant crowds lined overpasses, bridges and streets here, the major city in Mr. Buhari’s stronghold in the north. The mood was celebratory as motorists honked their horns; the former general has been very popular here for years.
The diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a delicate matter, added, “We understood that the request had been made, and we were afraid it might happen. It may have happened.” There have been frequent attacks in Kano by the Boko Haram militant group, which has killed thousands of civilians in this country, and people spoke of a yearning for them to end.
A spokesman for Mr. Jonathan later denied any such interference, and the results indicated a solid tally in the challenger’s favor. “I am very, very happy,” said Salu Saleh Mohammed, 19, a student. “I love Buhari. He is good government and national security. He will draw Nigeria from bad government to government.”
But military intervention had occurred at least once in the election, when the country’s top security officers, who serve at the pleasure of Mr. Jonathan, forced the electoral commission to delay the vote for six weeks. On Mr. Jonathan’s watch, Nigeria has been pummeled by Boko Haram, its economic fortunes have plunged with falling oil prices, inequality is rampant and corruption scandals have tarnished the president’s image.
Those extra six weeks of campaigning and spending gave the incumbent — with far more financial resources than Mr. Buhari — a significant advantage, according to analysts. Mr. Buhari, while short on specifics for fixing a budget hemorrhaging revenue because of the fall in oil prices, has promised to tackle corruption vigorously, as he did when he was the country’s authoritarian military ruler two decades ago.
It also allowed a last-minute offensive against the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, with the deployment of South African mercenaries against the extremists. The offensive reclaimed — for now, at least — much of the territory Boko Haram had held in the northeast. That in itself would help an economy that, by one estimate, has lost some $400 billion because of corruption since independence.
The reclamation occurred with military help from neighboring countries. The Nigerian military has claimed the credit for the offensive, however, and a crucial question for the election’s immediate aftermath has been whether security forces would allow power to pass peacefully to Mr. Buhari. Voters here spoke frequently of corruption when explaining why they cast their ballots for Mr. Buhari. But he also swept competitive states in the country’s southwest. He took swing states in the center, and he crushed the incumbent in his northern strongholds, particularly here in this ancient Muslim metropolis, Nigeria’s second-largest city.
Analysts said that Mr. Buhari made a strong showing in states in the south and southwest. As the results were being counted, there were fears — voiced notably on Monday by top British and American diplomats — that the government would interfere to block Mr. Buhari’s victory. The military had already intervened at least once in the election, when the country’s top security officers forced the electoral commission to delay the vote for six weeks.
“Those are fault-line states,” said Darren Kew, a Nigeria expert at the University of Massachusetts at Boston who is observing the election. “The P.D.P.” — Mr. Jonathan’s party — “had a good machine on the ground there” that nonetheless failed to deliver for the president. Those extra six weeks of campaigning and spending gave Mr. Jonathan time to mount a last-minute offensive against Boko Haram, with the deployment of South African mercenaries. The offensive reclaimed, for now, much of the territory Boko Haram had held in the northeast.
Mr. Buhari’s supporters appear to have been more strongly motivated than those of a president whose reputation has suffered from repeated corruption scandals in his government. Help came from neighboring countries like Chad, though the Nigerian military has claimed the credit for the offensive. Still, a crucial question in the election’s immediate aftermath had been whether security forces would allow power to pass to Mr. Buhari.
Mr. Buhari won in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital and major city. His supporters appear to have been more strongly motivated than those of a president whose reputation has suffered from repeated corruption scandals in his government.
Last year, after the governor of the country’s central bank repeatedly asserted that billions of dollars in oil revenue owed to the treasury was missing from public coffers, he was removed from his post.Last year, after the governor of the country’s central bank repeatedly asserted that billions of dollars in oil revenue owed to the treasury was missing from public coffers, he was removed from his post.
The missing funds could amount to “$10.8 billion or $12 billion or $19 billion or $21 billion — we do not know at this point,” the bank governor wrote to the Nigerian Senate before his dismissal, adding that the problem “has been going on for a long time” and could “bring the entire economy to its knees.”The missing funds could amount to “$10.8 billion or $12 billion or $19 billion or $21 billion — we do not know at this point,” the bank governor wrote to the Nigerian Senate before his dismissal, adding that the problem “has been going on for a long time” and could “bring the entire economy to its knees.”
Mr. Jonathan’s handling of the Boko Haram insurgency, which has lasted nearly six years, has also stirred deep resentment. In New York, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Monday that Boko Haram had killed more than 7,300 civilians in three states in northern Nigeria since the beginning of 2014 alone. An audit commissioned by the government has yet to be released.
The official, Kyung-wha Kang, the deputy emergency relief coordinator, said 1.5 million people had been displaced in Nigeria and neighboring countries, making the insurgency one of the most pressing humanitarian crises in the world. Questions have also swirled about the way the government allocates crude oil to middlemen who then make huge profits from reselling it. Beyond that, some corrupt officials have been pardoned; others suspected of abusing the public trust have been excused.
Mr. Jonathan’s handling of the Boko Haram insurgency, which has lasted nearly six years, has also stirred deep resentment. In New York, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council on Monday that Boko Haram had killed more than 7,300 civilians in three states in northern Nigeria since the beginning of 2014 alone, and 1.5 million people had been displaced in Nigeria and neighboring countries, according to the United Nations.
The government’s military campaign against the group has often been brutal as well, with officials and witnesses in the north describing mass killings of civilians by Nigerian soldiers, harrowing detentions of residents, and often little effort to distinguish militants from the innocent.The government’s military campaign against the group has often been brutal as well, with officials and witnesses in the north describing mass killings of civilians by Nigerian soldiers, harrowing detentions of residents, and often little effort to distinguish militants from the innocent.
Here in Kano — where Mr. Buhari led in the city and surrounding state by nearly 1.7 million votes — enthusiasm for the former general was “very, very high,” said Abubakar Jika Jiddere, a political scientist. “We need change; people have been tired for a very long time,” said Ibrahim Sanusi, 24, a civil servant who had joined the crowds outside the emir’s palace here Tuesday night. “People need to feel safer. After that, corruption and jobs. We need peace of mind. That is what the government must provide.”
Indeed, polling places were packed on Saturday. On Monday, the city’s normally teeming streets were emptied of vehicles and pedestrians as residents awaited the results. This city has been repeatedly attacked by Boko Haram. “Yesterday, he was a soldier,” Mr. Sanusi said, dismissing Mr. Buhari’s authoritarian past, which occurred before he was born. “And, now we have elected him.”