Nigeria elects Muslim president and ousts Goodluck

Opposition leader Muhammadu Buhari claimed a historic victory on Tuesday, defeating President Goodluck Jonathan in the Nigeria’s first democratic ousting of a sitting leader.

Jonathan, a Christian who hails from southern Nigeria, enjoyed strong support in the Christian, oil-producing regions along the country's coast. Buhari is a Muslim from the mostly Islamic and agricultural northern parts of the country.

With just one of 36 states left to deliver results, Buhari had 15.1 million votes to Jonathan’s 11.7 million and President Goodluck Jonathan has conceded defeat, saying "nobody's ambition is worth the blood of any Nigerian". Jonathan said in a statement that he has sent his best wishes to his successor, former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari.

"I promised the country free and fair elections. I have kept my word", the former President said in a statement.  He added he wanted to secure his legacy of expanding the space for Nigerians to participate in the democratic process.

"At about 5 minutes to 5, President Jonathan called General Muhammadu Buhari, the winner of the elections, to congratulate him", opposition All Progressive Congress spokesman Lai Mohammed confirmed.

The new President expressed his gratitude for Jonathan's call:  "There had always been this fear that he might not want to concede, but he will remain a hero for this move. The tension will go down dramatically".  

The governing People’s Democratic Party had questioned the results of Saturday’s election in at least seven states, but ultimately conceded. Buhari’s All Progressive Congress had unsuccessfully called for the cancellation of results in southeastern Rivers state, at the heart of Nigeria’s crucial oil sector, after incidents of what it complained were intimidation and violence.

The opposition APC sent mass text messages to its supporters, urging them to remain indoors and celebrate with their families, warning that the PDP had hired thugs to shoot and bomb those celebrating.

Those warnings were joyously ignored in Kano, the country's second largest city, which is in Buhari's heartland in the country’s north.