Nigerian President-elect Tinubu appeals for unity after hotly contested elections

MAIDUGURI, Nigeria

Nigeria's President-elect Bola Tinubu appealed for unity in the country on Wednesday after hotly contested elections that have been disputed by opposition parties.

In his acceptance speech after being declared the winner of the weekend election, Tinubu said the divisions that characterized the poll should not linger into the post-election period.

"There are divisions amongst us that should not exist. Many people are uncertain, angry and hurt. I reach out to every one of you. Let the better aspects of our humanity step forward at this fateful moment. Let us begin to heal and bring calm to our nation," he urged.

Analysts have warned that the elections fueled religious and ethnic divisions in Nigeria.

Tinubu, however, struck a conciliatory tone after his victory, stressing that it would serve every person in the West African country and vowing to work together opposition parties, some of which have disputed the election results.

A candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress party (APC), Tinubu garnered 8.7 million votes in the race held on Feb. 25-26, according to Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the country's electoral commission.

The main opposition People's Democratic Party's (PDP) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, received 6.9 million votes, while Labor Party (LP) candidate Peter Obi got 6.1 million, according to the official count.

Eighteen candidates ran for presidential office in Africa's largest democracy and economy, which is also its most populous nation with around 206 million people.

Tinubu will succeed outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, whose administration has been marked by security threats and economic crunches.

The country remains bedeviled with the challenges of insecurity, including terrorism, banditry, armed conflict and kidnapping. ​​​​​​​

* Hassan Isilow, contributed to this report from Johannesburg South Africa