Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has called for peace and national unity following an eruption of violence in the north of the country after he was declared the winner in the presidential poll.
Electoral authorities say Jonathan, a Christian from the southern oil-producing Niger
Delta region, received about 57 percent of the vote, easily beating his northern rival, former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim.
International observers have described the election as generally credible -- supporters of the losing candidate have alleged irregularities.
As the official results become known on April 18, reports said violence flared in the mainly Muslim north, with clashes reported between police and rioting crowds.
Casualty totals were not immediately available. The West African nation of 150 million people, Africa's most populous country, is divided between a Christian-dominated south and the Muslim north.
compiled from agency reports
Electoral authorities say Jonathan, a Christian from the southern oil-producing Niger
Delta region, received about 57 percent of the vote, easily beating his northern rival, former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, a Muslim.
International observers have described the election as generally credible -- supporters of the losing candidate have alleged irregularities.
As the official results become known on April 18, reports said violence flared in the mainly Muslim north, with clashes reported between police and rioting crowds.
Casualty totals were not immediately available. The West African nation of 150 million people, Africa's most populous country, is divided between a Christian-dominated south and the Muslim north.
compiled from agency reports
