ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian opposition contender Muhammadu Buhari built a
lead of over 2.5 million votes with only six states uncounted on
Monday, raising the prospect of a stunning ballot box victory for a man
who first came to power three decades ago via a military coup.
The 72-year-old general who has campaigned as a born-again
democrat intent on cleaning up the corrupt politics of Africa's most
populous nation notched up 12.9 million votes, according to a tally
collated by Reuters from 30 of Nigeria's 36 states.
This compared to 10.2 million votes for President Goodluck
Jonathan, a one-time zoology professor whose five years at the helm of
the continent's biggest economy and top oil producer have been plagued
by corruption scandals and a bloody insurgency by Islamist Boko Haram
militants.
For table of latest results, click on.
There is still time for a reversal of fortunes, with one
of Jonathan's big support bases in the oil-producing Niger Delta yet to
report. Announcement of the results will resume at 0900 GMT on Tuesday,
the election commission said.