The candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Muhammadu Buhari, is leading President Goodluck Jonathan, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,  flag bearer, in the results in eighteen states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, so far released by the Independent National Electoral Commission’s national collation centre in Abuja.

Although the results of several other states have been announced at state level by the Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, INEC officially released the results in 18 states and the FCT which gave Buhari a lead of nearly two million votes over Jonathan

The results show the APC candidate polling a total of 8,520,441 votes and winning in 10 of the 18 states and FCT so far announced while Jonathan has scored 6,687,787, winning in 9 states.

Of the 18 states and the FCT, Buhari has won 10, including Ogun, Kogi, Osun, Ondo, Oyo, Kano Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina and Kwara, while President Jonathan won in 9, Ekiti, Enugu Nasarawa, Abia, Plateau, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Imo and the FCT.

The results were announced at the national election collation centre, Abuja, by the state collation officials in a ceremony presided over by the chairman of INEC and which lasted late into the night.

The results in the remaining 18 states are expected to be announced today although many the results of many states are already known as they have been announced at state level.

Interestingly, results are still being expected from states in which the two candidates are most popular. For example, while results of states like Cross Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa and Benue which are traditional PDP states and are expected to be won by Jonathan are still being expected, the APC is also anticipating winning in states like Sokoto, Kebbi, Borno, Zamfara and possibly, Gombe which all have huge votes.

In the announced results, Buhari has already recorded some upsets in traditional PDP states like Kogi and Kwara, Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa.

He has also posted strong figures in the South west states – except Ekiti State – previously dominated by the Action Congress of Nigeria, courtesy of the merger of opposition parties to form the APC.

So far, Jonathan and the PDP have also recorded an upset in Nasarawa and has done well is some states won by Buhari such as Ogun and Ondo.