Officials in Nigeria say voting has officially ended across the nation in historic presidential elections, amid violence, accusations of fraud and logistical problems.
Nigerian Electoral Commission Chairman Maurice Iwu told reporters preliminary results from today's elections are expected in a matter of hours. Iwu says voting will continue in some areas to make up for delays in distributing ballots.
The vote marks the first peaceful transfer of civilian power since Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960.
But the elections have been plagued by violence that has killed dozens of people across the country. Witnesses in the northern town of Daura say police opened fire on demonstrators protesting against alleged vote-rigging, killing at least three people.
An attempted attack on the election commission headquarters in the capital of Abuja early today failed when a gas tanker truck rigged to explode stopped short of its target. The truck did not explode.
