Nigerian opposition leader Mr Muhammadu Buhari has branded last weekend's presidential elections "the most fraudulent since independence" and demanded they be cancelled and reheld.
"Those who lost were declared winners," Mr Buhari claimed at a media briefing. He was defeated in Saturday's election by President Olusegun Obasanjo, according to official results released yesterday. Mr Obasanjo's ruling PDP party also dominated elections for the Senate, House of Representatives and state governors.
"I plead with the international community not to recognise this government," he said and called for "safe fair and credible elections to be held with to next two weeks."
Saturday's election was Nigeria's first civilian-run presidential poll in 20 years and was seen as a chance for Africa's most populous country to confirm its transition towards full democracy.
But international monitors sharply criticised the conduct of the poll, which they said was marred by widespread fraud, and opposition parties have refused to accept the results.
European Union observers said earlier that fraud and serious irregularities had marred the elections and the US State Department said there had been "widespread and often credible claims of electoral malfeasance".
At least 25 people have been killed since last Saturday's vote. More than 10,000 people have been killed in ethnic, religious and political clashes in Nigeria since a 1999 military-supervised election put Mr Obasanjo in office.
Agencies