By Rafiu Ajakaye
LAGOS
Thousands of jubilant Nigerians took to the streets late Tuesday to celebrate opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari's winning of Saturday's presidential elections.
"We have just made history," Rasak Ajadi, a supporter of Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC), told The Anadolu Agency.
"What seemed almost impossible has just been achieved in our time," he said. "It calls for celebration."
Buhari has won 21 states while incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan won 15 states in addition to the federal capital Abuja, according to the Independent National Election Commission (INEC).
The INEC is yet to announce the total number of votes each of the two presidential contenders had gathered.
But according to a tally by the Anadolu Agency based on official figures, Buhari has accumulated nearly 15.4 million votes while Jonathan has won nearly 12.8 million.
Buhari has earlier this evening thanked the Nigerian people for choosing him over Jonathan.
The APC national headquarters in Abuja was flooded by thousands of celebrating youths, chanting victory songs and expressing hope that the country would get better under Buhari.
Local bands played and youths danced to an assortment of music.
APC leaders took turns to address the jubilant party enthusiasts, loyalists and ordinary Nigerians.
"We are happy because the will of the people has prevailed," Dino Melaye, an APC leader and a senator-elect, told AA.
"Nigerians have spoken and it is indeed a new dawn," said Melaye as he and other party chieftains broke into wild jubilations.
Oladosu Anike, who said she had voted against the People's Democratic Party (PDP), said she was happy at the poll outcome.
"I feel it is the best thing for our country," she told AA.
"The PDP had felt so arrogantly comfortable to the extent of boasting that it will rule for 60 years, so this tells them enough is enough," Anike said. "People have spoken well and loud enough."
She advised Buhari's APC to learn the lesson.
"We want a change and voted for it," she told AA. "Four years are just around the corner, we will judge the APC too with our votes."
