Nigeria’s election commission announced the first results late Sunday from the country's closely watched presidential election, but it could days before a winner is declared.

The ruling All Progressives Congress party (APC)'s candidate, Bola Tinubu, secured the most votes in southwest Nigeria's Ekiti state, the commission said at the national collation center in the capital, Abuja.

Results from 35 other states and Abuja were still pending after logistical problems and security concerns caused voting delays. People across the country continued casting ballots Sunday even though the general election, which included choosing a new national legislature, had been scheduled to end Saturday.

“We are aware there will be many more states concluding tonight and tallies coming to Abuja,” Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, said.

Voters keenly awaited for the announcement of the winner in the race to lead Africa’s most populous country, where incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after two four-year terms.

Among the candidates in the race, three stand out: Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition party (PDP), and Peter Obi, backed by the Labour Party.

A winner is not expected to be announced until at least Monday. After the last presidential election, it took four days for a declaration of victory. A runoff election will be held if no candidate secures one-quarter of the votes from two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and the capital city along with receiving the highest number of votes.

In the capital, Abuja, some voters said they were barred from voting at all.

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