by Aminu ABUBAKAR

Buhari supporters in Kaduna

Waving brooms and shouting “Change! Change!” supporters of Muhammadu Buhari joined in raucous street celebrations Tuesday across Nigeria after he claimed victory in the presidential election.

A cavalcade of motorbikes and cars with their headlights on and horns blaring paraded through the streets of Kano, northern Nigeria’s biggest city, where the retired general won a landslide victory.

Drivers performed stunts, filling the air with thick smoke, as veiled women and the crowds shouted “Sai Buhari” (Only Buhari) in celebration.

Kano is among the Nigerian states hit hardest by Boko Haram Islamists, where many have criticised President Goodluck Jonathan’s handling of the insurgency.

Buhari supporters in Obalende Lagos

“This is one of the happiest moments of my life,” Khalid Isa Musa, 25, a university student said.

“I look forward to a new dawn in Nigeria. I hope this is the end of Boko Haram and all forms of insecurity in Nigeria,” he added.

Many brandished brooms, the symbol of Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC), which claims it will sweep Africa’s most populous country clean years of government mismanagement and corruption.

“I haven’t been this excited since the night of Barack Obama’s election,” said Anas Galadima in the crowd building outside APC headquarters in the capital Abuja.

“It’s not about Muslim or Christian or any party. It’s about politicians knowing that if you don’t do the job we can kick you out.”

In a neighbourhood of Kaduna, another northern city, the crowds chanted “Change! Change!” as hundreds of people climbed onto rooftops to watch the celebrations.

– ‘Show of democracy’ –

In Kano — where Buhari won 89 percent of the vote — some young men donned black fedoras, which Jonathan is rarely seen without, to mock the outgoing leader, putting suitcases on their heads as people chanted “Out of Aso Rock”, the name of the presidential villa.

Buhari’s victory would be the first democratic change of power in the history of Africa’s most populous country and cap a remarkable return for the 72-year-old Buhari, who headed a military regime between 1984 and August 1985.

“We must see this as a triumphant show of democracy, a change for the better,” Buhari’s wife Aisha Buhari said in one of a series of jubilant Twitter messages.

Buhari’s supporters in Abuja

The opposition leader, making his fourth run at the presidency, has been buoyed by frustration over endemic corruption, criticism over Jonathan’s handling of Boko Haram and a stronger opposition.

“I’m confident Buhari will tackle the two major problems bedevilling Nigeria which are insecurity and corruption,” said Maikudi Adamu, 35, a charcoal trader.

“My vote has truly counted. This is the beginning of consolidation of democracy.”

In Abuja, jubilant crowd on Tuesday night took over the secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in celebration and to keep vigil, waiting for Buhari’s formal declaration by the INEC as president-elect.

About 2,000 people danced round the party secretariat chanting victory songs.

Different dance groups, traditional drummers, well wishers and party chieftains exchanged pleasantries for the party’s victory at the polls.

Some of the groups chanted with Buhari’s name describing him as the needed change.

No fewer than 100 journalists comprising local and international media were also at the party’s secretariat waiting to receive Buhari.

Security agents, including men of the Department of State Security Service (DSS) and the Police were seen at strategic positions within and outside the secretariat to ensure security.

Sen. Kabiru Gaya, who was elected to the Senate in 2007, representing the Kano South constituency on the platform of the APC, told NAN that the victory called for celebration since it was happening in the country’s democracy for the first time.

“We thank God almighty for the opportunity given to us to have a good transition in this democratic era; I now believe that democracy is here to stay.

Youths celebrate Buhari’s victory in Abuja

“We have been shifting from one party to the other but now I think there will stability; I hope Nigerians will accept this change in good fate for good things to come.

“The people have decided who they want and it is Buhari; we hope that he can make changes in this new dispensation,’’ Gaya said.

NAN reports that another set of jubilant crowd blocked the T-junction close to the AP Plaza on the Adetokumbo Ademola way, Wuse II, Abuja, chanting APC slogans.

International observers gave broadly positive reactions to the conduct of the vote, despite late delivery of election materials and technical glitches with new voter authentication devices.

Nigeria’s Transition Monitoring Group, which had observers across the country, said: “These issues did not systematically disadvantage any candidate or party.”

Despite the vote being the closest contest ever in the nation of 173 million, opposition supporters saw it as a clear mandate.

“Today it’s like we’ve gotten our freedom,” said Muhammad Sani Albari, a student. “We have been ruled for the past 16 years by the ruling party PDP. They have been ruling us and no job, no good roads, no hospitals, no infrastructure.”