Presidential resultsNigeria - The protests which broke out in several parts of the north Sunday, after news filtered in that incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan is on the way to winning Saturday's presidential election, has spread to other parts of the region. The protests were first noticed in Bauchi and Gombe states, where at least 10 people were killed and several vehicles and houses burnt by angry youth protesting alleged collusion between officials of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and electoral officials. According to the local media, the protests quickly spread to Sokoto state, where angry youth burnt houses and cars in several areas, including Sultan; Rijiya, Mabera, Diplomat, Sahara, Bello Way, Tudun-wada, Emir Yahayya and Sultan Atiku roads.

The authorities have drafted armed troops and mobile policemen to the city to help restore peace and to protect key public and private organisations.

The security agents were seeing patrolling the city on Monday.

In Kaduna, the protests started around midnight, when hundreds of youth poured onto the streets.

But the state's Deputy Police Commissioner, Mr Ekeh Nwadibo, said: 'We are on top of the situation.'

Skirmishes were also reported in some parts of the capital city of Abuja.

The presidential candidate of the opposition Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Muhammadu Buhari, who was beaten by President Jonathan of the PDP, has a strong following in the predominantly-Muslim north.

His party agents have challenged the results of the presidential poll in several states, where they alleged the results did not reflect the number of people who voted.

INEC has yet to official declare the winner of the presidential election, but local newspapers have published all the results, showing that President Jonathan, from the largely Christian south, has won by nearly 60 per cent, against 32 per cent for Buhari.

Ahead of the expected announcement of the result later on Monday, the police in the federal capital territory said 4,000 officers had been put on standby to forestall any violence.

Pana 19/04/2011