The Latest: Top Nigerian challenger urges patience on delay

Nigerians discuss the overnight developments at a newspaper stand selling copies of papers that printed before the postponement was announced, in the morning in Kano, in northern Nigeria Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. Nigeria's electoral commission delayed the presidential election until Feb. 23, making the announcement a mere five hours before polls were set to open Saturday. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

A Nigerian man pushs his wheelbarrow by the closed central market in Kaduna, Nigeria, Saturday, Feb. 16, 2019. Nigeria's electoral commission delayed the presidential election until Feb. 23, making the announcement a mere five hours before polls were set to open Saturday. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

The Latest on Nigeria's postponed presidential election (all times local):

11:05 a.m.

The top challenger to Nigeria's president in the now-delayed election is urging Nigerians to be patient and says he is heading back to the capital to consult with other "stakeholders" on the way forward.

Atiku Abubakar spoke to reporters outside his home in northern Adamawa state.

When asked if he was "dampened" by the last-minute postponement by the electoral commission, he said "absolutely not."

Both his party and the ruling party have condemned the last-minute decision to delay the vote.

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10:55 a.m.

A civic group monitoring Nigeria's now-delayed election says the last-minute decision to postpone the vote a week until Feb. 23 "has created needless tension and confusion in the country."

The Situation Room statement expressed shock and disappointment after assurances by the electoral commission that "everything was ready." It said the delay casts a "cloud of doubt" on the body's credibility and competence.

It called on political parties to avoid incitement and misinformation and called on the electoral commission to explain how Nigeria will pay for the costly election delay.

The commission in its early-morning statement cited unspecified "challenges" and said it would give more details Saturday afternoon.

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Nigerians have awakened to find the presidential election delayed a week from Saturday until Feb. 23 because of what the electoral commission has called unspecified "challenges." The country's top two political parties condemn the last-minute postponement.

Some bitter voters in the capital, Abuja, and elsewhere who traveled home to cast their ballots say they cannot afford to wait another seven days.

A spokesman for top opposition challenger Atiku Abubakar in Delta state said the electoral commission "has destroyed the soul of Nigeria with this act."

Abubakar is expected to speak to reporters later Saturday from his home in the north.

One ruling party campaign director said it is better to give the electoral commission time to conduct a credible vote.

The commission is to give more details in the afternoon.