Nigerians in south-western Osun state peacefully re-elected an opposition governor on Sunday, raising hopes that next year's national elections might also pass peacefully, after several past ones were marred by violence.
In the second election held without incident since June, Rauf Aregbesola, from the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC), won with 74 percent of the vote.
"The candidate of All Progressive party, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, is hereby declared the winner and he is returned elected," the electoral commission's chief returning officer Bamitale Omole said.
His supporters sang and danced in the streets of the state capital Osogbo to celebrate the result. There were no reports of fraud or intimidation. Candidates from 18 parties took part in the poll.
More than 800 people were killed and 65,000 displaced in three days of violence following presidential election in 2011, according to Human Rights Watch.