Nigeria's main opposition candidate, Atiku Abubakar of the People's Democratic Party (PDP)  declared Tuesday that the military "has no role to play" in the country's presidential and parliamentary elections.

 

 

Atiku Abubakar spoke on national television a day after President Muhammadu Buhari ordered Nigeria's armed forces to be "ruthless" with anyone who interferes in the polls.

 

Buhari warned that anyone who interferes with the the voting process "will do so at the expense of his own life," eliciting praise from members of his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party and widespread condemnation from opposition parties.

 

Nigeria's elections were initially planned for last Saturday but officials, citing logistical issues, abruptly delayed them one week just hours before the polls were set to open.

 

Election campaigns, which were halted and have since resumed, have been marred by acts of violence, further raising political tensions in Africa's most populous country.