Former military leader Muhammadu Buhari is set to contest Nigeria's presidential election.

Mr Buhari has won a primary to choose a candidate from the opposition APC to challenge President Goodluck Jonathan.

The elections in February look to be the closest fought since the end of military rule in 1999.

The 71-year-old former general, a Muslim from the north, seized power in 1983 but was himself deposed in a coup two years later.

He was up against four other candidates in the vote at the All Progressives Congress (APC) party convention in Lagos.

Mr Buhari won 3,430 votes while his closest rival, former vice president Atiku Abubakar, fell far short, with only 954 votes out of 8,000.

Mr Abubakar congratulated his opponent on Twitter after the vote and said: "The delegates have spoken, you fully deserve the victory."

This will be the fourth time at the presidential polls for Mr Buhari who has widespread support in the largely Muslim north.

President Jonathan was the sole candidate at the ruling party's primaries, also on Thursday.

He told his party members that "today we are stronger, bigger and more in tune with the yearnings of our people".

Mr Jonathan has faced mounting criticism over his handling of the Boko Haram insurgency.