We have to put our politics in order so that we can put our economy in order Olusegun Obasanjo, former military leader

Former US President Jimmy Carter, co-leader of the American monitoring team, said: "The turnout has been very impressive and orderly. The officials are all in their posts and all voting materials in place at the right time."

Mr Carter wrote to political parties before the vote to express concern after cheating at last Saturday's national assembly poll.

The ballot will be counted as soon as polling ends at 1330 GMT.

The electoral commission says first results of the election should be in on Sunday. The new leader is due to take office on 29 May.

Former military leader Olusegun Obasanjo - of the People's Democratic Party, which polled the largest number of votes in the parliamentary elections - has called for political reform to help revive Nigeria's moribund economy.

He has pledged to create an anti-corruption agency with wide-ranging powers to seek, search and recover.

"We have to put our politics in order so that we can put our economy in order," said the former military leader.

Joint APP-AD candidate former Finance Minister Olu Falae has also promised to get the Nigerian economy back on track.

"I can have a debt strategy in place, and get foreign investment flowing again by creating an environment that is investment-friendly," he said in one of his last interviews before the polls.

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