Nine people have been killed in clashes and protests in southern Nigeria as the country voted to elect state governors and local assemblies.

The violence was reported on Saturday, mostly taking place in the country’s oil rich state of Rivers.

The All Progressive Congress (APC) opposition gubernatorial candidate Dakuku Peterside said eight of his supporters were killed, while police sources said one officer had also lost his life in the unrest.

Reports say gunfire was exchanged in a number of towns in Rivers.

A polling station and the house of the state commissioner for women’s affairs, Manuela George-Izunwa, were also set on fire.

Nearly ten polling agents were abducted early on Saturday and thousands of protesters in the state capital, Port Harcourt, delayed the opening of polling stations.

The results are expected to be announced on Sunday. The new governors will assume their positions on May 29.

Rivers is of importance to both the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP), which dominates 21 states, and the opposition, which holds 14.

On April 1, Nigeria’s opposition leader Mohammadu Buhari (shown above) was declared winner of the country’s presidential election. Buhari received 14.951 million votes to sitting President Goodluck Jonathan, who gained 12.827 million votes.

Buhari is also set to take office on May 29.