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African Union observer and former Kenyan President, Uhuru Kenyatta, has told the BBC’s Focus on Africa programme that he has seen a commitment from the Nigerian government to oversee credible elections.

The authorities seem “quite confident” they can hold a “free, fair” and “transparent” election on Saturday, Mr Kenyatta said.

There have been widespread reports of vote buying and corruption at polling booths in previous ballots.

There are also rising tensions, with a senatorial candidate from the Labour Party being killed on Wednesday.

Oyibo Chukwu was shot dead and his body burned in the south-eastern Enugu state.

Mr Kenyatta warned there would be “challenges”, however he said the presidential candidates had told him they think they can “surmount” those problems, including security concerns and the cash shortage in the country which has sparked a crisis in the last few weeks.

Mr Kenyatta added that he hoped these problems would not result in low turnout.

He said the Nigerian elections were of the upmost importance because it is “the largest democracy on the African continent” and one of the largest in the world.