The town of Zonkwa in Kaduna state witnessed some of the worst violence Nigerians are heading to the polls for the final round in a lengthy election process marred by violence.
Elections for Nigeria's 36 powerful governors have been delayed in two of the worst-hit states.A Nigerian human rights group says more than 500 people died when clashes broke out after the presidential polls.
Violence erupted in the north after Goodluck Jonathan, a southern Christian, was declared the winner of the 16 April vote.
Churches were set alight and Muslims were then targeted in revenge attacks. Many Christians had to celebrate Easter in the police and military barracks where they had taken shelter from the riots.
Despite the violence, most observers said the elections had been among the best organised since the return of civilian rule in 1999.
Poverty and religion
For many Nigerians, governors represent the closest embodiment of power many ever see in African's most populous nation of some 150 million people.
Some governors, especially in oil-producing areas, control bigger budgets than those of national governments in some neighbouring West African countries.
The BBC's Caroline Duffield in Lagos says turnout may be down on the previous polls after tens of thousands of people were forced from their homes during the clashes.
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Vote by Numbers
- 36 state governors
- Governorship elections in 29 states
- Postponed until Thursday in Kaduna and Bauchi
- Delayed by three-year court cases in five states
- 74m registered voters
She says some election officials, who are national youth service volunteers, will be absent, as they have been sent home after their colleagues appeared to have been targeted during some of the violence.
Checkpoints have been set up on all major roads. European Union and US diplomats have issued a joint statement sharply criticising those behind violence and warning all of Nigeria's leaders to behave responsibly.
There are fears of intimidation in several areas, especially in the oil-producing Niger Delta.
At least three people have been killed since Sunday night in a series of bomb attacks blamed on the Boko Haram Islamist group in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri.
A total of 29 states out of 36 are holding their gubernatorial elections. Several delayed federal legislative polls are also taking place.
Five governors only took office last year after winning their legal challenges against the 2007 elections and so new polls will not be held in those areas.
Tens of thousands fled their homes - these people sought sanctuary in a military barracks Our correspondent says the governing People's Democratic Party faces a strong opposition challenge in several areas and is expected to lose some state governorships.
The head of the country's independent election commission, Attahiru Jega, said some Nigerians had paid "the ultimate price" for democracy.
"One way of immortalising them is to ensure that we complete the remaining elections successfully," he said, according to the Associated Press.
As in previous elections, voters are accredited from 0800 local time (0700 GMT), with actual voting due to start at 1230 local time Continued
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