Namibia’s main opposition leader Panduleni Itula has declared his party will not accept the results of the country’s extended presidential and legislative elections, citing widespread irregularities and voter suppression.

The leader of the Independent Patriots for Change (IPC) denounced the electoral process just hours before polls closed on Saturday, saying “the rule of law has been grossly violated and we cannot call these elections by any means or measure as free, fair and legitimate.”

The elections, which began on Wednesday, were extended after technical and logistical failures caused lengthy delays, forcing many voters to abandon queues. Electoral Commission head Petrus Shaama said provisional results would be available after polling stations closed at 9:00 pm.

At Windhoek’s only polling station, hundreds queued to cast their votes on Saturday. The IPC, which aims to end the South West Africa People’s Organisation’s 34-year rule, has vowed to challenge the election results through legal channels.

“They should have set up at least another polling station where the majority of Namibians live,” said Sielfriedt Gowaseb, 27, who voted on Saturday. While he managed to cast his ballot in under 30 minutes, he criticized the lack of polling venues in suburban areas.

Around 2,500 voters cast their ballots at the capital’s polling station on Friday, highlighting the ongoing challenges in the extended voting period. Opposition parties have alleged that the authorities deliberately suppressed votes in areas where ruling party rivals showed strong support.