Some irritated Nigerians forged their ballots with flashlights whereas others stood watch at their polling stations as counting obtained beneath methodology late Saturday amid fears of vote tampering after a day of delays in Africa’s most populous nation.
Election officers blamed the delays on logistical factors, although utterly different observers pointed to the upheaval created by a redesigned foreign money that has left many unable to buy financial institution notes. The money scarcity affected transport for voters, election staff and cops offering safety.
Voting ended effectively past schedule in lots of areas after delays however some had been nonetheless voting in a quantity of areas the place the prepare stretched into the evening time. inside the northwest Bauchi state, Lagos-based mostly Channels tv reported that voters had been nonetheless voting using their torchlights at round 9 p.m. native time.
And in Abuja and Delta state, voters caught round to watch the approach and make sure the outcomes weren’t tampered with.
“nightfall has come — something can happen [now],” Torke Ezekiel acknowledged after casting his ballot.
whereas there have been fears of violence on Election Day, voting was largely peaceable Saturday, although a dramatic scene unfolded inside the megacity of Lagos inside the mid-afternoon.
associated Press journalists noticed armed males pull as a lot as a outcome of the voting station in a minibus, fireplace photographs inside the air and snatch the presidential ballot area. The photographs despatched voters screaming and scattering for cowl, and ballots strewn throughout the floor.
inside the northeast state of Borno, at the least 5 of us collectively with kids, had been wounded when Boko Haram extremists attacked voters in Gwoza metropolis, native authorities acknowledged.
Mahmood Yakubu, head of Nigeria’s election fee, acknowledged nationwide collation of leads to the presidential election would start at noon on Sunday. In 2019, the winner of the presidential election was introduced 4 days after the voting day.
“we’re making very regular progress and we’re going to proceed to be sure that nothing truncates our democracy or truncates the want of the Nigerian of us,” he acknowledged.
18 presidential candidates
Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after two 4-yr phrases in Nigeria, a West African nation the place unemployment has soared to 33 per cent at the same time as one in every of many continent’s extreme oil producers.
Out of the sphere of 18 presidential candidates, three entrance-runners emerged in current weeks: the candidate from Buhari’s ruling celebration, the precept opposition celebration candidate and a third-celebration challenger who has drawn sturdy assist from youthful voters.
It remained unclear what quantity of voters had been deterred in consequence of money disaster, which has left Nigerians with funds of their financial institution accounts unable to buy the money they want for issues like gasoline and taxis.
The vote is being fastidiously watched as Nigeria is Africa’s largest economic system.
A youthful inhabitants
it is usually dwelling to at least one in every of many largest youth populations on the earth with a median age of solely 18. About sixty 4 million of its 210 million individuals are between the ages of 18 and 35.
Favour Ben, 29, who owns a meals enterprise inside the capital, Abuja, acknowledged she was backing third-celebration candidate Peter Obi.
“He is aware of what’s unquestionably disturbing us and that i think about he is aware of options on how to sort out it,” she acknowledged.
Buhari’s tenure was marked by factors about his ailing well being and frequent journeys overseas for medical remedy. Two of the most interesting candidates are of their 70s and each have been in Nigerian politics since 1999.
in opposition to this, at sixty one, Obi of the Labour celebration is the youngest of the entrance-runners and had surged inside the polls forward of Saturday’s vote.
nonetheless, Bola Tinubu has the sturdy assist of the ruling All Progressives Congress celebration as an important backer of the incumbent president. And Atiku Abubakar has the identify recognition of being one in every of Nigeria’s richest businessmen, having additionally served as a vice chairman and presidential hopeful in 2019 for his Peoples Democratic celebration.
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