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Some annoyed Nigerians solid their ballots with flashlights whereas others stood watch at their polling stations as counting bought beneath means 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 points, although different observers pointed to the upheaval created by a redesigned forex that has left many unable to acquire financial institution notes. The money scarcity affected transport for voters, election employees and cops offering safety.
Voting ended nicely past schedule in lots of locations after delays however some have been nonetheless voting in a number of areas the place the train stretched into the evening. Within the northwest Bauchi state, Lagos-based Channels TV reported that voters have been nonetheless voting utilizing their torchlights at round 9 p.m. native time.
And in Abuja and Delta state, voters caught round to watch the method and make sure the outcomes weren’t tampered with.
“Dusk has come — something can occur [now],” Torke Ezekiel stated after casting his poll.
Whereas there have been fears of violence on Election Day, voting was largely peaceable Saturday, although a dramatic scene unfolded within the megacity of Lagos within the mid-afternoon.
Related Press journalists noticed armed males pull as much as the voting station in a minibus, fireplace photographs within the air and snatch the presidential poll field. The photographs despatched voters screaming and scattering for canopy, and ballots strewn throughout the ground.
Within the northeast state of Borno, a minimum of 5 folks together with youngsters, have been wounded when Boko Haram extremists attacked voters in Gwoza city, native authorities stated.
Mahmood Yakubu, head of Nigeria’s election fee, stated nationwide collation of leads to the presidential election would start at midday 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 are going to proceed to make sure that nothing truncates our democracy or truncates the desire of the Nigerian folks,” he stated.
18 presidential candidates
Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after two four-year phrases in Nigeria, a West African nation the place unemployment has soared to 33 per cent at the same time as one of many continent’s prime oil producers.
Out of the sphere of 18 presidential candidates, three front-runners emerged in latest weeks: the candidate from Buhari’s ruling get together, the primary opposition get together candidate and a third-party challenger who has drawn sturdy help from youthful voters.
It remained unclear what number of voters have been deterred due to the money disaster, which has left Nigerians with funds of their financial institution accounts unable to acquire the money they want for issues like gasoline and taxis.
The vote is being fastidiously watched as Nigeria is Africa’s largest financial system.
A younger inhabitants
Additionally it is dwelling to one of many largest youth populations on this planet with a median age of solely 18. About 64 million of its 210 million individuals are between the ages of 18 and 35.
Favour Ben, 29, who owns a meals enterprise within the capital, Abuja, stated she was backing third-party candidate Peter Obi.
“He is aware of what is definitely disturbing us and I consider he is aware of the right way to sort out it,” she stated.
Buhari’s tenure was marked by issues about his ailing well being and frequent journeys overseas for medical therapy. Two of the highest candidates are of their 70s and each have been in Nigerian politics since 1999.
In contrast, at 61, Obi of the Labour get together is the youngest of the front-runners and had surged within the polls forward of Saturday’s vote.
Nonetheless, Bola Tinubu has the sturdy help of the ruling All Progressives Congress get together as an essential backer of the incumbent president. And Atiku Abubakar has the identify recognition of being one in all Nigeria’s richest businessmen, having additionally served as a vp and presidential hopeful in 2019 for his Peoples Democratic Occasion.
