‘Anxious’ Nigerians await identify of Buhari’s successor

Nigeria’s normal elections have been on nearly everybody’s lips, Sunday (Feb. 26). The vote was largely peaceable regardless of some circumstances of violence, delays and technical glitches.

Nevertheless, the sluggish importing of outcomes on-line was beginning to fire up fears of electoral malpractice. Voters waited anxiously in Lagos.

“We’re anxious for the outcome as a result of this election goes to find out Nigeria unity shifting ahead as a result of whoever that comes as a president, he is aware of that he has numerous work to do,” businessman Yusufu Eshinuku mentioned. 

“I pray for Nigerians, one thing constructive ought to occur to us.”

Practically 90 million voters have been eligible to vote on Saturday for a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari, who’s stepping down after two phrases marked by worsening safety and rising poverty.

The election pits former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, 70, of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) towards an previous rival, former vice chairman Atiku Abubakar, of the Peoples Democratic Get together (PDP), 76.

However for the primary time for the reason that finish of army rule in 1999, a third-party candidate, Peter Obi of the Labour Get together, has challenged the APC and PDP dominance with a marketing campaign message of change.

Unfold over greater than 176,000 polling models, voters additionally solid their poll for Nigeria’s two homes of parliament, the Nationwide Meeting and Senate.

Dedicated voters

In Lagos and different cities, crowds stormed polling stations late on Saturday as electoral officers tallied the primary outcomes by hand and browse out the counts earlier than transmitting them to a central database.

“We simply completed counting, however we’d like to ensure they add the outcomes,” mentioned Chizoba Onuoha, an IT supervisor, watching the rely at her Lagos polling station.

Within the southern oil hub of Port Harcourt, a dozen individuals have been nonetheless at their polling unit after the counting had completed on Saturday, shouting on the electoral official to destroy unused ballots.

“The empty ballots, we would like them to void them, in order that they do not use them!” mentioned Nkechi Njoku, 42, who sells material and mentioned she had not left since arriving to vote within the morning.

“We’re defending our votes,” mentioned Robert Ihuoma, a 38-year-old information analyst standing subsequent to her.

Votes have been solid in Benue, Adamawa and Bayelsa states even because the counting of ballots ballots was underway Sunday in locations the place polls had closed, election observers mentioned. Preliminary outcomes have been anticipated as early as Sunday night.

Runoff state of affairs?

As of Sunday morning, outcomes for the presidential election weren’t but accessible on the web site of the Unbiased Nationwide Electoral Fee (INEC).

Yiaga Africa, the nation’s largest election monitoring physique, mentioned it was “deeply involved with the delay.”

The fee has 14 days to formally announce outcomes, however a web based tally could possibly be made accessible within the subsequent hours or days.

Regardless of the remoted circumstances of violence and technical issues, INEC remained assured concerning the electoral course of.

“Now we have misplaced poll bins right here and there… however we are going to proceed to guard the method and we are going to proceed to proceed courageously and make sure that we conclude this in a really free, truthful and credible method,” mentioned INEC’s chairman Mahmood Yakubu.

The traditionally tight presidential election has some analysts forecasting an unprecedented runoff between the 2 frontrunners.

To win the presidency, a candidate should get probably the most votes but in addition win 25 % in two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states.

The aggressive race has some analysts forecasting an unprecedented runoff between the 2 frontrunners if no candidate meets election necessities. It must be organised inside 21 days.