Nigerians wait to complete voting in some locations as election depend underway

Voting is underway in components of Nigeria as technical and different glitches prevented a nationwide election from happening on Saturday.

Yenagoa,UPDATED: Feb 26, 2023 15:39 IST

A ballot employee holds up a poll paper throughout the counting strategy of Nigeria’s presidential election, at a polling unit in Awka, Anambra state, Nigeria. (Photo: Reuters)

By Reuters: Nigerians gathered to vote on Sunday in a couple of components of the nation the place technical and different glitches prevented a nationwide election from happening the day past, at the same time as vote-counting was underway somewhere else.

A Reuters reporter noticed voters arriving at polling stations in Yenagoa metropolis, which can open at 10 am so electoral fee officers can full Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary election.

“The whole process is an absolute mess,” stated Preye Iti, 60, a civil servant. “I waited from 8.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. yesterday. Now I’m back here at 8.30 again.”

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Voting was additionally anticipated to proceed in some components northeastern Borno state, the place voting machines didn’t work.

The fee stated late on Saturday that election would proceed in a number of wards in Yenagoa, which lies in Nigeria’s oil-producing south, and the place there have been instances of election officers and supplies failing to show up on Saturday.

It added that official nationwide outcomes might be anticipated from late on Sunday night. The remaining election tally is anticipated inside 5 days.

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The presidential race is to interchange outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired military basic, who was additionally as soon as a army ruler within the Nineteen Eighties. He is stepping down after successful two earlier elections and serving the utmost eight years permitted by the structure.

Whoever wins will face a litany of crises within the nation of greater than 200 million, Africa’s most populous nation.

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Nigeria is combating Islamist insurgencies within the northeast, an epidemic of kidnappings for ransom, battle between herders and farmers, shortages of money, gasoline and energy, in addition to deep-rooted corruption and poverty.

The contest to succeed Buhari is broad open, with candidates from two events which have alternated in energy for the reason that finish of military rule in 1999 dealing with an unusually robust problem from a minor social gathering candidate standard amongst younger voters.

They are former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, 70, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, former vice chairman Atiku Abubakar, 76, of the principle opposition Peoples Democratic Party, and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, 61, of the smaller Labour Party.

Published On:

Feb 26, 2023