Nigeria presidential election: Voters face delays in hope of bringing change – National | 24CA News

Nigeria‘s presidential election was marked by long delays at some polling stations on Saturday, which did not deter large crowds of voters hoping for a reset after years of worsening violence and hardship under outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari.

Africa’s most populous nation is scuffling with 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.

Reuters reporters at areas throughout the nation noticed a combined election day image, with some polling stations closing on the deliberate time of two:30 p.m. (1330 GMT) whereas others had but to open.

“I will wait here to cast my vote. If I don’t vote how will things change?” mentioned 23-year-old Halima Sherif, whose polling station within the northern metropolis of Kano had not began working by closing time.

By night, some polling stations have been already counting ballots whereas voting was nonetheless occurring at others and had not taken place elsewhere. Some voting was now anticipated to happen on Sunday.

Some states have been anticipated to announce outcomes on Sunday and the ultimate tally from all 36 states plus the federal capital Abuja was anticipated inside 5 days of voting. The election can also be for National Assembly seats.

There have been reviews of scattered violent incidents on Saturday, although not on the dimensions seen in earlier elections within the nation of over 200 million individuals.

Buhari, a retired military common, is stepping down after serving the utmost eight years allowed by the structure however failing to ship on his pledge to deliver again order and safety throughout Nigeria, Africa’s high oil-producing nation.

The contest to succeed him is vast open, with candidates from two events which have alternated in energy for the reason that finish of military rule in 1999 going through an unusually sturdy problem from a minor social gathering candidate common amongst younger voters.

Officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cited technical issues with a brand new biometric anti-fraud voter accreditation system, the late arrival of automobiles to move them and the absence of voter registers as causes of delays.

“It is frustrating that INEC are not prepared for us. All we want is just to vote,” mentioned Sylvester Iwu, who was amongst a big crowd ready at a polling station in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State within the southern oil-producing Niger Delta.

In a televised news briefing, INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu mentioned six biometric machines had been stolen in northern Katsina State and two in southern Delta State. He additionally acknowledged the delays however mentioned voters would be capable to solid their ballots.

“The election will hold and no one will be disenfranchised,” he mentioned.

Yakubu mentioned at a later briefing that voting would happen on Sunday in a number of wards in Yenagoa that had skilled extreme disruption on Saturday.

In northeast Borno State, the epicenter of Islamist insurgency, suspected fighters from the Boko Haram group fired mortar shells within the rural Gwoza space, killing one little one, wounding 4 others and disrupting voting, military sources mentioned.

In Abuja, a group from the anti-corruption Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was attacked by thugs simply after arresting a person on suspicion of paying for a gaggle of individuals’s votes utilizing a banking app, the EFCC mentioned.

In Lagos, a Reuters TV crew noticed police arrest 4 males on suspicion of intimidating voters, whereas an election observer from a neighborhood civil society group mentioned he had seen thugs armed with knives, chains and bottles smashing poll bins.

In most areas, nonetheless, the day appeared to have unfolded peacefully regardless of frustrations over the delays.

The most important contenders to succeed Buhari are former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, 70, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, former vp Atiku Abubakar, 76, of the principle opposition Peoples Democratic Party, and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, 61, of the smaller Labour Party.

All three voted of their house states, surrounded by chaotic scrums of reporters and supporters.

“The electoral process cannot achieve 100% perfection,” Tinubu advised reporters after voting. “People have to tolerate that. You’ve got to accept the results.”

Tinubu and Atiku, as he’s recognized in Nigeria, are each political heavyweights with many years of networking behind them. Both Muslims, Tinubu is an ethnic Yoruba from the southwest and Atiku is a Fulani from the northeast.

Obi, a Christian from the Igbo ethnic group, has much less of a political machine however has used a slick social media marketing campaign to generate enormous enthusiasm amongst younger voters, with some even calling themselves the “Obidients.”

INEC says its new Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) that identifies voters utilizing biometric knowledge would assist avert fraud. Reuters reporters in some areas mentioned officers have been struggling to get the BVAS gadgets to work, whereas in others the system was functioning easily.

Despite INEC’s precautions, analysts have warned there are nonetheless dangers that cash-strapped residents might be weak to vote-buying makes an attempt by candidates.

(Additional reporting by Ahmed Kingimi and Lanre Ola in Maiduguri, Tife Owolabi in Yenagoa, Abraham Achirga in Kano, Garba Muhammad in Kaduna, Temilade Adelaja and Seun Sanni in Agulu, MacDonald Dzirutwe, Tim Cocks, Vining Ogu and James Oatway in Lagos, Camillus Eboh, Edwin Waita and Felix Onuah in Abuja, Anamasere Igboereteonwu in OnitshaWriting by Estelle ShirbonEditing by Andrew Heavens and Frances Kerry)