87 million people in Nigeria were called on Saturday to elect the new head of state. The counting of votes is in progress. In Lagos, people complain that they have been prevented from voting. Even on Sunday morning, i.e. the day after the scheduled conclusion of the election, voting was still going on as there were considerable delays.
“I’m so disappointed”
“We were going to vote and we saw them get out of the car and shoot in the air. We all run away. Some people fell to the ground. I belonged. It was like stepping. That’s why I’m hurt,” said a man in Lagos. “I’m so disappointed. None of us imagined that something like this could happen. Now we can no longer choose. The police will be here very soon. Now we can no longer choose. The policeman who was here disappeared”, he describes what he experienced.
“See what’s happening now?” asks another. “They want to discourage others from voting. This is unfair. This is crazy. This is not civilization. This is called a crime. Corruption at the highest level. Why do you have to prevent the vast majority of people from voting? This is not good. This should not be accepted in any civilized society”, he says.
18 candidates competed
Results are determined individually in each of the 36 states and the Abuja Capital Region. 18 candidates ran for election to determine the successor to Muhammadu Buhari, who has been in office since 2015. Buhari’s second term began in February 2019.
Eighteen candidates ran for election, with Bola Tinubu (as Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC), Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labor Party (LP) and Rabiu Kwakwanso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is currently experiencing economic difficulties, and recurrent acts of violence by armed groups are among the challenges that the new head of state must face.