Three weeks after the presidential contested by the main opposition parties, the counting of local elections held on Saturday began in Nigeria.
The presidential election was won by the candidate of the ruling party, Bola Tinubu, his competitors denouncing “manipulations”. A vote that disappointed many Nigerians hoping for change, as outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari is due to step down in May after two terms.
The most populous country in Africa, with more than 210 million inhabitants, elected on Saturday more than 900 representatives of the assemblies of the constituent states, as well as the governors of 28 of the 36 states. By-elections will be held in the other states on other dates.
Observers from the Yiaga Africa Civic Center noted “significant improvement in the management of election logistics” on Saturday, despite episodes of “voter intimidation and harassment”. In several localities, individuals tried to influence voters, in particular by destroying electoral material, according to the media and observers.
Governorships are important in Nigeria, with some states having larger budgets than other African nations.
Lagos, the economic center of the country, is the scene of one of the tightest elections for the post of governor, between the incumbent Babajide Sanwo-Olu, candidate of the ruling party (APC), Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, of the Parti Labor Party (LP), and Olajide Adediran, from the main opposition party (PDP).
For the first time in two decades, the bubbling megalopolis of 20 million people could escape the influence of contested new president Bola Tinubu, its historic “godfather”, to be led by the opposition.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, a candidate for a second term, is often described as a “puppet” of Mr. Tinubu in the press.
But the grip of the latter “could come to an end” while “Lagos is preparing for a historic election”, underlined Yusuf Omotayo, in the editorial of the political magazine The Republic.
In the upscale neighborhood of Ikoyi in Lagos, polling stations had opened early Saturday morning. “We hope this election will be one of the best elections,” said Sukiman Abubakar, 52, who works in real estate.
In popular neighborhoods, security had been reinforced. An AFP reporter saw armored vehicles in Iyana-Ipaaja and Abulegba, areas of Lagos state where violence is possible. Fausat Balogun, 46, went to the polling station at 06:00 (05:00 GMT). “We need fresh blood in Lagos. The old politicians have deceived us,” he charged.
Other tight elections took place in the states of Rivers (south) and Kano (north). That of Adamawa (northeast) could elect the first female governor.
A decisive factor will be turnout, as many voters may decide not to vote due to disputed presidential results.
Most of the states are currently governed by the APC or the PDP, only Anambra (south) being controlled by another party, the AGPA.
During the February 25 presidential election, Bola Tinubu obtained 8.8 million votes to succeed Muhammadu Buhari, against 6.9 million for Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, and 6.1 million for Peter Obi of the Labor Party, surprise candidate of urban and connected youth.
The poll was marked by serious technical failures and numerous delays in the electronic transmission of results, provoking the ire of some voters who cried fraud.
In Kano, the largest city in the north, voters noted improvements on Saturday.
“Polling started at 8:30 a.m…. It’s pretty orderly and the queues aren’t as long as in the previous election,” Ahmad Awwalu, a 27-year-old mechanic, told AFP.
But thugs came to several polling stations in Kano to try to intimidate voters and sometimes destroy election materials, according to local media and election observers.
Vote buying has also been reported in at least eight states, according to Yiaga Africa.
Electoral violence and vote buying are recurrent in Nigeria.
“If you are offered money, you can take it but vote according to your conscience,” incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari said after voting in his hometown of Daura (north).
03/18/2023 18:50:27 – Lagos (AFP) – © 2023 AFP
