ABUJA: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari scored early gains on Monday in his bid for re-election after dozens died in weekend violence and monitors voiced concern about polling-day problems.
The 76-year-old candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party won 57 per cent of the vote in the southwestern state of Ekiti, the first to announce its results.
Buhari also won in neighbouring Osun state but he was run close by main challenger Atiku Abubakar, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), winning by just over 10,000 votes.
Abubakar’s first win was in the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja, beating Buhari by a margin of nearly 108,000. Buhari lost the polling unit set up at the presidential villa.
A total of 72.7 million people with voter identity cards were eligible to cast their ballot in Saturday’s polls. Parliamentary elections were held at the same time.
The election — the sixth in the 20 years since Nigeria returned to democracy after decades of military rule — was held on Saturday, a week after a last-gasp postponement.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) blamed logistical difficulties, which were not entirely ironed out by this weekend, forcing voting to go into a second day.
The European Union said there were “serious operational shortcomings”, which saw polling units open late, leaving voters waiting for hours with no idea when voting would start.
The Situation Room umbrella group of over 70 civil society organisations observing the vote, called for an inquiry into what it said was INEC’s “poor management” of the process.
It highlighted lapses in logistics, technology and security and said INEC had “not managed the election efficiently and significant shortcomings have been recorded”.
“The election has been a step back from the 2015 General Election and actions should be taken to identify what has gone wrong and what can be corrected,” it added.
The head of the African Union observer mission, Ethiopia’s former prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn, also said they were concerned “by the pattern of consistent postponement”.
The last two elections have suffered similar delays and Hailemariam said the latest postponement had “implications for citizens’ participation and turnout”.
“Last-minute election postponements should not become the norm in Nigeria,” added the National Democratic Institute and International Republican Institute.
The two organisations said was “highly probable” voter turn-out had been affected, adding: “Most significantly, the delay also undermined public confidence in INEC.”
The election took place against a backdrop of fears about security across the country, as well as claims from both parties that the other was looking to rig the result.
Neither produced evidence but INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu on Sunday said there were reports of ballot-snatching, vote-buying and violence.
One election volunteer was killed by a stray bullet in the southern state of Rivers, where some INEC staff and even police were held hostage before being released unharmed. — AFP
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