Author: Ofeibea Quist-Arcton / Source: NPR.org
Vote-counting has started in Nigeria’s much-anticipated election, a week after it was postponed by election officials who blamed logistical challenges.
The country’s 73 million voters will choose between dozens of presidential candidates, including incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, who is seeking a second term to take the country to the “next level.”
The other front-runner is Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president and businessman who has promised to jump start Nigeria’s economy. The Associated Press reported both lead candidates cast their votes on Saturday, Buhari jokingly checking his wife’s ballot to see how she had voted.
Analysts say the race is too close to call, AP reported. But both candidates have said they’re confident they will win.
On Saturday, Buhari responded to journalists asking if he would accept defeat and congratulate the winner if he loses: “I will congratulate myself,” he said laughingly. “I’m going to be the winner. Thank you very much.”
Buhari’s main challenger, Abubakar, also answered confidently when asked about the outcome of the presidential vote. “I look forward to a successful transition,” Abubakar said. Asked what he would do if he loses, he replied, “I am a democrat.”
Observers say preliminary results are expected in two to four days, according to The Washington Post.
The presidential candidates renewed a pact last week aimed at keeping the election peaceful. Four years ago, Buhari was the first-ever opposition candidate to defeat an…
The post A Week Late, Nigeria’s Election Unfolds appeared first on FeedBox.