Elections go ahead amid turnout, vote-buying and violence worries
Officials have rushed to prepare polling stations for Nigeria’s crucial election, amid new concerns of vote-buying after police said one lawmaker was arrested with nearly US$500,000 (NZ$813,300) in cash and a distribution list.
In the southeast, fears that separatists could target polling stations had prompted election workers in parts of Imo state to abandon their posts, said Mahmood Yakubu, head of Nigeria’s election commission.
Nigerians are casting their ballots in both parliamentary and presidential elections.
The government indicated this week that it would not postpone the vote at the last minute, as it did in 2019, when the delay was announced on the morning of the election. The 2014 vote also was rescheduled for a later date.
There have been concerns about what impact Nigeria’s current cash shortage could have on voter turnout. While it has been impossible for many Nigerians to obtain the national currency, the naira, police said at least one lawmaker had plenty of US dollars on hand.
Authorities were questioning Chinyere Igwe, a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, after he was found travelling with the money inside a bag in his car around 2am, along with a distribution list, said Rivers state police spokeswoman Grace Iringe-Koko.
Authorities in Kano state, meanwhile, announced the arrests of more than 60 ‘‘suspected thugs with dangerous weapons’’ after supporters of political parties clashed on Friday. Local media reported that one person was
burned to death in the violence.
Eighteen candidates are vying for the chance to replace incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, who is stepping down after his second and final term in office. Three front-runners have emerged, including the ruling party’s Bola Tinubu, and the main opposition party’s Atiku Abubakar. Most polls have favoured Peter Obi, a third-party hopeful.
The vote is being carefully watched because Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and one of the continent’s top oil producers.
The election comes amid a currency shortage in Africa’s most populous
nation. Authorities announced the switch to a new naira note in November, but the change has led to shortfalls of banknotes nationwide.
At the same time, there have been doubts about the ability of Nigerian authorities to curb the influence of money in the country’s elections.
Observer groups have documented political parties making payments ranging from 500 to 5000 naira (NZ$1.77 to $17.73) to people willing to vote for their candidates, a tactic used amid high unemployment and poverty rates in the country.
‘‘Vote-buying remains a major threat to our democracy,’’ Yakubu said.