More than 93 million Nigerians voted for a new president this weekend. The stakes are high, the largest African country is plagued by economic and political problems. “The whole of Nigeria is holding its breath, nobody knows who will win,” says Nigerian expert and assistant professor David Ehrhardt of Leiden University.
Bola Tinubu (70) of the ruling APC party, Atiku Abubakar (76), representative of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and 61-year-old Labor leader Peter Obi, who is particularly popular with young people in big cities, are involved in a neck struggle against neck race for president. Young people in particular are fed up with corruption and want innovation. A large group, 40% of Nigerians are under the age of 35.
Leading country
According to Ehrhardt, there is a lot at stake. “Nigeria suffers from tremendous economic hardship and insecurity, worse than I have ever seen. But at the same time, Nigeria is a leading country for the whole of Africa. And if such an election can be successful in Nigeria, it can be done anywhere.’
It is difficult to say who will win the elections. Results are expected within a few weeks. The clear winner is Bola Tinubu, the leader of the ruling APC party. But when it comes to fighting corruption and political stability, “you hope Obi wins,” says Ehrhardt. “He is against the established regime and might be able to renew the policy.” But whether Obi is strong enough to lead the country is the question. “He just has less experience and fewer friends in Nigeria’s upper echelons.”
Oligarchs
Nigeria has grown on corruption and local oligarchs in particular have a lot of influence over the country. And this is especially visible in the port city of Lagos, until 1991 the country’s capital. “That really was the most terrible city on earth. However, there has been a revamp. Poverty has not disappeared, on the contrary, but much has been renewed economically. It’s called the Miracle of Lagos.”
Polls have been clouded by security concerns. Armed militias are active in the north, including the jihadist terrorist organization Boko Haram. In northwest and central Nigeria, groups are fighting bloody conflicts over farmland and separatists are moving into the southeast.
Violence has also been reported here and there. In a number of states, polling stations have been raided and biomedical identification equipment, among other things, stolen. Army units were to operate in the Lagos metropolis.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
