Nigeria is on the cusp of a defining moment in its political history. Elections will be held in a few days, and the proxy struggle between generations is intensifying.
The 2023 elections in Nigeria are highly anticipated and expected to be unprecedented. The sheer strength of youth participation (37 million or his 40% of registered voters are young) combined with the country's political climate is poised to turn the polls into a tipping point.
Outgoing Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has spent nearly eight years in turmoil and widespread unrest as the failed introduction of new banknotes left many people without access to the cash.
But the financial crisis is not the only problem facing Nigerians. The past year has been marked by fighting and tragedy, including high inflation and deadly attacks by gunmen on innocent civilians.
Buhari's supporters say he has done his best, highlighting achievements such as tackling infrastructure projects and attempting to combat violent extremism, but his wife Aisha Buhari has apologized for failing to meet the expectations of the Nigerian people.
So no matter who wins the election, it won't be easy.
It is scheduled to be held today, Saturday, February 25, 2023. If there is no clear winner, there will be a second round within three weeks. Elections for the governors will also take place on Saturday, March 11th.
The chairman of the INEC has rejected a proposal that the vote could be postponed due to uncertainty.
In the last two presidential elections, the winner was decided after his three days of voting.
However, votes will be counted when voting closes on Saturday, February 25th. Those remaining at polling stations will be notified of the results, but it will be a long process before all results from tens of thousands of polling stations across the country reach Abuja.
The BVAS may speed up the process this year, but an INEC-appointed official will have to travel to Abuja from 36 states with a paper copy to read it out. Inec's chairman will then announce the winner or announce that a second round is required.
To be elected, a candidate must win the most votes in the country and in at least two-thirds of the states in Nigeria he must cast more than one-fourth of the votes.
If either candidate loses, a runoff vote between her two candidates for first place will take place within his 21 days.
Content created and supplied by: markoyediran (via Opera News )
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