(2 minutes read)
· People in Niger will vote on the coming Sunday to elect the new president and the 171 new national assembly deputies
· The favored contender is President Mahamadou Issoufou’s right-hand man, Mohamed Bazoum. With the coalition of parties supporting candidate Mohamed Bazoum, analysts say, his chances are bright in getting elected
People in Niger will vote on the coming Sunday to elect the new president and the 171 new national assembly deputies. The favored contender is President Mahamadou Issoufou’s right-hand man, Mohamed Bazoum. With the coalition of parties supporting candidate Mohamed Bazoum, analysts say, his chances are bright in getting elected. .
Mahaman Ousmane, the first democratically elected president of Niger in 1993 is also contesting. He was ousted in 1996 after a coup d’etat. The December 27 election day comes two weeks after the municipal and regional elections. The ruling party won a convincing victory in local elections held on December 13.
According tom the national election commission, the ruling Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS) won almost 1,800 council seats from just over 4,200 available, the local bodies elections were marred by violence in some pockets. Many parts of the country have suffered because of jihadists repeated attacks since 2015. That also prevented people from exercising their franchise
UN and other watch dogs have asked the country’s leadership to demonstrate proactive efforts to avoid violence during and after elections.