Start of Nigerian General Vote Delayed in Some Parts of Country - Opposition

14:30 GMT, 23 February 2019

ABUJA (Sputnik) - Nigeria's opposition People's Democratic Party has received information that the beginning of the general elections in some parts of the country is delayed, and fears that this may affect the outcome of the vote, the party's spokesperson told Sputnik on Saturday.

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"Elections were supposed to start at 8 a.m. (07:00 GMT)… it is just past 11 a.m., and we are getting reports that at some polling units across the country elections have not started, because the materials have not yet arrived… We are concerned that this exercise will translate into the outcome that represents what Nigerians want," the spokesperson said.

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The party believes that delays in the start of voting are caused by logistical problems, and they hope that the situation as a whole will be corrected, the opposition member noted.

He also called on security forces to ensure security at the polling stations due to the fact that some proxies of the party report physical violence used against them. The spokesperson stressed that so far, the turnout in the elections was high, which shows the desire of the people of the country for democracy.

Nigerians are going to the polls on Saturday to elect a new president, vice president and members of the bicameral National Assembly. Among over 70 candidates running for president this year, the front-runners are incumbent Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main challenger Atiku Abubakar representing the opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP). To secure a first-round victory, a candidate must receive a majority of the vote, as well as over 25 percent of the vote in at least 24 of the country's 36 states.