Millions of Nigerians are set to vote in the most competitive presidential election since the end of military rule.
Since 1999, Africa’s most populous country has been dominated by two parties – the ruling APC and the PDP.
But this time there is also a strong challenge from a third party candidate – Peter Obi of the Labor Party, who has the support of many young people.
The current President, Muhammadu Buhari, is stepping down after completing two to four years in office.
His All Progressives Congress (APC) is represented by former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar stands for the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). There are a total of 18 presidential candidates.
The lead-up to the election has been overshadowed by a cash crunch caused by an effort to redesign the currency, leading to widespread chaos at banks and cash machines as desperate people scrambled to access their money. tried to
The new notes were introduced to deal with inflation and to buy votes. A member of the House of Representatives was arrested in the run-up to the election with nearly $500,000 (£419,000) in cash, police say, and a list of people he was supposed to give it to.
Whoever wins will face a new currency, a collapsing economy, high youth unemployment, and widespread insecurity that killed 10,000 people last year.
Parliamentary elections in the south-eastern Enugu East constituency have been postponed following the killing of a senatorial candidate by suspected gunmen belonging to the separatist group Ipob on Wednesday.
The election has seen strong interest from first-time voters and young people – a third of the 87 million eligible voters are under the age of 35 – which could lead to a higher voter turnout than the 35 percent recorded in 2019. .
“It’s my responsibility and I’ve seen how important it is to vote,” 19-year-old first-time voter Blessing Emmwodike told JEE News.
Mr Obi, 61, is hoping to break Nigeria’s two-party system after joining the Labor Party last May.
Although he was previously in the PDP, he is seen as a relatively fresh face and enjoys strong support among some sections of the Nigerian youth, especially in the south.
The wealthy businessman served as the governor of south-eastern Anambra state from 2006 to 2014. His supporters, known as “OBIDients”, say he is the only candidate with integrity, but his critics say a vote for Obi is wasted because he is unlikely to win. .
Instead, the PDP, which ruled until 2015, wants Nigerians to vote for 76-year-old Atiku Abubakar – the only major candidate from the country’s predominantly Muslim north.
He has previously run for president five times – all of which he has lost. He has been accused of graft and corruption, which he denies.
Most of his career has been spent in the corridors of power, having served as a top civil servant, vice president and a prominent businessman.
Most see the election as a referendum on the APC, which has overseen an era of economic hardship and worsening insecurity.
His candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, 70, is credited with building Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, during his two terms as governor until 2007.
He is known as a political godfather in the South-West region, where he wields enormous influence, but like Mr Abubakar, he has for years been dogged by allegations of corruption and ill health, both of which They refuse.
Voting is expected to start at 08:30 local time (07:30 GMT), although anyone in the queue will be allowed to vote before it ends at 14:30.
Elections are also being held for 109 federal senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives, along with elections for governors in March.
