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https://scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/2187838/nigeria-president-muhammadu-buhari-wins-second-term-vote-marred
World/ Africa

Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari wins second term in vote marred by delays and violence

  • Buhari, a former army general, is known for being disciplined and incorruptible, a rare track record in Nigerian politics
  • The opposition slammed the results as rigged, even before results from all 36 states were announced
Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari is seen by his supporters as relatively untainted by the corruption that plagues politics in Africa’s most populous nation. Photo: AP

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has won a second term, according to final results published by the Independent National Electoral Commission, in a vote that was marred by large-scale violence and delays.

Before the results were announced late Tuesday, the spokesman for the main opposition claimed to have evidence the vote was rigged.

Buhari, 76, is a former military general who briefly held power in 1984 and 1985 after a coup. He is seen by his supporters as relatively untainted by the corruption that plagues politics in Africa’s most populous nation.

A sluggish economy recovered slightly during his first term, but almost a quarter of the workforce remains unemployed and about half of the population lives on less than US$2 a day.

Buhari has been lauded for his progress against the decade-old Islamist insurgency Boko Haram, which has killed more than 10,000 and displaced millions, but 2018 brought a return to levels of violence not seen in years.

His main challenger was Atiku Abubakar, a business tycoon and former vice-president. Abubakar’s party called for reruns of the polls in four states and said it would challenge the election commission’s numbers in court.

According to the official results, Abubakar’s People’s Democratic Party received 41 per cent of votes cast, compared with 56 per cent for Buhari’s All Progressives Congress.

Independent monitoring groups have said more than 250 were killed in election-related violence, including about 50 on and since election day. Photo: AFP
Independent monitoring groups have said more than 250 were killed in election-related violence, including about 50 on and since election day. Photo: AFP

Past elections in Nigeria have triggered tremendous violence, mostly because of contested results. After the 2011 elections, more than 800 were killed.

The lead-up to Saturday’s election was marked by clashes between supporters of rival politicians. Independent monitoring groups have said more than 250 were killed in election-related violence, including about 50 on and since election day.

Nigerian police said on Tuesday that 128 people had been arrested for suspected election-related offences, including ballot box-snatching, vote-trading and impersonation.

The election was first scheduled for a week earlier, but the election commission postponed the vote just five hours before polls opened because of “logistical and operational” unpreparedness.

On Saturday, many polling stations still opened late.

The delay likely depressed voter turnout, according to observer groups.

The aftermath of deadly clashes between supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at Kofa in Bebeji district of Kano. Photo: AFP
The aftermath of deadly clashes between supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at Kofa in Bebeji district of Kano. Photo: AFP

In Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, for instance, fewer than 1 in 5 registered voters cast a ballot. Turnout was higher in northern states where Buhari has a passionate following. Buhari won more than 90 per cent of the vote in Borno state, where Boko Haram is most active.

Nigeria transitioned to democracy in 1999 after decades of military rule. The relative peacefulness of this year’s election has been seen as a sign of maturation in Nigeria’s democracy by some, although the fact that Buhari and Abubakar belong to the same religion and ethnic community likely played a major role in limiting potential tension.

Buhari appealed to voters not to stop his “moving train”, which he said was gathering momentum to fight Nigeria’s mounting crises.

Critics have questioned whether Buhari has the requisite energy, given that he spent almost half of 2017 in a London hospital battling an undisclosed illness and has publicly pushed back at allegations that he uses a body double.

Additional reporting by Tribune News Service