2019 Nigeria Elections: Buhari vs Abubakar – who will lead Africa’s youngest population?

Africa’s most populous country with the youngest population is all set to hold its sixth quadrennial elections on February 16, 2019. Though a total of 73 presidential hopefuls are contesting for the country’s top seat, the battle is between the frontrunners – incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari, of the All Progressives Congress party, known as the APC, and Atiku Abubakar, of the People’s Democratic Party, or PDP.

While the democracy has matured in every way since the end of military rule in 1999, the country has a stained history of post-election violence. In 2011, over 1,000 people were killed in clashes after the results of that year’s vote were announced.

The relatively peaceful campaigning has been a remarkable development.  The 2019 elections, however, faces some challenges.

The controversy and uproar over the suspension of the Chief Justice of Nigeria just three weeks before the elections raised concerns among many Nigerians about the independence of the judiciary and Electoral Tribunals, should the courts be called upon to adjudicate election disputes, states The Hill.

The Hill also reported that many Nigerians are appalled that political parties have become more brazen in their efforts to influence voters. In an attempt to curb this phenomenon, the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) this month issued guidelines that include a ban on cellphones in the voting booth, a reform that was rolled out for the September gubernatorial election in Osun State and significantly reduced vote buying within polling units. However, domestic groups continue to report voter inducement in parts of Nigeria.

More than 84 million voters out of a total population of nearly 200 million are registered to vote in Nigeria, the continent’s leading economy.

The nation has one of the fastest-growing populations in the world, with 5 percent of the electorate between the ages of 18 and 35.

Nigeria’s Electoral System:

The President of Nigeria is elected using a simple majority of votes cast, as well as over 25% of the votes in 27 of the 36 states.

The 360 members of the House of Representatives are elected to 4-year terms, concurrent with the president, using first-past-the-post voting in single-member constituencies.

The 109 members of the Senate are elected to 4-year terms, concurrent with the president, from 108 single-seat constituencies into which the States are divided (three each) and one single-seat constituency consisting the Federal Capital Territory, all by first-past-the-post voting. (Wikipedia)

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