Nigeria election vote counting underway in capital
(25 Feb 2023) ASSOCIATED PRESS Abuja - 25 February 2023 1. Various of ballot sorting 2. SOUNDBITE (English) Ebube Chukwudi, businessman: "People in Kugbo here are a law abiding community but the little hitches we are having in Kugbo is the returning officers here, uploading of the results. INEC (Independence National Electoral Commission) should look into this thing to ensure that all the hitches are being solved, because these are the problems that we have in the election period." 3. Various of people queueing 4. Various of voter casting ballot 5. Wide of people waiting 6. SOUNDBITE (English) Chuks Nnamdi, artisan: "The INEC officials are trying to play smart over us, telling us that the uploading cannot go through due to network connections, but we are here to prove them that they can't move an inch from here, except the result is uploaded to INEC server." 7. Various of vote counting 8. Various of people celebrating during the counting 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Emeka Nwayanwu, trader: "With the situation we have, it goes a long way to question the credibility behind the activities of INEC, because we have been told prior to now, that election will be done devoid of hitches and the result would be transmitted electronically." 10. Various of voters in the rain STORYLINE: Frustrated Nigerians cast their ballots into the evening Saturday, hours after the official deadline for joining the voting line in Africa’s most populous nation after late starts and sporadic violence caused delays at polling stations. Election officials blamed the delays on logistical issues, though other observers pointed to the upheaval created by a redesigned currency that has left many unable to obtain bank notes. The cash shortage affected transport not only for voters but also election workers and police officers providing security. In Abuja, voters complained of glitches in the uploading of votes which caused delays. For the first time this year Nigeria's election results will be transmitted electronically to headquarters in Abuja, a step officials say will reduce voter fraud. There were fears of violence on Election Day, from Islamic militants in the north to separatists in the south. Voting was largely peaceful Saturday, though a dramatic scene unfolded in the megacity of Lagos in the mid-afternoon. Mahmood Yakubu, head of Nigeria’s election commission, said voting would continue late into the evening in places that had recorded violence but now have an adequate security presence. Analysts say it won't be clear how widespread and significant the delays and attacks on polling stations were until after the polls have closed. Incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after two four-year terms in Nigeria, a West African country where unemployment has soared to 33% even as one of the continent's top oil producers. Out of the field of 18 presidential candidates, three front-runners have emerged in recent weeks: the candidate from Buhari's ruling party, the main opposition party candidate and a third-party challenger who has drawn strong support from younger voters. =========================================================== Clients are reminded to adhere to all listed restrictions and to check the terms of their licence agreements. For further assistance, please contact the AP Archive on: Tel +44(0)2074827482 Email: [email protected]. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
