Nigerians came out on Saturday to elect a new president in a poll generally seen to be peaceful and credible. Observers said the poll marked a shift from past votes, including the last one in 2007, which had been marred by rigging and violence. The race for the presidency appears to be mainly between incumbent Goodluck Jonthan who took over from late Umaru Yar'Adua last year and former military head of state, General Muhammadu Buhari of the Congress for Progressive Change, CPC.

Others are Kano State Governor, Mohammed Shekarau of the All Nigeria People Party, ANPP, former anti-corruption chief, Nuhu Ribadu.

The leader of the National Democratic Institute’s observer mission, Joe Clark, a former Canadian prime minister, in the Nigerian capital, Abuja said the vote went in a quite orderly fashion. “Their [voters] numbers were called, and they queued up,” he said.

The presidential vote of April 16 came after the twice postponed parliamentary elections held on April 9. Reports from across Africa's most populous country indicate a large turnout of voters enthusiastic to exercise their franchise amidst security at various polling units and along major roads.

Heavy Security

In and around the state headquarters of the electoral commission [INEC] in Lagos, there has been heavy presence of soldiers and security operatives, a situation that might have been replicated in others states following the bomb explosion at the commission’s office in Suleja, Niger, a state bordering Abuja. Several persons were dead in the explosion that came before the parliamentary elections.

Logistics

From the commercial capital of Lagos in the south to the ancient northern city of Kano, election materials and personal were said to have arrived on time in most polling centers nationwide, making it easier for voting to take place on schedule.

“At this stage we’re satisfied so far,” the executive director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Center in Abuja, Clement Nwankwo told New York Times. “For a lot of Nigerians it was really a relief to see the elections go as peacefully as they did last Saturday.”

Voting had began after mid-day following the accreditation of voters which started earlier in the morning. The electoral system in Nigeria demands that voters must confirm their names in the voters register and get accredited before voting time. This ensures voters don't engage in multiple voting. Voters had also been encouraged to wait behind to see through the public ballot count, a move that makes rigging difficult.

INEC commended

The Independent National Electoral Commission; INEC has been commended for a largely transparent and credible electoral process so far. “Professor Jega has shown that he is willing and able to deliver on free and fair elections,” Nigeria’s Minister of Finance Olusegun Aganga said of the electoral chief shortly after casting his vote in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The electoral body is expected to start announcing results of Saturday’s presidential election from Monday.

There had been isolated cases of violence and reported electoral fraud; the cases are however far from a level that could mar the credibility of the polls.

Nigerians will on April 26 vote in governorship polls in the 36 states of the federation. Parliamentary representatives would also be elected in districts that did not hold elections on April 9 due to logistic challenges.

Source: Samuel Okocha, AfricaNews reporter in Lagos, Nigeria