The African Union Commission has disclosed that it will be sending a 90-strong observer mission to Nigeria for this month’s most anticipated Presidential elections.
The Africa’s giants head to the polls on February 25 to elect a president that will rule the nation for another four years amidst dire shortages of cash and fuel.
It is germane to note that the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) is being headed by former Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta, who helped broker a deal to end two years of war in northern Ethiopia and is mediating in the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
In a statement, the AU said the objectives of the mission were to provide an “accurate and impartial assessment” of the electoral process, offer recommendations for any improvement in future polls, and demonstrate AU support “towards consolidation of democracy, peace, stability, and development in Nigeria”.
A total of 93,469,008 eligible voters will vote to choose the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari, who steps down after two terms as Nigeria struggles with widespread insecurity and economic malaise.
This figure, the Independent National Electoral Commission said, was arrived at after the review of 54,264 objections raised by Nigerians following the initial display of the voter register on its website in November 2022.
INEC said 49,054,162 or 52.5 per cent of the total voters are male while the remaining 44,414,846 or 47.5 per cent are female voters.
The commission added that 37,060,399 or 39.65 per cent of voters are between the ages of 18 and 34; while 33,413,591 or 35.75 per cent are middle-aged persons between the ages of 35 and 49.
The body said 17,700,270 or 18.94 per cent of the total registered voters are elderly voters between the ages of 50 and 69, just as the remaining 5,294,748 or 5.66 per cent are senior citizens above the age of 70.
It was further revealed that students make up the largest category at 26,027,481 or 27.8 per cent of all registered voters, in terms of occupational distribution.
Lagos State has the highest number of voters with 7, 060,195, followed by Kano State with 5,921,370 and Kaduna with 4,335,208 registered voters.
Ekiti State has the least registered voters with 987,647, followed by Bayelsa with 1,056,862 and Yobe with 1,485,146 registered voters.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s electoral commission, the Independent National Electoral Commission has said 240 polling centres will not be used in upcoming elections, as no one had chosen them due to insecurity in the surrounding areas.
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