Nigeria election 2023 live: Voting continues past deadline

Polls have opened in Nigeria’s presidential and parliamentary elections seen as the most open since Africa’s most populous nation switched from military rule to democracy in 1999.

• Nigeria, Africa’s largest democracy, is electing a president, vice president, Senate and House of Representatives.
• Polls opened at 07:30 GMT and will close at 13:30 GMT.
• More than 93 million people are registered to vote.
• Nigeria transitioned from army rule to democracy in 1999 but its elections have been plagued by violence and fraud.
• This presidential race is seen as the most unpredictable in recent Nigerian history.
• The ballot counting and collating process is expected to take several days.

Reporting from the Nigeria Civil Society Association in Abuja, Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom said several civil society groups have been coordinating with their members across the country.

“They have been quite happy, mostly, that things have been going smoothly, up until the start of today. Voters over the past couple of days have been concerned that even in Abuja, there might be violence, so they were committed to come out and cast their ballots in such a consequential election,” he said.

Voters at Coker Interchange in Asaba drink and relax while waiting to vote [Eromo Egbejule/Al Jazeera]

Voters at Coker Interchange in Asaba drink and relax while waiting to vote [Eromo Egbejule/Al Jazeera]

Casualties confirmed in northeast Nigeria: Media platform

HumAngle, a media platform covering Africa said on Twitter that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed “Boko Haram RPG attacks” resulting in casualties.

“There are several cases of logistical shortfalls across the country with fewer incidences of violence. However, INEC has confirmed Boko Haram RPG attacks,” it said.

“HumAngle can confirm casualties from two locations targeted in Gwoza, northeast Nigeria.”

Strong voter lines seen in Abuja, signalling enthusiasm: International observer

Speaking from Abuja, international observer Stacey Abrams said, “Despite a slow start, we have seen orderly and strong lines, signalling enthusiasm. We’ve also seen a great deal of cooperation and a very peaceful conversation among voters. They want to be heard and they are willing to stand in line and have patience because they know that’s their path to progress.”

“I’ve had a chance to speak to several youth voters across the state and they want to be heard. They believe that progress is possible and that more is possible. They understand that they are the most assailed by unemployment. The challenges they face are real but so are the opportunities for change,” Abrams said.

Mixed results begin to emerge in Lagos

Mixed results have begun to emerge in Lagos with APC taking a very thin lead with the challenging Labour Party closing in on their heels. The PDP is at a distant third.

Youth is banking on this election: First-time voter

First-time voter Fatimat Onaolakpo said the youth is banking on this election.

“If this goes wrong that means we won’t have a say in our country. Nothing else can come and be conducted well again,” Onaolakpo said.

Voting expected to continue for another hour or two: AJ Correspondent

Reporting from Lagos, Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris said that although voting was scheduled to end at 13:30 GMT, voting has continued at several voting stations.

“Because of the number of people here and because of the incidents earlier today, where voting materials arrived late in several polling stations across Lagos and other parts of Nigeria, the vote is expected to continue for another hour or two,” Idris said.

“Meanwhile, security officials are here in numbers to checkmate the influence of money on the voting. This is happening simultaneously across almost all polling stations in Lagos and is expected to continue until the final vote is cast.”

‘I cannot trace back any dirty work to his hands,’ voter says about Obi

Youth in Delta seem to be voting a lot for Obi, even though their governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, is on the PDP ticket as running mate to Atiku Abubakar.

“That’s not my problem, ” Emmanuel Edozie-Uno, a 23-year-old student voting for Obi in Asaba, told Al Jazeera curtly. “I voted for Obi. We’ve seen him perform in Anambra … I cannot trace back any dirty work to his hands, compared to the one who is known as a drug lord.”

It was a criticism aimed at the APC candidate Bola Tinubu, who forfeited $500,000 to the US government in 1993 but has claimed that the indictment did not equate to a conviction.

Hundreds of people still not sure when they will vote

Voting officially closed at 01:30 GMT but several polling units still have long queues with hundred of people across the country.

Late start, equipment malfunction and violence in some parts have contributed to the delay, sparking concerns among voters on the level of preparation by the electoral commission.

Abiola Raymond, 38, is still in the queue at Elegushi, a rich suburb of Lagos at 01:53 GMT without having an idea if he would be able to vote.

“The queue is useless,” he said. “We could not vote earlier because APC thugs came to disrupt the voting process and destroyed everything. I am still waiting to vote. I don’t know if I would be able to vote.”

Voters disillusioned as some polling stations remain shut

By 11am (10:00 GMT), the polling station at the Jalala primary health centre in Ilorin had not yet opened.

Some of the voters waiting to cast their ballots were leaving. “It’s my first election and I always believed that INEC was right to complain about low voter turnout,” Akinwale Akindayo, 24, told Al Jazeera.

He now believed the complaint to be a lie.

“I’ve been here since 9am (8:00 GMT) and there’s still no sign of them. I can’t keep waiting for Godot,” he said in reference to a play by Samuel Beckett about a man who never arrives.

Can Peter Obi’s online appeal win enough votes?

A dramatic election campaign has come to an end in Nigeria as voting gets under way for a new president.

Will the force of social media get Peter Obi the top job?

Can Nigeria’s ailing kingmaker win the presidency?

Bola Tinubu, regarded as a master strategist and seen by his supporters as Obafemi Awolowo’s political heir, is facing perhaps the toughest hurdles of any kingmaker who has wanted the throne.

Controversies about the true age of the 70-year-old, as well as inconsistencies in his educational and professional qualifications, have long circulated locally. There have also been multiple allegations of state capture and tax evasion from his time as governor. He could not be prosecuted due to the immunity he enjoyed as governor.

EFCC monitoring vote to prevent electoral fraud

Officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are on the ground to deter vote trading and other forms of electoral fraud.EFCC officers at a polling station in Agulu, Anambra state [Eromo Egbejule/Al Jazeera]

Bola Tinubu arrives at polling station in Ikeja

Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been greeted by jubilant supporters as he arrived at a polling station in Ikeja to cast his ballot.

What are the key issues in this election?

The previous administration came to power promising to fix the economy as well as tackle corruption and insecurity.

But the economy has endured two recessions in the past five years and the naira currency has plummeted to one-third of its value in that time.

There is also insecurity, especially in the northeast, northwest and southeast, where multiple armed groups hold grievances against the state and conduct frequent rounds of killings and kidnappings.

Is it expected to be a fair and transparent election?

Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission says it has taken measures to ensure this election will be free and fair, a key concern in a nation with a long history of electoral fraud and violence.

Voters will present their voting cards and be identified by a Bimodal Voter Accreditation System that uses fingerprints and facial recognition. This is aimed at reducing the risk of fraudsters voting several times.

On voting day, results from individual polling stations will be posted outside for citizens to view and sent through the voter system to an electoral commission portal.

The results will be displayed on the portal in real-time and be accessible to the public, the commission says. It is hoped this will reduce the risk of the figures being manipulated along the way.

Source: Merziha Gadzo, Kelvin Doyle, and Federica Marsi