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ABUJA. — Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari and his closest rival Atiku Abubakar made their final appeal for votes on the last day of campaigning yesterday ahead of a presidential election tomorrow that was delayed by a week.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the delay in the early hours of last Saturday, citing logistical reasons, just as some of Nigeria’s 84 million registered voters were preparing to head to the polls.
The stakes are high as Buhari, who took office in 2015 and is seeking a second term, is locked in a race against businessman and former vice president Atiku to lead a country that is Africa’s top oil producer. Nigeria opposition candidate Atiku Abubakar would continue Niger Delta amnesty program: policy advisor
The election has largely been fought on how to jump-start growth in the country with Africa’s largest economy which has seen low growth since emerging in 2017 from its first recession in 25 years. Security, amid an increase in Islamist attacks in the northeast, and corruption have also been campaign issues.
Buhari, who is campaigning on an anti-corruption platform, touted his economic record in a statement issued by his spokesman Femi Adesina.
Gross domestic product grew by 1.93 percent last year, up from 0.82 percent in 2017. “Those who do not see any good in something not initiated by them toil endlessly to hoodwink Nigerians into believing that nothing good is happening on the economic front,” the statement said. — Reuters.
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