A few hours after the polls closed in Lagos, young Nigerian voters stood around an official from the election commission and counted together as he went through each ballot paper.
After the presidential and parliamentary elections on Saturday, young people across the country stayed up late, using their phones to shine lights on the counting process.
Nigeria has a history of poll rigging and election-related violence. This led voters to stay on the scene after casting their votes. They waited to protect Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff and watch the counting process.
“The number of young people who voted and how determined they were to do so gives us hope for the new Nigeria,” said Edokwe Enechi, a civil servant, after she voted on Saturday.
People crowded around two young men who were playing chess on the side of the road.
One of the players, Anyachukwu Beneiah, who works as a doctor, said, “I voted around 9 a.m and we’ve been waiting for the results from the center.”
He told Reuters, “My friends and I decided to play chess to pass the time while we wait.”
INEC has several issues. It also didn’t post polling unit results immediately. One of many new methods to make things more open and less likely to be tampered with.
Several other technical problems caused the opposition parties to reject the preliminary results. In addition, observers said that INEC didn’t plan well. Olusegun Obasanjo, a former president, was one of those who didn’t like it.
Despite the problems, some results have been coming in.
UNBEATABLE LEAD
By Tuesday evening, Bola Tinubu, the candidate of Nigeria’s ruling party, had an unbeatable lead.
Tinubu looked like he would replace President Muhammadu Buhari, who was leaving office.
On Election Day in Akwa, a woman sold grated cassava to young voters who were getting ready for a long night of counting.
Trader Chinyere Obeta said, “I’m buying food and waiting to fill my stomach so I’ll have the strength to wait and endure until the end, until they announce the result.”
