Nigerians vote on Saturday in a presidential election that analysts say is too close to call. Polls suggest only three out of 18 candidates stand a realistic chance of winning.
Former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) faces Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi, a wild-card candidate who defected from the PDP to the smaller Labour Party and now leads in at least five opinion polls.
Whomever Nigerians choose to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari – only the second incumbent in Nigerian history to bow out willingly after serving two democratic terms – will have to resolve a litany of crises that have worsened under the retired army general’s administration.
These include banditry and militant violence now affecting most parts of the country, systemic corruption that deters investment and enriches a well-connected elite, high inflation, and widespread cash shortages after a botched introduction of new bills late last year, Reuters said.
