Niger’s former interior minister, Mohamed Bazoum, has won the country’s presidential ‘first democratic transition for the Coup-prone Country.
Bazoum garnered 55.75% of the vote as per the country’s electoral commission, with opposition candidate Mahamane Ousmane coming close with 44.25%.
However, supporters of the former president Mahamane Ousmane (the first democratically elected president in the country only to be overthrown three years later), have protested in the streets, with allegations of fraud in the process.
Niger is a country that struggles with frequent droughts, insurgency and widespread poverty.
According to the UN’s development rankings for 189 countries, Niger is the world’s poorest nation and only outlawed slavery as late as 2003. It has also been greatly affected by the spillover of violence from two jihadist insurgencies in neighbouring Mali and Nigeria.
Bazoum, 61, was the candidate for the governing party in Sunday’s second-round run-off vote. He is set to succeed President Mahamdou Issoufou, who is stepping down after two terms of five years each.
Traces of violence have been reported with tyres burning and stones being thrown at a vehicle belonging to the governing party.
The provisional results must still be confirmed by the constitutional court.
