Nigeria election: Early results show close race
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Counting is under way but the announcement of results has already been delayed
Early results from Nigeria's election show little separating the incumbent, President Goodluck Jonathan, and ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari.
With eight states and the capital Abuja declared, President Jonathan's People's Democratic Party (PDP) has a lead of about 20,000 votes.
Final results in the closely contested poll are due Tuesday. The US and UK in a joint statement expressed concern over possible "political interference" in the count.
"So far, we have seen no evidence of systemic manipulation of the process," said the statement from UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and US Secretary of State John Kerry.
"But there are disturbing indications that the collation process, where the votes are finally counted, may be subject to deliberate political interference."
Nigeria's election commission (Inec) dismissed these fears, with a spokesman telling the AFP agency "there is absolutely no basis" to talk of meddling.
Of the nine regions announced, the PDP has taken four, with 2,322,734 votes, and Gen Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) taking five, with 2,302,978 votes.
Police in the battleground Rivers State have used teargas against female opposition protesters who were attempting to lodge complaints with election officials of alleged rigging.
Voting spilled into Sunday in some parts of Nigeria after problems were encountered with new electronic card readers.
President Jonathan was among those whose registration to vote was delayed by the technology, which was introduced to prevent fraud.
The PDP, which had opposed the card readers, called it a "huge national embarrassment".
Election commission chief Attahiru Jega said only a fraction of the 150,000 card readers being used nationwide had failed.
The presidential and parliamentary elections had been delayed by six weeks because of the insurgency by Boko Haram militants.
The Islamists attacked polling stations in north-eastern states, with a curfew declared in Bauchi State after fighting between the security forces and the group.
The UN gave an upbeat assessment of the vote on Sunday, with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon praising the "determination and resilience" of Nigerian voters, despite the reports of attacks by Boko Haram and others.
He said in a statement voting had been "largely peaceful and orderly".
His comments were echoed by the regional bloc Ecowas, which urged Nigerians to accept the result.
The PDP has dominated Nigerian politics since 1999, but the APC is viewed as a serious challenge.
Voters are also electing members of the house of representatives and the senate.
BBC
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Malawi appeals for help over Cyclone Freddy at PAP
As of yesterday evening, the death toll from the Cyclone in Malawi had risen from the initially reported 190 to 225 in a short period of time, over 20 000 people have been displaced, and the worst of fears are yet to come as the fatalities continue to mount. This was reported by a Malawi Member of Parliament attending the Pan African Parliament session in Midrand, South Africa, Hon Steven Mikiya.
Mikiya was giving a statement on behalf of Malawi as the ongoing Pan African Parliament in South Africa.
Mikiya said the Cyclone has wreaked the most havoc in our country’s Southern Region. “The Southern Region, has been hardest hit with widespread heavy rains and strong winds. This caused a rapid rise in water levels and subsequent flooding. Meanwhile, power supply has been disrupted, roads blocked off and rendered impassable and mudslides have also been widely reported,” he said.
He made a special appeal to the PAP: “Where I come from, there is a parable which I would like to share with you which says, “mzako weniweni umamudziwa panthawi ya mavuto.” Simply put, a friend in need is a friend indeed or put loosely, a person who helps at a difficult time is a friend you can rely on.”
Mikiya continued: “Yes! Misfortune has knocked on our door and left in its wake a trail of death and destruction that may take years to fully recover from. However, amidst these difficulties, I have every reason to believe that sometimes when you are in a dark place and think you have been buried, you have actually been planted. My belief, Mr. President, arises out of my faith in this gathering and out of the conviction that it is not coincidental that Cyclone Freddy hit Malawi and Mozambique while the delegations of both countries are here.”
According to Mikiya, the level of destruction, the loss of life, property and the decimation of the entire fabric of established communities has been unprecedented. He noted that all this, is coming at a time when Malawi was starting to show signs of recovery from the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that also came hard on the heels of Cyclone Ana and Cyclone Gombe that left a similar trail of devastation and destruction in Malawi and neighbouring countries.
As of Sunday, this week, from the 12th of March, Malawi and Mozambique have been facing the devastating effects of Cyclone Freddy that made a landfall over Mozambique on Saturday the 11th and reached Malawi by Sunday the 12th of March.
The Malawi legislator said he has absolute faith in the Pan African Parliament, which he described as “a league of nations brought together by a shared ancestry, history, identity as well as our beloved continent which we inhabit”.
Meanwhile, Malawi President, Lazarus Chakwera, has declared a State of Disaster in the affected areas effectively appealing for local and international support for the affected families.
Mikiya appealed to the Pan African Parliament drawing “positive” inspiration from Europe which rallied around Turkey after the destructive earthquakes to bring the much-needed relief and humanitarian aid to the people of Turkey.
He said Africa should demonstrate to the world that the African Union and its Organs are not mere talk shows, but effective institutions which stand up when it matters most.
“Alone, it may take us a lifetime to fully recover, but together, in the Pan-Africanist spirit of Ubuntu, our lives and livelihoods will return to a semblance of normality in record time. This is the time to live by our operative mantra, “One Africa, One Voice.” Mikiya concluded.