BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE

1. Those living abroad who travelled back to Nigeria in time to vote yesterday. 
2. Those who travelled long distances to their home states to vote.  
3. Those who had events, i.e. weddings, funerals, etc., planned for 23 February and most likely put down non-refundable deposits.

1. The two major contenders: President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB) aka the incumbent, and Atiku Abubakar aka the former Vice President. These two are Nigeria’s foremost options, and contrary to popular opinion, the two are quite different. 
2. Yes, there are other candidates. More than 70, actually. But, realistically speaking, none of these candidates have voter bases strong enough to challenge the two main parties, APC and PDP. 

That's all? 
You wish. Next up, regional votes. In the 2015 elections, PMB had two things on his side: the hope of the Nigerian people and a massive turn out in the North West with almost five million votes from Kano state. The North West has the highest number of registered voters, and because Nigerians tend to vote along ethnic lines, this played in Buhari’s favour. Notwithstanding, Atiku, a Fulani-Muslim just like Buhari, could mean a challenge to PMB’s northern domination. 

Sounds tense!
It is. But there's also voter apathy. With an economic recession and unfulfilled campaign promises, the last four years have left the average Nigerian jaded. Sola Omotola, a professor of Political Science at the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti believes that Nigerian voters are getting more sophisticated and the impact of Nigeria's recent economic downturn could tip the scale in the opposition's favour.

However, according to INEC, less than a week before the collection deadline (February 08), there were still large numbers of uncollected voters' cards. At the same time, those who actually bothered to pick up their voters’ cards before the deadline, met tedious roadblocks, which left many of them frustrated and willing to forgo voting all together. Kamsi, a 22-year-old in Lagos who would have been voting for the first time, told us that, after waiting for more than three hours to pick up her voters' card, the administrators simply told her it ‘wasn’t there.’
 

So, what's at stake in the 2019 elections?

1. The economy: Nigeria’s stock market has performed the worst globally in the last four years, and investors are concerned about what implications the election outcomes will have on Nigeria's potential for recovery. 
2. Democracy: For many Nigerians, there is a legitimate fear that PMB’s government may not step down especially following his suspension of Nigeria's former Chief Justice (read this). Is the General back?
3. Poverty: Last year, the World Poverty Clock estimated that over eighty million people in Nigeria were living in extreme poverty. The livelihoods of these people are at stake.
4. Security: There are legitimate security fears since there have already been a few clashes in the run up to the elections, especially because of Nigeria's history with electoral violence. 

Let’s Talk about Security
The threat presented by Boko Haram and ISWAP are immense leading up to the elections. On one hand, millions of Nigerians have been displaced, which many argue will limit their ability to vote. On the other hand, many doubt the security forces ability to ensure safety for those in troubled parts of the country.

In other news...

'Hello from Porto Novo! Take me to motherland and you will see me shining like gold' tweeted a social media influencer, Scheena Donia, on 5 February. It is unclear if she failed to notice the shady looks that numerous people in the background of her photos were serving. The tweet, which now has 4,306 retweets and 20,053 likes, sparked a wave of replies from people who were not very impressed at her using the locals 'as poverty aesthetics.' 

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the Egyptian police and security forces have executed 'systematic and widespread torture' under President Abedelfattah Elsisi's watch. The government's response: deny, deny, deny. Denial is a method that Egypt is accustomed to but this case has prompted HRW to request that a UN inquiry take place. The inquiry would involve a visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on torture to the country's detention sites.

To make matters worse, after requesting a UN inquiry, HRW was forced to shut down their offices in the country and a few other MENA locations. In this video, HRW's MENA division director, Sarah Leah Witson, explains threats and pressures HRW has faced from the Egyptian government. With the Arab Spring just passing its eight year anniversary, the events in Egypt highlight the importance of holding leading accountable for their actions and why it's crucial that the world keep watching. 

The jury is out, and El Chapo—the Mexican drug-lord, famous for smuggling drugs via tunnel from Mexico to the USA is guilty. But, what is important is whether or not his indictment will have any real repercussions on international drug trafficking. 

Want to know how drug trafficking is affecting Africa? Read this. 

This week's Newswatch Roundup also features a special section dedicated to election news and voting.
 

Convoy Breakdown

On Tuesday evening, insurgents attacked the convoy of Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima. So far the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a group with Boko Haram ties has claimed responsibility for attack on the convoy. The terror group also claimed that 42 people died in the assault. However, on Thursday, the Borno government refuted the claims as a 'propaganda strategy' and confirmed that only three people were killed in the attack. 
 

Election Fever

According to Nigerian health officials, on Wednesday, 15 people were killed and 12 injured in a stampede at an election campaign rally by President Muhammadu Buhari in Rivers State. Local media reports that the stampede happened when panic broke out at the end of a rally, as crowds tried to force their way through a locked exit.

Such incidents have become frequent at election rallies. Just last Thursday, two people were reported to have died during a crush at a Buhari rally in the north-eastern state of Taraba. And on January 21, several people were injured in the north-eastern city of Maiduguri when a platform collapsed during a visit by Buhari.

Locate Your Polling Unit

This tool by EIE Nigeria will help you find where you need to go to vote. All you need is your polling unit code. 

Explore Voting With Us

We're currently developing a photo-series that looks at how Nigerians vote. To be a part of this historical project, all you need to do is share photographs from your polling booth with us via email, Twitter, Facebook and/or Instagram.