Nigerians are going to the polls for a crucial presidential vote that will see the country’s next leader elected. The hotly contested poll is being held simultaneously with voting for representatives for the country’s parliament.

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Edited by| Christian Megan

   Africa  section -  CJ journalist

Abuja, Nigeria  —   25 Feb 2023 

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Polls opened in Nigeria on Saturday morning in what will be Africa’s largest democratic exercise.

About 93 million Nigerians in a country of 200 million people are registered to vote, according to the electoral body INEC, but only 87 million are holders of a permanent voter card (PVC), a main requirement to cast a ballot.

Polls at the nation’s around 140,000 polling units opened from 8:30 a.m. local time and will close at 2:30 p.m. (or 2:30 a.m. ET Saturday to 8:30 a.m. ET). However, voters in line to vote by closing time will still be allowed to cast their ballots, INEC said.

One polling station in Lagos delayed opening as officials were still setting up after polls were meant to open, a CNN team witnessed. An official urged eager voters to be calm and “treat each other with love” as they continued to wait.

The same issue dogged several other voting locations, including in northern Kano State and southern Bayelsa State, with no elected officials in sight at 8:30 a.m. local time, according to Reuters. In previous elections, voters in some areas have complained that polling stations opened hours late or did not materialize at all.

CNN