AFRICA/NIGERIA - Awaiting the results of Saturday's poll. Reported intimidation and violence

Monday, 20 March 2023 elections violence bishops

NIGERIA

2024-04-10
Nigeria questions the role of the military after the massacre of 17 soldiers in a village in Delta State

2024-04-03
The bishop of Sokoto: "Let us develop agriculture to give dignity to our people"

2024-03-25
Leader of the gang that caused the death of a seminarian has been arrested

2024-03-22
President of the Bishops' Conference calls for the release of independence fighter Nnamdi Kanu

2024-03-12
Mass kidnappings widespread: a criminal and political phenomenon rather than “religious”

2024-03-07
More than 200 pupils kidnapped from a primary school in northern Nigeria

Abuja (Agenzia Fides) - The counting of the local elections of March 18 (see Fides, 18/3/2023) is underway. According to Festus Okoye, spokesman for the Independent National Electoral Commission of Nigeria, these elections were marked in some States by violence
"Some of our staff have been kidnapped, others harassed, others intimidated, still others hospitalized and in one case killed," Mr Okoye said.
Yesterday, Sunday, March 19, in Borno state in the northeast of the country, Islamic State
members attempted to disrupt the collection of results, but were repelled by security forces who killed in least 40 terrorists, according to local officials.
In Lagos, outgoing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC (All Progressives Congress, the party of outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari and his successor Bola Tinubu, elected on February 25) is in the lead, according to partial results from the electoral commission.
So far, the APC has won gubernatorial elections in Ogun, Kwara, Jigawa, Gombe and Yobe states, while its historical rival, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has won in Oyo and Akwa Ibom states.
Adamawa, in the north-east, could see the election of Nigeria's first female governor, while in the central-eastern state of Benue, APC candidate Hyacinth Iormem Alia, a Catholic priest who was suspended from the celebration of the Eucharist on May 20, 2022 by Bishop William Avenya of Gboko, seems to be in the lead. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 20/3/2023)