WORLD NEWS | Nigeria prepares for crucial presidential vote on Saturday

ABUJA, Feb. 25 (AP) — Officials scrambled to prepare polling stations Friday on the eve of Nigeria’s crucial election, after police said a lawmaker was arrested with nearly $500,000 in cash and handout lists , people have new concerns about buying votes.

In the southeast, election workers in parts of Imo state have abandoned their posts amid fears separatists could target polling stations, said Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Nigerian Election Commission.

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The last-minute development comes as Nigerians prepare to vote in Saturday’s parliamentary and presidential elections. The government said Thursday it would not postpone the vote at the last minute, as it did in 2019, when it was announced on election morning. The 2014 vote was also rescheduled for a later date.

And there are continuing concerns about what Nigeria’s current cash crunch will do to voter turnout. While access to the national currency, the naira, is out of the question for many Nigerians, police said at least one lawmaker had large amounts of dollars on hand.

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Rivers State Police spokeswoman Grace Iringe-Koko said authorities were questioning Nigerian House of Representatives member Chinyere Igwe after he was found at 2 a.m. Left and right to keep money in a bag in the car, and a distribution list.

In Nigeria, it is illegal to carry undeclared cash in excess of US$10,000.

Meanwhile, authorities in Kano state announced the arrest of more than 60 “thugs suspected of possessing dangerous weapons” following clashes between supporters of political parties on Thursday. Local media reported that one person was burned to death in the violence.

Eighteen candidates are vying to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, who is stepping down after his second and final term.

Three frontrunners emerged, including Bola Tinubu of the ruling party and Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition party. Most opinion polls favor third-party candidate Peter Obi.

The vote was closely watched because Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and one of the continent’s top oil producers. According to United Nations estimates, by 2050, Nigeria will be tied with the United States to become the third most populous country in the world after India and China.

The election comes amid a currency shortage in Africa’s most populous country, raising concerns about whether it will affect voter turnout.

Authorities announced a switch to the new naira banknote in November, but the change led to a nationwide shortage of banknotes.

At the same time, doubts have been raised about the ability of Nigerian authorities to rein in the influence of money in the country’s elections.

Observer groups have documented payments ranging from 500 naira ($1.09) to 5,000 naira ($10.90) to people willing to vote for candidates, which is used amid the country’s high rates of unemployment and poverty a strategy.

“Vote buying remains the main threat to our democracy,” Mahmoud Yakub, chairman of Nigeria’s electoral commission, told reporters on Thursday.

Mobile phones are banned in Nigeria’s polling stations, Yakub said. Authorities introduced the ban in response to voters taking photos of their ballots as evidence in exchange for cash from political parties. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)