The last two rivals in Niger’s February 21, 2021 presidential election, Mohamed Bazoum and Mahamane Ousmane, are required to forge alliances.
With 19 days left for election, negotiations are underway behind the scenes. In the first round, the candidate of the Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS Tarayya), Mohamed Bazoum, won 39.3 percent of the votes cast, against 16.99 percent for Mahamane Ousmane, the leader of the Democratic Rally and Republican (RDR Tchanji).
Consequently, Bazoum, who was groomed by outgoing President Mahamadou Issoufou and the former President (1993-1996) are sparing no efforts to gain the support of the defeated candidates. Among these, ex-Prime Minister Seini Oumarou (3rd with 8.95 percent) and Albabe Abouba (4th with 7.07 percent of the votes) are considered to be kingmakers.
To date, the leaders of the National Movement for the Development Society (MNSD Nassara) and the Patriotic Movement for the Republic (MPR Jamhuriya) have not yet instructed their supporters to vote. But according to an anonymous source, privy to the mysteries of Nigerien politics, “everything could be settled by next Thursday.”
Already, Bazoum would benefit from the assistance of the Rally for Peace and Progress (RPP Farilla) and the Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ANDP Zaman Lahiya). These two parties ranked respectively 7th and 8th in the first round, with 2.47 percent and 2.4 percent of the electorate.
However, the former Minister of Interior and Public Security has a more or less comfortable cushion in advance. In fact, he collected more than a million votes, compared to his rival, Mahamane Ousmane.
Thirty candidates took part in the first round of the presidential election held on December 27. In total, five million Nigeriens, registered on the electoral rolls, have gone to the polls, representing a voter turnout of 69.67 percent.
The electoral campaign started last Sunday, the day after the proclamation of the final results of the first round by the Constitutional Court. It ends “the day before the second round at midnight.”
ID/te/fss/abj/APA