Nigerians were due to start voting on Saturday to elect a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari, with many hoping the next leader will steer Africa’s most populous nation and biggest economy on a new course after years of worsening violence and hardship.
Polling stations were scheduled to open at 8:30 a.m. (0730 GMT), though Reuters reporters at several locations across the country saw some that were not ready. In northern Kano State and southern Bayelsa State, reporters saw queues of voters with no election officials in sight.
“We are still waiting on them as you can see. I’m here and everyone else is here. So I’m eager to vote, to cast my vote, to perform my constitutional right,” said Daniel Kessy, who was among those waiting to vote in the city of Kano.
The main candidates in the most wide open contest since Nigeria switched from army rule to democracy in 1999 are two political veterans from the two main parties and a candidate from a minor party who opinion polls suggest has a chance thanks to support from young voters.
