Niger: Issoufou faces run-off against jailed rival Amadou

Niger: Issoufou faces run-off against jailed rival Amadou

Friday, February 26, 2016 10:51 pm


Hama Amadou: to run again against Issoufou

Hama Amadou: to run again against Issoufou

At full tally of the votes won in the 21 February presidential election in Niger, incumbent President Mahamadou Issoufou won 48.4 percent of the vote, falling short of an outright majority.

A run-off will now be conducted between him and jailed opposition leader Hama Amadou, according to provisional results on Friday.

Amadou, a former prime minister who came second with 17.8 percent, has been in prison since November on charges relating to a baby-trafficking scandal. He says he is innocent and a victim of political repression.

A coalition of four parties agreed before the election to back the candidate that came second in a bid to defeat Issoufou. Those parties gained a cumulative vote of around 38 percent.

Issoufou is bidding for a second term and has vowed to tackle poverty and improve security in the West African country that is one of the poorest in the world.

Niger also faces a threat from Nigeria-based Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which has staged a series of cross-border attacks in the southeastern Diffa region, forcing the government to impose a state of emergency there.

Turnout in the election was nearly 67 percent, according to the National Electoral Commission.


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