A second round of voting in the inconclusive presidential elections in Niger Republic has been fixed for February 21, after the first round of voting on December 27, 2020, could not produce a clear winner.
In a statement on Sunday,Niger’s Constitutional Court (NCC), confirmed that a second round of the presidential election is to be held as no candidate had obtained an absolute majority of votes in the first round which “led to the annulment, partial or total cancellation claimed by opposition candidates” which was rejected by the Court.
However, the rerun elections will be between former Prime Minister and candidate of the ruling party who was the favorite to win, Mohammed Bazoum and former President Mahamane Ousmane.
In the first election, Bazoum came first with 39.33 percent of the votes while Mahamane came second with 16.99 percent of votes.
“The Court receives the request of the President of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the form, validates and proclaims the final results of the first round of the presidential elections of December 27 2020.
“The court, therefore, declares Mohamed Bazoum and Mahamane Ousmane candidates in the second round of the presidential elections,” the NCC said.
For the second round, Bazoum and Ousmane will have to engage in negotiations with the 28 other candidates who did not make the cut.
Eighteen opposition parties including that of Ousmane, gathered in the coalition Cap 20-21, called the ‘failed candidates’ in the first round to join the candidacy of the former president.Ten other unsuccessful candidates in the first round including former President Salou Djibo have formed a second alliance, the Alliance of Candidates for Change (ACC), offering their support in the second round “to any interested candidate,” in return for power-sharing afterwards.
