By Abba Gwale
Niger Republic electoral board CENI, confirmed Mohammed Bazoum of PNDS party as the winner of the country’s Presidential election held on Sunday.
The result released by the electoral board showed the winner, Bazoum, got over two million votes while his opposition, Mahamane Ousmane of RDR got over one million votes.
The second round of the election was held on Sunday between the two powerful candidates after all the candidates failed to get the minimum votes required by the electoral board during the first round that held last year.
The winner who emerged from ruling party was supported by the coalition of the candidates of the last election who emerged 3rd and 4th while the runner up was also boosted by the coalition of the remaining 18 political parties who also contested in the last election.
In the first election, Mohamed Bazoum, an ally of incumbent President Mahamadou Issoufou, received 39% of the votes in the first round that fielded 30 candidates.
In his campaign, Bazoum, a former interior minister has pledged to continue Issoufou’s policies.
Issoufou, 69, is stepping down after serving the two terms allowed by the constitution of the country that has been rocked by political unrest, including four coups since it got independence from France in 1960.
The election came at a time when the country is struggling with insecurity especially on country’s border with Nigeria from south-east and its border with Mali.
