Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, a 76-year-old former military general, made history in the past election in 2015 when he became the first Nigerian opposition leader to be elected president in a democratic transfer of power.Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has been elected to a second term in office, defeating a wealthy business tycoon who had promised to liberalize the economy and privatize Nigeria’s state oil company.
Mr. Buhari, a 76-year-old former military general, made history in the past election in 2015 when he became the first Nigerian opposition leader to be elected president in a democratic transfer of power. His rival, former president Goodluck Jonathan, accepted defeat and stepped down without challenging the results.
The low voter turnout in most regions has led to suspicions of electoral manipulation and concerns about a lack of participation. In Lagos, the country’s biggest city, for example, there were about 6.3 million registered voters, but only about 1.1 million voted, according to the official results. Analysts warned that a victory by Mr. Buhari could hurt the Nigerian economy. “Another term for President Buhari would almost certainly result in the continuation of the growth-sapping policies he has adopted since 2015,” said a report on Tuesday by John Ashbourne, a senior economist at Capital Economics.