The exuberance was triggered by the announcement from the country’s election commission, officially declaring Tshisekedi’s resounding re-election with an impressive majority, securing over 70% of the total votes cast.

The enthusiastic celebration among his followers reflected a deep sense of satisfaction and confidence in the leadership of their chosen candidate, as they eagerly anticipated the continuation of Tshisekedi’s tenure.

Prince Mukinayi, a member of Tshisekedi’s UDPS party, expressed joy, stating, “I’m delighted that our president has been re-elected. All Congolese, everywhere, we are happy, and we will give him the chance for our country to be developed.”

Despite the enthusiasm, opposition candidates and civil society groups demanded a vote rerun, citing massive logistical issues that allegedly undermined the balloting.

Tshisekedi’s resounding victory intensified concerns.

Businessman Moise Katumbi secured second place with 18%, followed by Martin Fayulu at 5%.

Even Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege, renowned for treating victims of sexual violence, received less than 1%.

Addressing his supporters at headquarters, Tshisekedi expressed gratitude for another five-year term.

With 18 million voters and a 40% turnout, the results are now headed to the constitutional court for confirmation, as indicated by election chief Denis Kadima.

Opposition candidates, including Katumbi, rejected the results before Sunday’s announcement, calling on the population to mobilize.

As Congo’s history of disputed elections looms, the final outcome, scheduled for 10^th January, remains uncertain, with potential challenges casting a shadow over the electoral process.

Africanews/Hauwa M.

The preliminary results of the 20^th December election were announced in the capital, Kinshasa, amid demands from the opposition and some civil society groups for the vote to be rerun due to massive logistical problems that put the validity of the outcome into question.

Tshisekedi was followed by businessman Moise Katumbi, who received 18% of the vote, and Martin Fayulu, who received 5%. Nobel Peace Prize winner Denis Mukwege, a physician renowned for treating women brutalized by sexual violence in eastern Congo, got less than 1%.

The election had more than a 40% turnout with some 18 million people voting.

The results will be sent to the constitutional court for confirmation, election chief Denis Kadima said.

Opposition candidates opposing the results have two days to submit their claims, and the constitutional court then has seven days to decide.

The final results are expected on 10^th January, and the president is scheduled to be sworn in at the end of that month.

Congo has a history of disputed elections that can turn violent, and there’s little confidence among many Congolese in the country’s institutions.

Before the results were announced Sunday, opposition candidates, including Katumbi, said they rejected the results and called on the population to mobilize.

The logistical problems included many polling stations being late in opening or not opening at all.

Some lacked materials, and many voter cards had smudged ink that made them illegible.

Voting in the election had to be extended into a second day, something local observers and civil society organizations have called illegal and parts of the country were still casting ballots five days after election day.

“If a foreign country considers these elections to be elections, there’s a problem,” Fayulu said at a news conference in the capital Sunday before the results were announced. “It’s a farce, don’t accept (the results).”

Earlier this week, clashes erupted between some of Fayulu’s supporters and police officers who fired tear gas at protesters who threw rocks and barricaded themselves inside the opposition headquarters.

Africanews/Hauwa M.

An opposition candidate has appealed to the High Constitutional Court, to demand the annulment of the ballot.

Public opinion is divided, with some happy with the re-election and others less inclined to believe that this election will in any way better their status quo.

“As a citizen, we already knew that Andry Rajoelina was going to be re-elected, so life goes on for us, nothing changes. Whoever is re-elected, our life will be the same, we’ll stay among the beggars,” decried Voahirana Ravaoharisoa, a homeless woman.

“I’m delighted that Andry Rajoelina has been re-elected. He did some good things during his first term, and I was convinced that he was going to win,” rejoiced Alphonse Raharindra Mirah, courier service.

Rajoelina obtained 58.95% of the votes in the 16^th November election, subject to validation by the Constitutional Court.

The turnout, at just over 46%, decreased from the 2018 election, attributed to a challenging political climate.

“The Malagasy people have chosen the path of continuity and stability,” stated Rajoelina, who first assumed power in 2009 following a mutiny.

The 2018 elections marked his comeback, with 11 million voters, the choice was between Rajeolina and 12 other candidates, although ten of his rivals boycotted, denouncing it as a farce.

Opponents accused Rajoelina of corruption and neglecting the country’s resources.

The joint opposition response to his victory was skepticism and a refusal to recognize the results.

While the opposition highlighted irregularities, they have not yet indicated if they will formally contest the outcome or call for further demonstrations.

In the lead-up to the vote, the opposition, including two former presidents, led daily protests dispersed by tear gas.

Turmoil escalated when it was revealed that Rajoelina acquired French nationality in 2014, potentially disqualifying him from leading Madagascar under local law.

The opposition demanded international intervention, suspended electoral processes, and criticized the use of force by the government.

Despite concerns raised by eight countries and organizations, including the EU and the US, about the use of force and irregularities, the national electoral commission insisted the election occurred under regular and transparent conditions.

However, the impartiality of the commission’s president, Arsene Dama, has been questioned by the opposition.

Africanews/Hauwa M.

Rajoelina, who has held a firm grip on power for years, is gearing up for the upcoming elections on 16^th November, determined to continue his tenure.

Despite a history of ups and downs, he remains resolute in his quest for re-election.

Rajoelina, who earned the moniker “the disc jockey” due to his popularity for organizing parties during his youth, first came to power in 2009 through a coup.

However, he later skipped subsequent elections, only to make a triumphant comeback in 2018.

His political journey has been far from conventional, marked by controversy and resilience.

In a recent statement, Rajoelina emphasized his administration’s efforts to address Madagascar’s development challenges.

He stated, “I’ve done everything to catch up with Madagascar’s development lag, we’ve built and developed infrastructure close to the population that the population needs.”

Highlighting achievements in schools, roads, and hospitals, he positioned himself as a “builder president” in a country grappling with infrastructure and economic deficiencies.

Nevertheless, Rajoelina acknowledged the significant challenges ahead. In his words, “Now the challenges are enormous, so there are still a lot of things to be done, including job creation, integrating young people, and everything to do with social safety nets, all of which are challenges I’ll have to tackle in the coming years.”

These challenges underscore the pressing issues that Madagascar faces as it seeks to improve the lives of its citizens.

Rajoelina’s bid for re-election has not been without controversy. In June, reports emerged that he had acquired French nationality in 2014, leading to calls for his disqualification from the presidential race.

According to local laws, acquiring a foreign nationality would entail the loss of Malagasy nationality and render a candidate ineligible to lead the country.

Despite being the subject of criticism and mockery, Rajoelina explained that he had obtained French citizenship to facilitate his children’s education abroad, drawing parallels to prominent international figures with dual nationalities.

In September, Madagascar’s highest court dismissed appeals seeking to invalidate Rajoelina’s candidacy, effectively closing the chapter on the controversy.

However, this decision sparked outrage among the opposition. For more than a month, 11 out of 12 of Rajoelina’s election challengers have staged almost daily protests in Antananarivo, alleging an “institutional coup” in favour of the incumbent.

Rajoelina, unshaken by the protests, redirected his election campaign away from the capital, highlighting his administration’s achievements.

He reiterated his commitment to addressing Madagascar’s development challenges and stressed his readiness to lead the nation.

As Madagascar’s election date approaches, Andry Rajoelina remains a prominent figure in the country’s political landscape, displaying resilience and determination in the face of challenges and controversies.

Whether he secures re-election or not, his influence on the nation’s politics is undeniable, and he remains a key player in Madagascar’s political arena.

Africanews/Hauwa M.

Rajoelina made the announcement at a grand ceremony held in the biggest stadium on the large Indian Ocean island, which is due to hold the presidential vote on 9^th November.

He first took power in 2009 on the back of a coup that ousted former president Marc Ravalomanana.

After not contesting in the 2013 election due to international pressure, Rajoelina was voted back into power in 2018.

“Are you ready? I am decided” the 49-year-old leader declared in the country’s capital Antananarivo.

Sporting a white suit, he said he was ready to represent people “throughout Madagascar, and to be the president of all Malagasy people,”.

“The Constitution allows me to run for a second term” he said on a stage decorated with flags bearing his image and with giant screens which hosted evangelical music groups and popular Malagasy singers, before his speech.

Addressing thousands of supporters, clad in the party colours of orange and white, at the Barea stadium where a dozen people died in a stampede at the end of August, Rajoelina highlighted the infrastructure built over the last five years.

Proclaiming himself to be a “builder president,” he listed schools, courts and even prisons that had been built during his presidency.

“Many things have been done to prevent me from moving forward but this encourages me to do more” Rajoelina said, promising victory.

The head of state has in recent months been facing questions over his dual French nationality.

The information was disclosed through media reports at the end of June.

Naturalised in France in 2014, under local law the president would lose his Madagascan nationality.

Without his Malagasy nationality, he can neither lead the country nor run for office.

But this version of the facts is vigorously disputed by the ruling party.

Nicknamed “TGV”, in reference to the name of his party Tanora malaGasy Vonona (Young Malagasies Determined), the businessman and fervent Catholic arrived on the political scene in 2007.

That year he trounced the party of then president Ravalomanana to become the capital city Antananarivo’s mayor.

He seized power from Ravalomanana in 2009, with the implicit support of the army.

The international community condemned the coup d’état.

Ravalomanana, a 73-year-old millionaire who made his fortune in the agri-food industry, has still not come to terms with his ouster and in July announced his candidacy for the upcoming presidential election.

Madagascar which is often hit by devastating storms is one of the poorest countries on the globe despite its vast natural resources.

Some 80 percent of the population of 28 million lives on less than 1.92 dollars per day.

Africanews/Hauwa M.

Alhaji Saadu Salahu gave the assurance during an interview with news reporters in Ilorin, the state capital.

Salahu noted that the governor’s victory at the March 18, 2023 gubernatorial election was an indicator of greater prosperity for the entire people of the state.

He added that the second term of office of Governor AbdulRazaq will ensure continuity of meaningful developmental projects across the 16 local government areas of the state.

He also noted that the increasing political influence of Governor AbdulRazaq would further bring the federal government closer to the state in terms of benefits and impact that could drive impressive development and progress.

The governor’s aide explained that for the fact that the governor was among the front row political leaders in Nigeria that were privileged to have supported and facilitated the election of the President-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Kwara State stands a better chance of benefitting more from the incoming administration.

“Undoubtedly, our role model, our leader, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, was among the few leaders that played a critical role in the emergence of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, first, as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), and secondly as president-elect.

“Therefore, the synergy, cordiality, and the spirit of brotherhood between the president-elect and the governor guarantees the people of the state the advantage of having increased presence of the federal government under the presidency of Tinubu than any previous government,” he assured.

He said the governor’s second electoral victory most importantly indicates termination of the few sitting over the patrimony or the resources of the the people, confirming that the governor has been largely appreciated by the people for his refusal to conspire with the few in sharing the resources of the state.

He said, rather, the governor has been using the resources of the state to develop infrastructure and ensuring the general welfare and wellbeing of the people, since assumption of office in 2019.

“The second term of Mallam AbdulRazaq also indicates termination of the menace of political godfatherism in Kwara politics.

“Again, it indicates that the rule by the minority to the detriment of the majority in Kwara politics is over.

“In addition, it also indicates that women can no longer be relegated to the background in political leadership.

“In fact, women and youths as of today have taken the frontal role and the women and youths’ inclusion in ideas has come to stay in the state,” he stated.

Edited by Amaka E. Nliam

Governor Zulum, who was received by top government functionaries and a large crowd of supporters at the rally ground, pledged his total commitment to rebuilding Bama, a once thriving commercial hub but now hit by insurgency.

He promised to restore lasting peace to the area and its environs while urging the teeming supporters to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the forthcoming elections.

Present at the rally were Barrister Kaka Shehu Lawan, the APC-Central senatorial candidate; Zainab Gimba, member representing Ngala, Bama, and Kalabalge federal constituency; and Honorable Musa Inawa Kubo, former Speaker House of Assembly, Borno State.

Also, in furtherance of his developmental strides in the state, Governor Zulum inaugurated some projects, among which was a Junior Secondary School in Konduga local government area along Bama Road.

Mandarari Junior Day Secondary School, as it is known, is situated right opposite an internally displaced persons’ (IDP) camp.

Having been long-bedevilled with insurgency, most families live in camps, with a large number of out-of-school children in the community, hence the gesture by the Borno state government through its Ministry of Education.

Reading/ writing materials and 250 bicycles were distributed to both secondary and primary pupils for ease of mobility from remote locations and villages around.

Other projects Governor Zulum inaugurated were the newly constructed central Mosque, a Government lodge, and a newly constructed and fully furnished skills acquisition centre with modern equipment built by Hon. Zainab Gimba, member representing Bama, Kalabalge and Ngala Federal Constituency.

Edited by Amaka E. Nliam