Election campaigning continues in Niger ahead of crucial vote

Presidential Hopefuls Continue to Go Strong in Their Campaigns

Nigeriens will vote on Sunday to elect the new president and the 171 new national assembly deputies. President Mahamadou Issoufou's right-hand man, Mohamed Bazoum, is the favoured contender.

Boubacar Seyni Gagara, a member of the Communication Unit of candidate Bazoum Mohamed, shared a few words with the media.

"Now with the coalition of parties supporting candidate Mohamed Bazoum, we are well over half of the mayorships in Niger. 

"So for us, our state of mind in which we are in the PNDS, for us the first round of the presidential election passed on the 13th. We envision the second round for the coming December 27. So this is really the state of mind in which we are and in relation to this we pray to God as everything went well during the local elections, that everything goes well for the presidential and legislative elections of December 27."

The first democratically elected president of Niger in 1993 Mahaman Ousmane, is also in the race. apparently unscathed from the military coup d'etat that ousted him from position in 1996.

Usman Mahaman, another candidate for the upcoming presidential election, also had some words to share with the media.

"It is a concrete manifestation of the fact that the alternation there is now irreversible. Yes, the democratic, peaceful alternation. Provided that the elections take place in good conditions and that there is no fraud. But even the attempts at fraud, we are going to take steps to neutralise the various attempts at fraud. 

"We are well aware of what is being prepared and we are not going to allow ourselves to be taken advantage of. Yes, I think that this should not be our fight alone. It is the struggle of the entire Nigerien people so that another alternative is offered to them."

The December 27 election day comes two weeks after the municipal and regional elections whose results some view as indicative of Sunday's vote outcome.