Tense run-up to elections in Africa's most populous country

"The tense run-up to elections in Africa's most populous country"

"Allegations about kampanjsabotage, threatening the life and arrest of supreme court chairman to shade the run-up to this weekend's elections in Nigeria. And there are concerns about electoral fraud and violence."

"It means enough to the kind of ethnic tensions which in this context tend to come up to the surface can end up in the dark," says Peter Stein, economist and Afrikaexpert, TT."

"Both candidates have extensive political experience and go to the elections with similar promises – that the development of the economy, the fight against corruption and to stem the deadly violence raging in many parts of the country."

"But despite the fact that they are, at least on the surface, do not differ so much the fear of many that the choice can be scared."

"– the Question many people are asking themselves now is if the election goes right. It will probably be even, it will be controversial and it will probably be turbulent the last time during the election campaign, " says Stein."

"last Saturday, claimed the challenger Abubakars party that it refused to hold a kampanjmöte in the capital, Abuja, despite the fact that it had official permission, reports the AFP news agency. Recently dethroned also the president of the supreme court Walter Onnoghen, suspected of corruption."

"Peter Stein think that there may be fog for korruptionsanklagelsen, but it probably has more to do with the fact that Buhari does not want to expose themselves to the risk that the court would reject the election results that go to him."

"the EU and the US have criticized the abdication of the judge, which scored Nasir El-Rufai, governor of the state of Kaduna state and a close ally of Buhari, to threaten the foreigners interfere in the election."

"– They will be sent back in body bags, no one should come to Nigeria and tell us how we should govern the country, " he said, according to Reuters."

"Stein sees the statement as very serious, and says that the border between words and deeds is very thin in Nigeria."

"– Nigerian elections have always been violent. There have always been people who have been killed during election campaigns. If it becomes an election where any of the candidates does not accept the legitimacy, then I think that there is a significant risk of more violence, " he says."

"In the Sunday eldhärjades one of the electoral offices in the state of Plateu, and a similar event took place the week before in the state of Abijah"

"Adams Oshiomhole, president of the Buharis party, however, has toned down the risk of civil unrest. He has promised that the elections will be equally quiet. "

"– There will be some clashes, " he said recently to the AFP."

"Who will get the most votes are difficult to assess."

"– Buhari has managed to combat some of the terrorrörelsen Boko Haram and curb violence in northern Nigeria. And on a personal level, he has an understated appearance and is not particularly corrupt as far as we know. A part in the fight against corruption, he has succeeded, but it has been done with the very authoritarian methods. So he also has a whimsical style as president, it is a little bit erratic, " says Stein."

"But the economy is one of the main issues in the election, and where there is a large discontent among the population over Buharis rule. He has not honoured their promises. Buharis economic mistake is, inter alia, that he overstated the exchange rate and not managed to develop a more varied economy, while oil prices dropped – which has led to corruption in practice has increased."

"– It is something that I think Abubakar will try to exploit in the election campaign in order to reach many medelklassväljare who voted for Buhari in 2015, but who now feel disappointed."

"Buhari has strong faith that the economy can be controlled through the power of the state, while Abubakar suggests that he wants to give more space to decentralize to market forces, according to Stein. Abubakar has, as the former vice president had responsibility for the privatisation in parts of the economy. He is also a successful businessman who is estimated to have the ability to vary the economy, where oil constitutes 90 percent of export earnings."

"Muslim. Was born in 1946 in the state of Adamawa in northern Nigeria."

"Very rich. A partner in an international oil company with over 10,000 employees, which was founded in Lagos in the southern part of the country."

"Representing the People's democratic party (PDP)."

"Has been vice president of Nigeria for two terms of office. He was responsible inter alia for the review of the privatisation of state enterprises."

"Has been accused of corruption, but never been brought to justice. He calls the charges politically motivated, and recently traveled to the united states, which has been interpreted as that he wanted to prove that he is not wanted there for corruption offences."

"Describes himself as a philanthropist. Among other things he founded the university, the American University, which has offered education to the so-called Chibok girls, kidnapped by terrorrörelsen Boko Haram, but later released after negotiations."

"Grew up in a conservative muslim family which did not want to let him educate himself, something he did. After graduation, he worked in the customs authority, then to become a businessman."

"Got contacts within the political elite during his time within the customs authority. He went into politics in 1989 and has several times set up as a presidential candidate, but without that win."

"Have four wives and 28 children."

"The 76-year-old general Muhammadu Buhari ruled the country with hard fists after a military coup in the mid-1980s, but won the 2015 presidential election in a democratic way. It was the fourth time Buhari ran for president in Nigeria."

"He won against the incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan, the first election victory for a moscow says where the power was handed over voluntarily in the country's history."

"He represents the coalition, the All progressives Congress (APC), which mainly went to the election on fighting the widespread corruption in the country. Buhari has also promised to eradicate terrorrörelsen Boko Haram, however, it has not managed even if the group stävjats. Boko Haram still conduct regular armed attacks."

"another question that Buhari, as well as his candidate, must address at a victory, is the bloody battles between herders and farmers in the country. In the last year harvested the conflicts six times more casualties than the Boko Harams terror attacks."

"Ahead of the elections has the president's health has been questioned. Last year he underwent several months of medical treatment in London, but for which the diagnosis he the treatment was received is not known."

"Sources: Reuters, AFP, with multiple"