The megacity of Lagos is growing by 1,500 new residents every day and determines the most important choice

It spreads out in all directions, the city which already in the 1970s, was considered to be too large and chaotic to be the capital of Africa's most populous country (and therefore was replaced by Abuja). Since then, the population of Lagos flerdubblats and is now estimated to be between 20 and 25 million.

On the Atlantic coast in the south of the city grows an ”African Dubai” up on the peninsula Eco Atlantic withdrawn from the sea. In the lagoon to the east built house in the slums Makoko on stilts in the water, and in the northwest shed dense vegetation to prepare the site to some of the 1,500 people that supplied to the Lagos population – every day.

Overwhelming is the word that best sums up this urban chaos that evokes equal parts respect and fear across Africa.

Image 1 of 3 the Megacity Lagos has urbanization become vågmästare in the nigerian elections. Victoria Island is, despite its name, is a peninsula along the Atlantic coast. Photo: Erik Esbjörnsson Slide 2 of 3 Outside of the peninsula of Victoria Island's growing Eco Atlantic, an area of reclaimed land from the sea, which with time will become "Africa's Dubai", as it is called in the marketing. Photo: Erik Esbjörnsson Slide 3 of 3 Lagos grows along all of the widths of the slum Makoko spreads out into the lagoon. Photo: Erik Esbjörnsson Slide show

on the way to a total collapse and a sign at the airport welcomed visitors with the laconic but cautionary words, ”This is Lagos”. The kidnappings were numerous, the traffic is deadly and the sound of buzzing generators drowned the singing of the cigales in the evening.

No electricity came via the core network.

since Then much has happened, above all thanks to democracy since the end of the 1990s forced a more responsive governance. In the year celebrating democracy's 20th anniversary in a country which in the past has been governed by an infinite number of military juntas.

the town of Lagos is today a well-organized city that is governed in a good way, " says the official James Oluwatoki taking a break in the shade under one of the bridges which constitute the motorway junction Anthony, situated so centrally it is possible to get on the fastlandsdelen of the megacity.

up of the streets, the traffic flows better and the electricity supply, which has gone from non-existent to reasonably functioning despite the massive population growth.

A couple of metres away, snatches a handful of trafikmyndighetens 1.500 employees out a driver out of a bus that has the wrong color and forcing all passengers to disembark before seizing the vehicle.

the Yellow so-called "Danfo"buses have set the color of the entire city. Photo: Erik Esbjörnsson

the Scene can seem aggressive and haphazard, but so is also characterised each conversation between two nigerians of high-pitched. And the bus actually has the wrong color. The one that has painted their bus in an orange hue has also not paid the local fees.

Anthony-the intersection is shaped like a cloverleaf and motorledens operate all the way meanders around a market, a car wash, a motor vehicle trade and a couple of office buildings.

" But people are hungry for more, continue Oluwatoki, it is not enough that it has become a better in Lagos and therefore punishes the people now the central government in the new capital city, Abuja.

that started uppryckningen of Lagos who seriously took off during the hugely popular successor Babatunde Fashola, today, the minister of infrastructure. Both are linked to the ruling party, the APC, and they have made Lagos into a stronghold for the party. Because ten per cent of the country's inhabitants live in Lagos, and the city grows, it is constantly in importance for national policy.

Saturday's presidential election is between the incumbent president Muhammadu Buhari and his party, the APC, and the challenger Atiku Abubakar of the opposition party PDP. The incumbent president often has a certain advantage, but Buhari know that the opposition can blare it, he made himself four years ago.

tells the ruling party, APC's president Adams Oshiomhole to a tiotusenhövdad audience:

– don't Trust the opposition's promises to create jobs! It is a fraud!

the President is about to arrive in a helicopter to the valmötet which is necessary to Lagostrafiken should not fail. Completely safe is not the situation – this year's trend in the election campaign is inflatable paraphernalia and around the arena hovering several zeppelins with videos. As late as a couple of weeks ago survived the vice-president, charlie brings Osinbajo a fire at a kampanjmöte.

" Who was it that wrote find obituaries over our industries? It was [the opposition party] PDP says Oshiomhole from the scene.

If truth be told, it was the 1995 WTO agreement, which dug the grave of the nigerian manufacturing industry but is now trying to the ruling party to discredit their challengers.

President Muhammadu Buharis face visible on a giant banner at the ruling party, APC's last kampanjmöte in Lagos. Photo: Erik Esbjörnsson

won the president Muhammadu Buhari presidential election. For the first time in Nigeria's history acknowledged, the sitting president, Goodluck Jonathan, defeated.

This modest act of the outgoing leader Goodluck Jonathan may have been his greatest contribution to Nigeria's development.

Then, four years ago, was the choice on security. Terrorsekten Boko Haram had the year before kidnapped 276 girls from a school in the town of Chibok and the discontent was widespread around a regime that was unable to handle the rebellion, and which, moreover, was nedsolkad of leadership".

pushed back, and president Buhari has made great efforts to tackle corruption. Now growing instead the need for opportunities for self-actualization amongst nigerians and a desire for confidence in the future.

President Buhari symbolizes not any of this. When he arrives to the arena after a dozen or so uppvärmningstal " he says briefly that ”the most that can be said is already said and I want to thank all of you for coming”.

tiotusenhövdade the audience at an arena in Lagosstadsdelen Surulene'll listen to a dozen uppvärmningtal before president Muhammadu Buhari arrives. Photo: Erik Esbjörnsson

Not exactly the inspiring speech that the audience was waiting for. And it is only the vip stands that are crowded. Other parts of the stadium empty.

President Muhammadu Buhari seems tired. During the previous term of office, he has on several occasions travelled to London on mysterious visits to the doctor, which forced him to in the months to hand over power to his vice-president. He has even been forced to deny rumours in the press that he would be a clone of himself – hardly the decisive leader that the country wants to see.

and the incumbent president will be punished in the elections? During the valspurten have many Lagos-live, ”Lagosians”, expressed by the DN that they intend to share their vote between the two rival parties in gubernatorial and presidential elections.

Kemi Segun sells fruit on a footbridge over the intersection of Anthony in the centre of Lagos. Wale Adenuga in the background. Photo: Erik Esbjörnsson

– the APC has done well in Lagos, but the president is only president for the inhabitants of the north, he should think at all the country's states and he does not so I would be happy to try something new, " says Kemi Segun selling fruit to passers-by on the footbridge that runs over the Anthony-junction.

She has been sitting there for the past two years and hope for state support so that she can push a shop of our own and not have to be fried by the scorching sun.

will Udom Nduese as under the footbridge waiting for the car to be färdigtvättad. After a career in the oil industry has the engineer taken early retirement in order to help young people.

– They have all the qualifications needed but get zero feedback. There is no dignity left in the system, " he says.

Udom Nduese will split their votes between the two major parties in the president and governor Photo: Erik Esbjörnsson

Nduese has decided that the APC will get his vote in the gubernatorial – after all, he is delighted with how the local politicians managed to get the order of the Lagos – but in the presidential elections he will vote for the PDP.

Residents who share their votes between two parties can be seen as a success of democratic thinking - in the same way as Goodluck Jonathan accepted his defeat in 2015.

It is still beneficial to president Buhari in Saturday's election. However, if an opposition party to blare his way to victory in a nigerian presidential election, so it is in the city it happens. The Megacity Of Lagos.