2020–21 Nigerien general election
27 December 2020 (first round)
21 February 2021 (second round)
Presidential election
Turnout69.68% (first round)
62.91% (second round)
 
Nominee Mohamed Bazoum Mahamane Ousmane
Party PNDS RDR
Popular vote 2,490,049 1,983,072
Percentage 55.67% 44.33%
Second round results by region
President before election

Mahamadou Issoufou
PNDS

 Elected President

Mohamed Bazoum
PNDS

General elections were held in Niger on 27 December 2020 to elect the President and National Assembly.[1] With incumbent president Mahamadou Issoufou stepping down following his two terms constitutional limit, new presidential candidates competed for office. As no presidential candidate received a majority of the vote on the first round, a second round was held on 21 February 2021.[2] The ruling Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS) candidate Mohamed Bazoum was declared the winner, beating Mahamane Ousmane in the second round with 56% of the vote.[3] In the National Assembly elections the PNDS won 79 of the 166 seats, falling just short of a majority.

Background

Incumbent president Mahamadou Issoufou completed his second term in 2021 and publicly committed to stepping down, paving the way for the country's first peaceful transition of power since independence.[4] A record number of 41 candidates applied to run for president, but only 30 were accepted. Included in the 11 rejected candidates was Hama Amadou, candidate of the main opposition party, whose application was denied by the constitutional court due to his previous imprisonment for a year in a case of baby trafficking. Amadou, who came second in the 2016 and third in the 2011 elections, has denied all the charges and claimed they were politically motivated.[5][6]

Electoral system

The president is elected using the two-round system;[7] if no candidate receives a majority of the vote in the first round, a second round will be held on 20 February 2021.[1]

The 171 members of the National Assembly are elected by two methods; 158 members are elected from eight multi-member constituencies based on the seven regions and Niamey by party-list proportional representation. A further eight seats are reserved for minority groups and are elected from single-member constituencies held under first-past-the-post voting. Normally, five seats (one for each permanently-inhabited continent) are reserved for Nigeriens living abroad, all elected from single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting.[8] However, in the months preceding the election, the registered voters list for Nigeriens living outside of the country wasn't kept up to date, leading to the elections for their five seats not being held. This de facto lowered the total of seats in the chamber to 166, and the amount needed for a majority to 84.[9]

Results

President

CandidatePartyFirst roundSecond round
Votes%Votes%
Mohamed BazoumNigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism1,879,62939.302,490,04955.67
Mahamane OusmaneDemocratic and Republican Renewal812,41216.991,983,07244.33
Seyni OumarouNational Movement for the Society of Development428,0838.95
Albadé AboubaPatriotic Movement for the Republic338,5117.08
Ibrahim YacoubaNigerien Patriotic Movement257,3025.38
Salou DjiboPeace, Justice, Progress – Generation Doubara142,7472.98
Oumarou Malam AlmaRally for Peace and Progress118,2592.47
Hassane Baraze MoussaNigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress114,9652.40
Omar Hamidou TchanaAlliance of Movements for the Emergence of Niger76,3681.60
Amadou OusmaneDemocratic Alternation for Fairness in Niger63,3961.33
Souleymane GarbaNiger Party of Change – Mu Lura61,1581.28
Idi Ango OusmaneAlliance for Democracy and the Republic – Mahita56,1001.17
Nayoussa NassirouConvention for Democracy and Social Progress41,6970.87
Ibrahim GadoRepublican Council for Progress and Democracy39,3190.82
Mounkaila IssaNigerien Rally for Democracy and Peace38,6040.81
Hamidou Mamadou AbdouAfrican National Gathering Party35,9340.75
Intinicar AlhassaneNigerien Party for Peace and Development30,9950.65
Abdoulkadri AlphaGayya Zabbe28,9100.60
Kane HabibouSynergy of Democrats for the Republic27,1620.57
Oumarou AbdourahamaneUnion for Patriotic Pan-Africanists20,4880.43
Moustapha MoustaphaParty for a Political Revolution in Niger20,3650.43
Amadou SaidouIndependent20,1560.42
Mahaman Hamissou MoumouniParty for Justice and Development – Hakika18,5850.39
Djibrilla MainassaraSawaba17,2330.36
Sagbo AdolpheSocialist Party17,0600.36
Idrissa IssoufouCitizen's Movement for Development16,9950.36
Amadou CisséUnion for Democracy and the Republic16,8350.35
Mamadou DoullaRedemption for the Sake of the Fatherland16,7680.35
Abdallah SouleymaneNiger Forward (Nigerena)14,2820.30
Ismael IdeAction Front for a New Niger12,0620.25
Total4,782,380100.004,473,121100.00
Valid votes4,782,38092.164,473,12195.48
Invalid/blank votes406,7527.84211,6584.52
Total votes5,189,132100.004,684,779100.00
Registered voters/turnout7,446,55669.687,446,55662.91
Source: Constitutional Court - First round Constitutional Court - Second round

The first round of the elections resulted in Mohamed Bazoum leading with 39.30% of the vote, while former president Mahamane Ousmane came second with 16.99%. Thus, a second round took place between them on February 21 to determine the next president of Niger.[10] On 23 February, The Independent National Electoral Commission (CÉNI) announced that Mohamed Bazoum, former interior minister and candidate of the ruling party, won the second round of the Nigerien presidential election with 55.67% of the valid votes: "These results are provisional and must be submitted to the Constitutional Court for analysis," said Issaka Souna, president of the CÉNI, before the diplomatic corps and the Nigerien authorities gathered at the Niamey convention center.[11]

National Assembly

Due to the registered voters list for Nigeriens living abroad not being kept up to date, the elections for five overseas seats were not held, lowering the total of seats to 166.[9]

The PNDS won 79 seats. MODEN FA came second with 19 seats, the MPR third with 14 seats and the MNSD fourth with 13 seats each. The remainder were taken by smaller or minor parties.[12]

PartyVotes%Seats+/–
Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism1,745,26637.0479+4
Nigerien Democratic Movement for an African Federation410,3118.7119–6
Patriotic Movement for the Republic357,5637.5914+1
National Movement for the Development of Society319,1896.7713–7
Democratic and Republican Renewal207,5924.417New
Congress for the Republic195,7044.158+5
Nigerien Patriotic Movement187,0053.976+1
Peace, Justice, Progress–Generation Doubara135,5762.882New
Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress115,8152.463–1
Rally for Democracy and Progress100,3632.132–1
Rally for Peace and Progress99,0432.102New
Alliance for Democratic Renewal82,0731.7420
Alliance of Movements for the Emergence of Niger67,3541.432–1
Democratic Movement for the Emergence of Niger67,1081.422New
Democratic Alliance for Niger53,2871.130–1
Democratic and Social Convention50,8921.080–3
Social Democratic Rally48,3681.031–3
Democratic Alternation for Equity in Niger48,0121.021New
Social Democratic Party45,7770.971–1
Alliance for Democracy and the Republic41,3060.881New
Nigerien Rally for Democracy and Peace30,9710.661New
Democratic Renewal26,5600.560New
African National Rally23,9800.510New
Republican Council for Progress and Democracy18,3190.390New
Nigerien Party for Reform16,9560.360New
Civic Movement for Reform16,7080.350New
Synergy of Democrats for the Republic16,5260.350New
New Generation for Niger11,4340.2400
Nigerien Progressive Party – African Democratic Rally9,0530.1900
Rally of Citizens for the Republic8,9720.190New
Rally of Patriots for Development8,7700.190New
Democratic Movement for Renewal8,4910.1800
Union for Democratic Renewal8,2540.180New
Patriotic Movement for Democracy and Development7,6700.160New
Movement of People for Progress7,5600.160New
National Convention for the Republic6,7960.140New
Alliance of Patriots for Progress6,7060.140New
Alliance for Democracy and Development6,7050.140New
Union for Democracy and the Republic6,6670.140–2
Party for Justice and Development6,2480.130New
Democratic Party of the People6,1920.130New
Party of Energetic Youth of Niger5,0730.110New
Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Development5,0610.110New
Socialist Party4,9620.1100
Democratic Movement for Development and Defence of Freedoms4,7030.100New
African Awakening – Yunkuri3,9720.080New
Steps of Patriots for National Progress3,9000.080New
Party of the Masses for Labour3,4860.070New
Gayye Zabbe3,3110.070New
Action Front for a New Niger3,3080.070New
Movement for Justice, Democracy and Development3,2640.070New
Socialist Democratic Rally3,0140.060New
Republican Party for Democracy and Development2,7200.060New
Redemption for the Salvation of the Fatherland2,5420.050New
Socio-Revolutionary Movement for Democracy2,5220.0500
Democratic and Socialist Union for Renewal2,5160.050New
Rally of Democrats2,4800.050New
Daraja2,2980.050New
All for the Republic2,0560.040New
Converge of Patriots for Reform1,9930.040New
Union of Socialist Nigeriens1,8770.0400
Alliance for Democracy and Progress1,8650.040New
Sawaba1,6470.030New
Nigerien Self-Management Party1,2170.0300
Union of Nigerien Patriots for Renewal1,0460.020New
Party of Renewal and Equity1,0450.020New
Nigerien Convergence for Progress6280.010New
Convention for Democracy and Social Progress5880.010New
Patriotic Movement for Salvation5630.010New
Nigerien Party for Peace and Development3740.010New
Party of Progress for a United Niger3500.010New
Force of Hope2920.010New
APPAD2160.000New
Union of Independent Nigeriens1960.0000
Nigerien Party for Democracy and Development940.000New
Patriotic Front for Justice and Development450.000New
Niger Forward270.000New
Union of Patriots for Democracy and Progress230.000New
Independents170.0000
Total4,712,433100.00166–5
Valid votes4,712,43391.46
Invalid/blank votes440,1948.54
Total votes5,152,627100.00
Registered voters/turnout7,446,55669.19
Source: Constitutional Court

Aftermath

Following the elections, protesters demanded the government resign and the result be recounted. Two people were killed during the demonstrations on 25–26 February when police fired tear gas at protesters. Protesters threw stones at the soldiers in military vehicles who patrolled and clashed with demonstrators in Niamey. Protests lasted three days, starting on 23 February.[13][14][15]

On 31 March a coup attempt was launched by dissident soldiers two days before Bazoum's inauguration but was thwarted, leading to the inauguration pushing through on 2 April.[16] In July 2023, Bazoum was deposed from office after a coup d'état led by members of the presidential guard and the armed forces.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 Niger: 2020-2021 electoral calendar unveiled Anadolu, 17 August 2019
  2. ↑ "Niger presidential election heads to February runoff". Al Jazeera. 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
  3. ↑ "Mohamed Bazoum declared Niger's new president". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-02-27.
  4. ↑ Welle (www.dw.com), Deutsche. "Niger: Election just the start of challenges for new president". Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
  5. ↑ "Présidentielle au Niger : la candidature du principal opposant, Hama Amadou, rejetée". Le Monde (in French). 2020-11-13. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
  6. ↑ "Présidentielle au Niger: 41 candidats ont déposé leur dossier au ministère de l'Intérieur". RFI (in French). 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2020-12-24.
  7. ↑ Republic of Niger: Election for President IFES
  8. ↑ Electoral system IPU
  9. 1 2 "Niger : La Cour Constitutionnelle confirme un second tour de la présidentielle entre Bazoum Mohamed et Mahamane Ousmane". www.anp.ne. Retrieved 9 February 2021..
  10. ↑ انتخابات النيجر.. رئيس سابق ومرشح الحزب الحاكم بجولة الإعادة، العين الإخبارية، نشر في 2 يناير 2021، دخل في 21 فبراير 2021. Archived 2021-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ↑ Niger : le candidat du pouvoir, Mohamed Bazoum, remporte la présidentielle, france24, published on 23 Feb. 2021, entered in 24 Feb. 2021.
  12. ↑ "Independent National Electoral Commission - Legislative Elections 2020 Results" (in French). Dec 2020. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  13. ↑ "Niger: 2 killed in protests against election results". DW News. 26 February 2021.
  14. ↑ "Protests erupt in Niger after Bazoum wins presidential run-off vote". AfricaNews. 24 February 2021.
  15. ↑ "Niger election: Mohamed Bazoum wins landmark vote amid protests". BBC. 23 February 2021.
  16. ↑ "Niger's Mohamed Bazoum sworn in as president after failed coup". BBC News. 2 April 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  17. ↑ Presse, AFP-Agence France. "ECOWAS Head Says Benin President On Mediation Mission To Niger". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 26 July 2023.
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