Senegalese pipo don vote for dia next president afta weeks of protest

Pipo for Senegal dey vote for a new president inside one delayed election afta weeks of political kasala.

Plenty queues dey across di kontri as voters queue to choose from di 17 presidential candidates.

As di polls officially open, some pipo bin experience delay for dia polling units sake of logistical challenges.

Voting for today presidential election bin dey largely peaceful, wit only small-small clashes between voters and police for some parts of di kontri.

Di turnout dey high, especially among young pipo and women wey come out in dia numbers to vote.

Ova one thousand local and international observers dey deployed to monitor proceedings.

Di outgoing President Macky Sall afta e vote, warn candidates against making premature claims of victory.

Di election suppose don take place last month but Oga Sall postponed am, wey trigger deadly opposition protests plus democratic crisis.

Seven million pipo dey eligible to vote for di West African nation, wey many don hail as stronghold of democracy for di region.

Among those wey dey run for Senegal top job na di governing BBY coalition candidate, former Prime Minister Amadou Ba, wey be 62-yeara-old.

After e cast im vote for di capital, Dakar, e tok say im dey "very confident" of a first-round election victory.

Im main challenger Bassirou Diomaye Faye express similar confidence afta e vote, wit im two wives, for im hometown of for Ndiaganiao, wey dey about 100km (62 miles) from Dakar.

Dem release di 44-year-old from jail just 10 days ago, afta e dey detained since April 2023 on top charges of insurrection, wey e tok say dey politically motivated.

Dem also free im ally, opposition leader Ousmane Sonko, from prison afta one amnesty wey dey intended to calm tensions.

E vote for im southern stronghold of Ziguinchor, afta e cast im ballot, e say im dey expect a "dazzling victory".

Popular wit young people, e no dey allowed to run sake of different charges. Oga Sonko plus im now-disbanded Pastef party dey support Oga Faye.

One 25-year-old voter for Ndiaganiao, wey give only her first name Mbissine, tell BBC say: "Dis election na election of di youth. If I get one advice for oda young pipo, E go be make dem come out and vote. Dat na di only way we fit help ourselves."

For di same polling station, 84-year-old Diégane Gueye, wey dey waka wit di assistance of a cane, say: "I come vote because today na important day for our nation. Plenty things dey on stake and dat na why we suppose care."

On Friday, former President Abdoulaye Wade and im PDS party bin throw dia support behind Oga Faye, afta im son, Karim Wade dey forced to withdraw from di presidential race sake of im dual French-Senegalese citizenship.

For di first time in more dan 10 years, one female candidate dey di presidential race. Anta Babacar Ngom, 40, dey lead di ARC party.

Results dey expected within days and a second round dey possible, sake of di large number of contestants.

One candidate go need more dan 50% of di vote before dem go fit declare am winner of di election.

Di eyes of di world go dey watch to see if di election process go dey smooth as way to restore Senegal reputation wey don spoil now.

Afta months of delay and uncertainty, voting don start for Senegal as si Senegalese pipo finally dey vote to choose dia next president on Sunday, 24 March.

Dis dey come afta dem postpone di election from February 25, 2024.

E go be di 12th election since di kontri gain independence for 1960.

Na about 7.3 million registered voters go take part for di election out of dia total population wey be 18 million.

Dem go choose between 17 candidates.

According to Senegal National Electoral Commission, polls go open at 8:00 am (local time) Sunday and close at 6:00 pm on Sunday.

Di commission before now don assure Senegal pipo say no shaking, as dem ready and dey kampe to conduct di election.

Dem add say dem don already send electoral materials go di regional offices and don mobilise dia teams.

Dis year election na ogbonge one, for di first time for Senegal political history, di outgoing head of state no be candidate.

President Macky Sall bin announce for July 2023, afta long months of uncertainty, say im no go run for a third term, e invoke sometin wey e call "code of honor" even though, e say, di constitution give am di right to run for "a second five-year term." Di law limit di number of consecutive terms to two.

A total of seventeen candidates dey hustle for di seat of di President of di Republic of Senegal, but di race go likely become contest between di opposition Bassirou Diomaye Faye and Amadou Ba, di former prime minister.

Three candidates don pledge dia support to Oga Faye, including di son of ex-President Abdoulaye Wade, wey dem ban from di election.

Throughout di campaign period, di candidates promise to address unemployment, institutional reform plus di harsh economic situation for di kontri.

Wetin dey at stake for dis election?

Who go succeed President Macky Sall and become Senegal fifth president?

Dat na kwesion wey full pipo mind.

Many observers dey see di multitude of candidates as proof of diversity of di Senegalese political scene and di vitality of democracy, especially for kontri wey many see as example sake of di two peaceful elections dem don do.

For di economy and social front, di next president go face serious economic and social challenges. Di cost of living, di issue of youth unemployment, food self-sufficiency, lower rents, access to healthcare, education, drinking water supply, di supply and cost of electricity na major concern for Senegalese pipo.

Dis presidential election go take place for time wey di world dey experience plenty international economic and geopolitical tensions, and na time wen Senegal dey enta a strategic phase of dia development wit di forthcoming exploitation of hydrocarbons.

Di next president and im goment go dey faced wit all dis challenges and difficulties as soon as dem enta office.

Wen dem go publish di results?

As soon as voting end, di results go dey forwarded to each departmental court for compilation before dem go forward am to di regional level.

Under Senegalese electoral law, each region get until noon of Tuesday following polling day to publish dia results.

Provisional results go dey published by di electoral commission no later dan di Friday afta polling day.

Once dem announce di provisional results, candidates get 72 hours to lodge appeal.

Once dat time limit for processing appeals expire, di Constitutional Council go announce di official results.

To win di first round, candidate must obtain more dan 50% of di vote, i.e. absolute majority.

If none of di candidates get more dan 50%, dem go hold second round within two weeks of di proclamation of di results.