Niger run-off: Ruling party's candidate takes early lead-EC

Mohammed Bazoum, a favorite and close ally of Niger’s incumbent President Mahamadou Issoufou, takes an early lead in the second round of votes held Sunday February 21.

As at the time of filing this report, results posted to the official website of the National election commission known as CENI, indicate that the presidential candidate of the ruling PNDS, the Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism, has got more than 50 percent of votes, of the 62 communes out of the 266 communes collated so far.

His main challenger, Mahamane Ousmane of the Democratic and Republican Renewal, RDR Tchanji had more than 40 percent, according to the commission.

Over 7.4 million voters went to the polls in the second round of votes after each candidate failed to clinch the percentage of votes needed to secure an alright win in the December 27 polls.