Niger election 2016: Can a prisoner beat the president?

 

Voters in Niger voted on  Sunday's elections, as 15 candidates, including a prisoner,  ran for the presidency.

The West African state is seen as an important ally of Western powers in the fight against militant Islamists in the fragile Sahara region, but the country is far from stable.
President Mahamadou Issoufou is standing for a second term in the impoverished, uranium-producing West African nation, but the election is already marred by accusations of repression and disqualification of voters.

Why is this election important?

Niger's recent history has been one of political instability, with three coups since 1993, and a suspected coup attempt in December.
The country's southern border with Nigeria is prone to attacks by militant Islamist group Boko Haram, whose terror campaign has been felt across the Lake Chad region.
Al-Qaeda's North Africa branch, al-Qaeda in the Land of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), also remains a regional threat.
President Issoufou terms as "treason" any opposition to his counter-terrorism policy, while critics accuse him of "authoritarian excesses".

Who is likely to win?

President Issoufou, the candidate of the ruling Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS) party, is favourite to win after a coalition of 30 parties, civic groups and trade unions failed to nominate a consensus candidate.
His chances may come under serious threat if he does not win in the first round, and is forced to face a united opposition in the second.
Well-known figures among the crowded field of 15 presidential candidates include former Prime Ministers Hama Amadou, Seyni Oumarou, Amadou Boubacar Cisse and former President Mahamane Ousmane.