Chad’s National Election Management Agency, ANGE, has up to May 21 to publish provisional results and only the Constitutional Council has the power to proclaim definitive results.

Chadian voters in Borno State have to be patient as they wait for the country’s presidential election results which are expected to be announced only on May 20.

There are 3,500 Chadians registered to vote in the state. They were able to cast their ballots at the Chadian consulate office in Maiduguri.

Chadians in Nigeria also voted in Kano, Abuja and Lagos.

The May 6 poll was the first presidential election since transitional President General Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno seized power after his father, Idriss Déby, the former president and also a military officer, was killed by rebels in April 2021.

Monday’s election pitted Déby Itno against his prime minister, Succès Masra, previously a political opponent who fled into exile in 2022 but who was allowed to return last year. Also running were former prime minister Albert Pahimi Padacke and seven other candidates.

The election was designed to end three years of military rule.

Analysts said Déby Itno was most likely to win.

News agency Reuters reported that Déby Itno, who voted early on Monday in N’Djamena, promised to bolster security, strengthen the rule of law and increase electricity production.

Chadians who voted at the consulate in Maiduguri told RNI they were excited to participate in the election, adding that they appreciated the arrangements made by the Chad government which enabled those outside the country to take part in the democratic process.

Jibrin Isa said: “We are appreciative of the successful voting process that occurred here. We voted for the candidate of our choice and now we are waiting patiently for the outcome.

“I hope and pray that our beloved nation will be led by a capable individual. I want a president who will bring peace and provide jobs for unemployed youths.

“I don’t know why the results process is taking so long. Usually the results are announced soon after an election. The longer the delay, the more anxiety and uncertainty there will be.”

Musa Muhammad said: “I was extremely pleased to be able to cast my vote. I will never forget that day for as long as I live.

“For the first time in three years Chadians queued not only in Chad but also in other parts of Nigeria to determine their dream.

“We have done our part as citizens of Chad, now it’s left to the electoral body to do its part. All eyes are on them.”

Chad’s National Election Management Agency, known as ANGE, said the winner was expected to be announced on May 20. It has up to May 21 to announce the results.

Mahamat Moustapha Mainou, a reporter for RNI in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, said: “The electoral body began counting the votes in N’Djamena and its environs on Tuesday. Votes from far-off regions and provinces are expected to arrive on May 9 and 10.

“Strict measures have been put in place at the coalition centre in N’Djamena and no journalists have been allowed inside.

“Media outlets were cautioned not to comment on the election or conduct live programmes until after the winner is announced.”

Tahir Oloy Hassan, ANGE’s spokesperson, said the ban on filming and taking photos of result sheets and the prohibition of media outlets from having access to “some polling stations and sensitive areas” was put in place to reduce tension that could arise from misinformation.

He said claims by opposition candidates that Chad’s military was instructed to vote for Déby were unfounded.

ANGE was a permanent, independent and impartial agency that did not receive orders from any state authority, including Déby Itno, he said.

ANGE has up to May 21 to publish provisional results and only the Constitutional Council has the power to proclaim definitive results.

Prior to election day, a peace agreement was signed by all 10 candidates who agreed to respect the outcome.

Reuters said dozens of security forces were deployed in N’Djamena amid rising tension on Monday as polls closed and vote counting began.

Soldiers and riot police patrolled the streets and there were at least 30 armoured and other military vehicles in the opposition-friendly southern neighbourhoods of N’Djamena

At least one voter was killed in the second-largest city, Moundou, when unidentified gunmen opened fire at a polling station

Nomads, who make up about 7% of Chad’s population, were meant to begin early voting on Sunday. But by Monday afternoon, they were still unable to vote due to logistical problems, leaving many frustrated, Reuters said.

“No one brought us a polling station or people to tell us where to vote,” a nomad told Reuters.

RUKAIYA AHMED ALIBE