Nigeria, Tunisia, El Salvador.

Today's three stories you should know.

Feb 26, 2023

Nigeria

Counting has begun in one of the world’s largest democratic exercises after Nigerians braved long delays to vote in one of the tightest elections in the country’s history. It’s the first time in Nigeria’s democratic history that neither an incumbent nor an ex-military candidate is on the ballot and, with a third-party contender proving a potent threat to candidates from the two main parties, the result appears to be wide open. Among the frontrunners are former Lagos governor Bola Tinubu, 70, of the ruling All Progressives Congress, and former vice president Atiku Abubakar, 76, of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party. The upstart is former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, 61, of the smaller Labour Party, who has galvanised younger voters and has been leading in some polls. Results are expected within the next five days.

Tunisia

The African Union (AU) has hit out at Tunisia after its increasingly autocratic president, Kais Saied, ordered the expulsion of undocumented migrants and said immigration was a plot to change the demographic make-up of the country. The AU said that it was shocked by Saied’s comments and urged his government to avoid "racialised hate speech." Rights groups in Tunisia also slammed Saied, calling him racist. The Tunisian government said the AU had misunderstood his comments.

El Salvador

El Salvador has started moving thousands of suspected gang members into its new "mega prison," the latest step in President Nayib Bukele’s unprecedented crackdown on rampant crime. The jail, known as the Terrorism Confinement Center, can hold 40,000 people and doubles the country’s prison capacity. Bukele introduced a state of emergency in March last year and since then a staggering 62,000 people have been arrested. Rights groups have criticised Bukele’s campaign against the gangs for being heavy-handed and indiscriminate but it has proven massively popular.