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BBC Pidgin of Sunday, 11 April 2021

Source: BBC

Benin Republic election: Chad and Benin hold presidential election

Elections de underway for Benin den Chad Elections de underway for Benin den Chad

Pipo for Benin Republic go vote on Sunday (11 of April 2021) for presidential election wey incumbent, Patrice Talon, dey expected to win a second term.

Im critics don accuse am of rigging di poll by disqualifying e strongest competitors from running.

Only two other candidates dey allowed to run against President Talon - di little- known former MPs Allasane Soumanou and Corentin Kohoué.

All of Benin more prominent opposition figures dey disqualified by electoral reforms or dey live in exile under di threat of heavy prison sentences.

Oga Talon, wey previously vow to serve only one term, na im many see as heavy favourite to win five more years in office.

Protests don happun days before Sunday election. Two people die when soldiers brake up demonstration for di city of Savè on Thursday.

Idriss Deby to rule until 2033?

Meanwhile for Chad, 7.4 million voters go head to di polls on Sunday for presidential elections wey dey destined to hand di country 30-year leader Idriss Deby Itno sixth term for office after dem sideline e most prominent rivals.

Deby na di frontrunner for poll wia di initial field of challengers reduce from 16 to six after candidates bin dey barred or quit, while demonstrations dey banned or dispersed.

As the electoral calendar provide, soldiers vote on Saturday.

Faced with candidates without any political weight, Idriss Déby, wey be strong man for di country and an ally of di West for di fight against terrorism for di Sahel, suppose win again for di sixth term.

For several months, parties and civil society groups don call Saturday protest marches for peaceful alternation of power.

Dem dey banned, and di slightest gathering don dey violently dispersed, while police and troops don surround party headquarters and di homes of their leaders.

Amnesty International and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres dey among pipo wey don frown at di use of force.

Chad, although dem be oil producer, na di 187th country out of 189 for di UN Human Development Index (HDI) ranking.

For 2018, 42 percent of di population lived below di poverty line, according to di World Bank.

According to di electoral calendar, provisional results go dey known on April 25, 2021 and di final results on May 15, 2021.