Nigeria Billionaire Bankrolls Niger Republic Presidential Hopeful

The campaign and presidential aspiration of Mohamed Bazoum, the standard-bearer of Niger’s Party for Democracy and Socialism (Parti Nigerien pour la Democratie et le Socialisme, PNDS)  has received a boost.

Ekohotblog reports that Bazoum, who’s been tipped to win the Sunday’s presidential election, has now seen his chances strengthened with the tremendous donation of over 100 campaign vehicles from Alhaji Dahiru Mangal, Katsina-born billionaire entrepreneur.

Armed with the unflinching support of outgoing President Mahamadou Issoufou, Bazoum, a former minister, is favored to win tomorrow’s presidential poll and to engender Niger’s move to civilian rule after years of military interregnum

In an undated video posted by PRNigeria, Mangal presented the vehicles in Hausa in Maradi, the second-largest city in the Niger which is also a border town between Nigeria and the country.

The vehicles were all branded with “Mohammed Bazoum 2021” with a conspicuous photo of the presidential candidate on them.

With a reported net worth of around $765 million, Mangal who founded Max Air and served as a director at MRS Oil and Gas is reputed to be one of Katsina State’s wealthiest businessmen. He is also said to be a major shareholder in Oando PLC.

Niger’s general elections will hold Sunday 27 December 2020 to elect the president and members of the National Assembly—the same day Central African Republic will also hold its general elections.

Bazoum, 60, is a Nigerien-Arab politician who has been president of the PNDS since 2011, on whose platform he is running for office. He was Niger’s Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 1996, and again from 2011 to 2015. He was Minister of State at the presidency from 2015 to 2016; Minister of State for the Interior from 2016 till resigning in 2020 to focus on his presidential campaign—a project managed by the current president’s son.

Among 29 other candidates challenging Bazoum is Mahamane Ousmane, who was president from 1993 to 1996, and Seini Oumarou, a former prime minister. Bazoum has promised to continue President Issoufou’s policies, including clamping down on Islamist terror.

Niger shares a smooth diplomatic relation and bilateral cooperation and with Nigeria, to an extent that has, in recent months, raised serious question about the nature of the Mohammadu Buhari-led government dealings with the neighbouring West Africa country.