NIAMEY, 24 February, 2021 (TON): According to the provisional results by the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), Mohamed Bazoum, a candidate for the presidential election in Niger has taken the presidential run-off elections.

He polled 55.75% of the votes against the opposition candidate Mahamane Ousmane who had 44.25%, the commission announced.

Prior to the gathering of diplomatic corps and Nigerien authorities at the Palais des Congrès in the capital Niamey, Issaka Souna President of CENI said these results are provisional and must be submitted to the analysis of the Constitutional Court."

Voter turnout was pegged at 62.91%, according to the commission. It said that Bazoum received 2,501,459 votes against 1,985,736 for Ousmane out of a total of 7.4 million voters.

In the first round of polls, Bazoum received 39.3% of votes, while Ousmane managed almost 17%.

Earlier, the opposition criticized the electoral hold up saying, "I ask all Nigeriens to mobilize as one to defeat this electoral hold-up," Falké Bacharou, Campaign manager for Mahamane Ousmane said.

Opposition supporters and demonstrators took to the streets in Niamey to protest near the headquarters of the ruling party where Mohamed Bazoum is due to speak where they were chased by police officers and fired tear gas at them.