General Salou Djibo, former head of Niger’s military junta, will contest the 2020 presidential election after being adopted on Sunday as the candidate for the Peace-Justice-Progress party.

He accepted the candidacy at a ceremony before some 5,000 people at the Niamey Sports Palace.

Djibo, 55, led the military junta that ousted President Mahamadou Tandja in February 2010, after he tried to stay on in power beyond his two-term limit.

Djibo stayed in power until April 2011 before handing back power to civilian rule, in the form of the current president Mahamadou Issoufou.

Djibo, who retired from the army in 2019, hopes to succeed Issoufou, who is constitutionally barred from serving a third term.

The first round of the presidential election in Niger, coupled with the legislative elections, is set for December 27, 2020.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.