Nigeria's presidential candidates rally ahead of elections amidst insecurity and cash crisis

Nigeria is gearing up for the presidential election scheduled for February 25th, with the leading candidates holding their final rallies across the country. More than 90 million people are registered to vote in Nigeria, where President Muhammadu Buhari is stepping down after his two terms allowed by the constitution.

The leading candidates have been putting on a show, with Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party taking to the streets of Maiduguri in northeast Borno state. Waving from the top of an open-air double-decker bus, several hundred supporters ran alongside the convoy as they made their way to Elkanemi Sports Centre, where more people with flags and banners were gathered to hear the candidate speak. Tinubu is expected to stage a final rally in his hometown on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) made his entrance aboard a double-decker bus into Mahmud Ribadu Square in the city of Yola. A massive crowd awaited Abubakar, singing and dancing, many decked out in traditional clothes, with a camel even among the masses. Atiku was the Vice President from 1999 to 2007 and is making his sixth attempt at the presidency.

The outsider candidate, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), was not seen on the campaign trail but took to social media to call on his supporters, "the Obidients," to rally in several cities across the country. In the capital Abuja, several hundred Obi supporters wearing colourful attire marched from the centre to the city gate, chanting and blowing vuvuzela horns.

Despite the excitement and enthusiasm surrounding the election, there are also concerns about widespread insecurity and tensions over a currency crisis. Gunmen attacked a police station in the Ogidi area of southeastern Anambra state on Saturday, killing three police officers.

Additionally, Nigerians have been struggling with a cash shortage since the central bank introduced newly designed notes in December, banning old ones. The lack of cash has triggered protests in major cities this week, with customers attacking banks and barricading roads just days before elections. The central bank's efforts to promote "cashless" payments and reduce the volume of money outside the banking system resulted in printing a much smaller amount of notes than were previously in circulation.

The tensions around the election have also led the United States Embassy in Nigeria to issue an alert to its citizens about possible protests and restricted movements on February 25 and March 11. The Nigerian government will restrict the movement of all personal vehicles on election days across the country, and only law enforcement personnel and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)-accredited election observers will be allowed to move freely along the roads. The Embassy advised American citizens in Nigeria to have three days of food and water at home in case movement restrictions are extended beyond election days.

As Nigeria prepares to choose its next president, the country faces numerous challenges, from insecurity to economic instability. The world watches with interest to see what direction the nation will take and who will lead it into the future.