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Lagos (Nigeria) – Nigerians are expected to cast their ballots today, seven days after the country’s presidential and parliamentary elections were abruptly postponed just hours before polling stations opened.

It marked the third time in row that a vote has been delayed in Nigeria.

With 84 million people registered to vote in the country, its Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the mammoth task of overseeing the voting process in Africa’s largest democracy.

Early on February 16, INEC’s chairman said that after a review of the “logistics and operational plan,” proceeding with the vote that day was not feasible.

The fallout was swift, with the two main political parties blaming one another. Nigeria is also counting the economic cost of delaying the elections, which has been put at more than $2 billion, according to analysis firm SBM Intelligence, which estimates that Nigeria lost 0.531% of its $420 billion gross domestic product.

Many figures, such as Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, expressed concern that one week isn’t enough time for the INEC to deal with the concerns they expressed previously.

The delay also comes with a new set of logistical challenges. For example, the dates on thousands of electronic card readers for biometric voting were all required to be changed to the new election date.

INEC says that it has now reconfigured 100% of these readers and is on track to deliver voting materials to states that didn’t originally have them.

While voting looks likely to go ahead, there are fears of low voter participation on Saturday, including those expressed by INEC itself. Spokesman Festus Okoye told local media on Monday, “We are worried about voter turnout.”

Many Nigerians travel from major cities such as Lagos and Kano to their home towns or villages to vote where they are registered. Some are unlikely to make another trip after last week’s wasted journey or will be unwilling to pay to travel again. – Online.