(Ecofin Agency) - In Niger, incumbent President Mahamadou Issoufou was reelected with 92.49% of votes during second round of presidential polls, which was boycotted by opposition whose candidate was imprisoned in the framework of a controversial case of baby trafficking.

According to results released on March 22 by Independent Electoral Commission, Hama Amadou, the adversary of the incumbent president had 7.51% of votes. The candidate, who was in prison since November 2015 was moved to a hospital in Paris on March 16, 2016, was twice Prime Minister and through alliances, helped Mr Issoufou be elected in 2011 before changing camps.

CENI revealed that participation rate, main stake of the polls as a result of boycott, reached 59.79% in the second round against 66.8% in the first. Opposition announced, before releasing of results, it would not agree with them, saying voting rate was only of 11.05%.

During the first round, Issoufou, 64, had 48.43% and Amadou had 17.73%. During the campaign, major opponents signed a pact according to which losers would ally with the leading candidate.   

Sued by the government in the case of international traffic of babies, Hama Amadou denounced a political affair and accused Niger’s presidency of trying to take him down.

Mohamadou Issoufou became President in 2011 after elections organized by a military junta which overthrew former President Mamadou Tandja, who wanted to run for a third mandate, contrarily to Constitution.