Nigeria Closes Borders ahead of Election on Saturday

Supporters of both the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition, All Progressive Congress (APC) have been dancing to the beat of their favourite candidates since campaigning began last year.

The presidential and parliamentary polls are expected to be the most tightly contested since military rule ended in 1999.

Nigeria is also battling an insurgency along its northern-eastern border.

Regional forces have been recapturing territory from the Boko Haram insurgents in the last six weeks.

A government statement said the land and sea borders would be shut from midnight on Wednesday to midnight on Saturday, local time, to ensure the vote went off peacefully.

CROSS BORDER ATTACKS

President Goodluck is facing a strong challenge from ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari.

Thousands of Nigerians who fled the six-year insurgency, and are taking refuge in neighbouring states, would not be able to vote.

Boko Haram has carried out cross-border raids in Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

It has denounced the elections as un-Islamic.

A state of emergency is in force in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, three Nigerian states where Boko Haram is strongest.

On March 28, Nigeria will go to the polls to decide who the next president will be.

 Key issues in this year's elections are the economy and insecurity as Islamist group Boko Haram wage a bloody insurgency in the north and a multi-nation deployment involving Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon tries to push them back, with some success reported.