Leader of the Chadian opposition, Succes Masra, has filed a formal legal challenge with Chad’s constitutional council, officially contesting the results of the country’s recent presidential election. The conflict stems from the May 6 election, in which the national election management board issued provisional results showing Mahamat Idriss Deby, the acting president, had 61.3% of the vote. With 18.53%, Masra came in second place. He had earlier declared himself the winner and accused the electoral authorities of orchestrating a rigging scheme.
Following the formal declaration, Masra used social media to tell his fans that he had provided substantial proof to the Constitutional Council with the help of his legal team. “We submitted a request to the Constitutional Council to uncover the reality of the ballot boxes with the assistance of our lawyers,” Masra said. In addition, he asked his followers on social media to maintain composure throughout the court case. He uploaded pictures of a receipt attesting to the documents’ submission to the council. An opposition official close to Masra said that the submission contained videos allegedly showing ballot stuffing and other fraudulent actions along with copies of polling station result sheets and a table with these numbers.
Chad’s political situation has been particularly heated. In the wake of many coups in West and Central Africa, the nation is currently negotiating a difficult return to constitutional governance. After his father, the long-serving leader Idriss Deby, was assassinated by rebels in April 2021, the current president, Mahamat Idriss Deby, took office under dramatic circumstances. Given this context, the latest election is particularly noteworthy since it is a crucial test of Chad’s political stability and dedication to democratic governance.
Following the announcement of the election results, celebratory gunfire left dozens injured and at least ten people—including children—reported dead. The aftermath of the vote was characterized by violence. These occurrences have garnered a lot of attention and condemnation, which has brought focus to the unstable security situation in the nation. The death toll estimates were provided by Amnesty International and local media outlets, which highlight the uneasy atmosphere among the public.
Additionally, the health ministry of Chad verified the injuries, but it also controversially asked reporters not to record or write about patients in hospitals. The move has drawn harsh criticism from Chad’s press unions. Expressing a wider dissatisfaction with the electoral process, Pahimini Padacke Albert, another opposition candidate, who had earlier congratulated Deby on his victory, also filed a challenge against the election results.
