Niger president happy to leave office after court affirms successor

Niger's outgoing president Mahamadou Issoufou has expressed happiness as he prepares to hand over to president-elect Mohamed Bazoum.

Issoufou posted tweets congratulating Bazoum after the latter's electoral victory was affirmed by the country's Constitutional Court.

"At the end of the official proclamation of the final results of the presidential election by the constitutional court, I want to congratulate the newly elected president, Mohamed Bazoum. I also congratulate all the players who made the electoral process a success.

He also sent "warm wishes for success" to the incoming president. Issoufou, president since 2010 also celebrated the "Nigerien people who have demonstrated political maturity and tolerance, thus allowing our country to experience its 1st democratic & peaceful alternation."

He was recently awarded the $5 million Mo Ibrahim Prize for African governance. Issoufou will handover to Bazoum, a former appointee, at an investiture slated for April 2021.