Congo-Brazzaville election: Presidential candidate Guy Brice Parfait Kolelas dey hospital with Covid-19

Guy Brice Parfait Kolelas (archive shot from 2016 election campaign)

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Guy Brice Parfait Kolelas’ family members dey try fly am to France for treatment

Di leading opposition candidate for Congo-Brazzaville presidential election dey hospital with Covid-19 while voting dey go on.

For inside one video wey dey trend for social media, e show how 61-year-old Guy Brice Parfait Kolelas briefly remove im oxygen mask to tell im supporters say e dey “fight death”.

E tell dem to vote for di election.

Mr Kolelas, wey dey diabetic, na one of six candidates wey dey run against President Denis Sassou Nguesso.

Family members say dem dey try arrange for dem to evacuate am to France for treatment.

Wetin we know about di mata

According to di Associated Press news agensy, Mr Kolelas miss im final campaign event on Friday afta e bin tok earlier on say e dey fear say e get malaria.

Dem admit am to one private hospital for di capital, Brazzaville, and na dia dem later confam am say e get Covid-19.

Speaking in French from im hospital bed, Mr Kolelas tok say: “My dear compatriots, I dey trouble. I dey fight death. However, I ask you to stand up and vote for change. Make e no be like I fight for nothing.”

Mr Kolelas come second in di last election for 2016, e get only 15% of di vote compared with Mr Sassou Nguesso 60%.

Sabi pipo see Mr Sassou Nguesso, 77, as authoritarian ruler wey dey expected to win again.

Watchdog group NetBlocks report say internet bin don dey shut down ahead of Sunday voting.

Di largest opposition party, di Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS), dey boycot di election, ontop fear say di election fit divide di nation.

Congo-Brazzaville Catholic Church episcopal conference bin tok say dem get “serious reservations” about di election transparency.

Mr Sassou Nguesso don dey power since 1979, except for one five-year period afta e lose elections for 1992.

E never make any comment yet about Mr Kolelas’ illness.

Congo-Brazzavile don officially record more dan 9,000 cases of Covid and 130 deaths.