Nigerian State Elections Marred by Violence and Irregularities; Supreme Court Re-instates Top Opposition Opponent for Presidential Vote
16 April 2007 | Printer Friendly

According to CNN, Saturday’s state elections in Nigeria were marred by violence and widespread fraud.  Radio New Zealand reports that the elections were for 36 state governors and assemblies.  BBC News also reports that President Obasanjo’s ruling party, the People’s Democratic Party, have been declared the winners in 26 of the 32 states that have been announced, which includes Rivers, an oil-rich state in the country. 

According to CNN, the Nigerian government claims there have been 21 deaths, and numerous private newspapers are reporting that 41-52 people have died.  The same report also says there have been “no reports of killings by security forces,” and that most violence had been between supporters of rivaling political parties “during attempts to steal ballot boxes or other wise skew the outcome of the vote…” 

According to Radio New Zealand the violence continues as the opposition parties reject the election results as “neither free nor fair.”  Supporters of the opposition “have set up roadblocks, barricaded election offices and burnt buildings” in protest.  CNN.com reports that many polling stations “opened late with faulty voter-registration rolls” and that “ballot box stuffing and other irregularities were clearly visible.”  Much of the fraud was overt as electoral officials stuffed ballot boxes and kept polling stations closed throughout the day, with the process being witnessed by a reporter from the Associated Press.  BBC News also claims they witnessed “men storming a polling station and leaving with ballot papers.”  The same BBC News report claims President Obasanjo said the election “had gone very well across the country.” 

Saturday’s state elections are a lead up to the presidential elections on April 21st.  The elections will mark the first transfer of power in the country between elected civilian governments.  President Obasanjo won the previous two elections, including a re-election in 2003 which the Guardian says were “marred by violence and accusations of widespread rigging.” 

According to the Associated Press, the Vice President is viewed as a “top opposition politician,” and had been banned from running in the April 21st presidential election by Obasanjo on charges of fraud.  Vice President Abubakar challenged his ban as politically motivated with Nigeria’s seven-judge Supreme Court, which on April 16th unanimously “struck down an earlier appeals court decision” that allowed the electoral commission to disqualify candidates. President Obasanjo had attempted to push through a constitutional amendment allowing him to seek a third term in office, but the effort was opposed by Vice President Atiku Abubakar and rejected by Parliament.

BBC News says the court decision puts the election process in jeopardy, because the electoral commission had previously disqualified other “prominent candidates.”  The report says ballots including Abubakar’s name will have to be printed for 60 million voters by April 21st, which following the chaos of Saturday’s elections have raised “fears for the credibility of the presidential poll.”

CCD will continue to follow this story as it unfolds over the next week.

Sources:

Associated Press (Guardian):     Nigerian Court: Candidate Wrongly Barred

BBC News: Court puts Nigeria poll in doubt

CNN.com:  At least 21 die in Nigerian election violence

International Herald Tribune: Governing party takes lead in Nigerian elections

Radio New Zealand: Polls rigged, complains Nigerian opposition