NIGERIA:A ruling by Nigeria's supreme court yesterday raised uncertainty over controversial state elections last weekend and opened the way for a late presidential bid by vice-president Atiku Abubakar.
As protests mounted over widespread abuses in the governorship elections, the court ruled that the official electoral body had not had the power to disqualify candidates, including Mr Abubakar.
The ruling affected not only Mr Abubakar's candidacy in next Saturday's presidential poll, but at least six states where governorship candidates were disqualified in the state election.
There was no immediate comment from the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and it was not clear if the ruling would force the annulment of some polls. "Governorship elections where any candidates were disqualified by INEC are null and void," said a spokesman for Mr Abubakar's Action Congress party. President Olusegun Obasanjo has tried every possible manoeuvre to block Mr Abubakar.
The way now appears open for the vice-president to stand against Umaru Yar'Adua of Mr Obasanjo's People's Democratic Party (PDP). Opposition parties were due to meet today to discuss joining forces.
Results on Monday from the state elections showed the PDP headed for a landslide victory, but the opposition denounced vote rigging and said the poll was fraudulent.
INEC said the PDP had won 26 of 32 states for which results were announced after elections marred by widespread abuses and violence that killed around 50 people. The governorship elections in 36 states set the stage for the presidential poll next weekend and were seen as a strong indicator of both the conduct and result of that vote.
Members of local and international observer missions said elections in four to six states were so compromised they should be rerun. INEC said it had cancelled results from two states and they would be rerun within weeks.
The announcement of results was greeted by violence on Sunday and yesterday, with youths burning electoral and local government offices in the northern Kaduna and Katsina states. - (Reuters)