World | Other World Stories
Nigeria tribunal rejects challenges to president
A Nigerian tribunal yesterday rejected opposition demands for a re-run of last year's presidential election, averting a political crisis in Africa's most populous nation.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:05 February 27, 2008
Abuja: A Nigerian tribunal yesterday rejected opposition demands for a re-run of last year's presidential election, averting a political crisis in Africa's most populous nation.
Umaru Yar'Adua won a landslide victory, but local and international observers said vote-rigging was so rampant that the results were "not credible."
A special five-judge tribunal rejected legal challenges filed by the two main opposition candidates, former army ruler Mohammadu Buhari and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
"Umaru Yar'Adua and Goodluck Jonathan remain the president and vice-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," said Judge John Fabiyi at the conclusion of a ruling that took more than three hours to deliver.
Major oil exporter Nigeria, a chaotic country of 140 million people, emerged just nine years ago from decades of coups and army rule. Many politicians had feared that instability would return if Yar'Adua's election was annulled.
The two challengers immediately said they would appeal to the Supreme Court. This could take several more months.
"For us, we have come to the semifinal," Buhari told reporters immediately after the ruling.
The odds for the Supreme Court decision appear heavily stacked in favour of Yar'Adua after the tribunal rejected every single one of the challengers' points.
It said Buhari had failed to prove that violations of the electoral law were substantial enough to invalidate Yar'Adua's victory. It ruled that Abubakar had not been excluded from the poll, as he had alleged, but rather had participated actively.
"It is a very disappointing judgment," said Innocent Chukwuma, head of the homegrown Transition Monitoring Group.
"We had expected the tribunal to go beyond mere technicalities and address the yearnings of Nigerians for fair and credible elections," he said.
But economists said the ruling had strengthened Nigeria's political stability and this would reassure investors. "We expect the decision to be positive for the performance of Nigerian markets," said Razia Khan, regional head of research for Africa at Standard Chartered Bank in London.
Uncertainty over whether Yar'Adua would finish his four-year term had slowed policy-making and investment decisions, and economists expressed hope the pace of reform would now pick up.
"The key is whether the greater political certainty translates into more effective government. There is not a lot the government can point to after nine months in power," said Graham Stock, Africa strategist at JP Morgan in London.
More from Other World Stories
More from World
News Editor's choice
-
6,000 cups and counting: Addicted to that tea
This cafeteria in Al Mamzar attracts thousands of customers daily, including the rich and not so rich
-
Swimming pool horror: Twins hospitalised
Twins rushed to hospital after collapsing from chlorine inhalation at swimming pool in their villa
-
Play your cards right with credit card interest
UAE Central Bank plans to cap interest rates, but are you paying thirty-five per cent now?
