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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Nigeria poll petition dismissed | Nigeria poll petition dismissed |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A Nigerian judge has dismissed one of two opposition petitions asking that President Umaru Yar'Adua's election in April last year be annulled. | A Nigerian judge has dismissed one of two opposition petitions asking that President Umaru Yar'Adua's election in April last year be annulled. |
| Opposition candidate Gen Muhammadu Buhari had said the ballot did not take place in 29 of the 31 states. | Opposition candidate Gen Muhammadu Buhari had said the ballot did not take place in 29 of the 31 states. |
| A judge is still to rule on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar's claim that the incumbent People's Democratic Party rigged the vote. | A judge is still to rule on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar's claim that the incumbent People's Democratic Party rigged the vote. |
| International observers said the polls fell short of expected standards. | International observers said the polls fell short of expected standards. |
| The government has said both cases are weak and the five-judge panel should rule in favour of President Yar'Adua. | |
| They are likely to go to the Supreme Court for the final decision. | |
| Security has been tight in the capital, Abuja, in the run-up to the ruling. | Security has been tight in the capital, Abuja, in the run-up to the ruling. |
| Rigging claims | Rigging claims |
| Judge Abdulkadir Abubakar Jega ruled that Gen Buhari, who also contested the previous election in 2003 and is a former military ruler of Nigeria, failed to prove that violations of the electoral law were substantial enough to invalidate the overall result. | |
| What international observers must realise is that this will be judged on the evidence, not on their own opinion Mobolanji Adebiyi,Presidential spokesman | |
| Gen Buhari's lawyers had unearthed records from Nigeria's election regulator that appeared to show the results had been artificially inflated between the tallying station and being announced. | |
| Neither opposition candidates claim they actually won the election - they have been calling for a re-run. | Neither opposition candidates claim they actually won the election - they have been calling for a re-run. |
| Mr Abubakar says the vote should be nullified because the ballot papers were delivered on the day of the election and were missing serial numbers. | Mr Abubakar says the vote should be nullified because the ballot papers were delivered on the day of the election and were missing serial numbers. |
| The former vice-president fought a long legal battle before the election to be included on the ballot after he fell out with then-President Olusegun Obasanjo in the latter stages of his final term. | |
| The result was the ballot papers had to be re-printed at short notice in South Africa, the court has heard. | The result was the ballot papers had to be re-printed at short notice in South Africa, the court has heard. |
| They did not reach polling stations in many parts of the country until after the election. | They did not reach polling stations in many parts of the country until after the election. |
| The lack of serial numbers also rendered any result inadmissible, Mr Abubakar's lawyers claimed. | The lack of serial numbers also rendered any result inadmissible, Mr Abubakar's lawyers claimed. |
| His spokesman, Garba Shehu, said politicians could not be "trusted to correct themselves" and the courts had to do it. | His spokesman, Garba Shehu, said politicians could not be "trusted to correct themselves" and the courts had to do it. |
| Overturned | |
| The election was widely condemned in the press, but presidential spokesman Mobolanji Adebiyi said the judges would rule on what was in front of them, not on the media reports. | The election was widely condemned in the press, but presidential spokesman Mobolanji Adebiyi said the judges would rule on what was in front of them, not on the media reports. |
| We have faith the judges will give us a good ruling, and in any case we don't believe there will be violence after the decision is announced Emma Esau,Alliance for Credible Elections | |
| And Emma Esau, of the Alliance for Credible Elections, said Nigerians had "faith the judges will give us a good ruling". | And Emma Esau, of the Alliance for Credible Elections, said Nigerians had "faith the judges will give us a good ruling". |
| "In any case we don't believe there will be violence after the decision is announced. This will not take Nigeria to the brink," she said. | "In any case we don't believe there will be violence after the decision is announced. This will not take Nigeria to the brink," she said. |
| Seven state governors have had their elections overturned by tribunals. | Seven state governors have had their elections overturned by tribunals. |
| On Saturday a court also annulled the election of Senate President David Mark. | On Saturday a court also annulled the election of Senate President David Mark. |
| If the presidential election is annulled, he would have taken over during the 90-day period before fresh elections are required to be held. | If the presidential election is annulled, he would have taken over during the 90-day period before fresh elections are required to be held. |