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Nigeria poll petition dismissed | Nigeria poll petition dismissed |
(30 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 2007 polls saw the first transfer of power from one elected leader to another in Africa's biggest oil producer and most populous country. | |
The BBC's Alex Last in Lagos says Nigeria courts have been exerting their independence - overturning other controversial results from the disputed elections. | |
This is in part because the president himself has made obeying of the rule of law his public mantra, he says. | |
But our correspondent says a ruling against the president would send a volatile country into unchartered political territory. | |
Rigging claims | |
The government has said both cases are weak and the five-judge panel should rule in favour of President Yar'Adua. | The government has said both cases are weak and the five-judge panel should rule in favour of President Yar'Adua. |
class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7118027.stm">The honeymoon ends | |
Whoever loses Tuesday's ruling is 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. |
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. | 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. |
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. | 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. |
Overturned | |
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. |
What international observers must realise is that this will be judged on the evidence, not on their own opinion Mobolanji Adebiyi,Presidential spokesman | |
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 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. |
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. |
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. |