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Nigeria poll petitions dismissed | |
(30 minutes later) | |
A Nigerian judge has dismissed both opposition petitions asking that President Umaru Yar'Adua's election 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. |
While former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar had claimed that the incumbent People's Democratic Party had rigged the April 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 2007 polls saw the first transfer of power from one elected leader to another in Africa's biggest oil producer and most populous country. |
What international observers must realise is that this will be judged on the evidence, not on their own opinion Mobolanji Adebiyi,Presidential spokesman | |
The BBC's Alex Last in Lagos says Nigeria courts have been exerting their independence - overturning other controversial results from the disputed elections. | 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. | This is in part because the president himself has made obeying of the rule of law his public mantra, he says. |
But Judge Abdulkadir Abubakar Jega said both sides had failed to prove that violations of the electoral law were substantial enough to invalidate the election result. | |
The case 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. |
Rigging claims | |
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. |
class="" href="/1/hi/world/africa/7118027.stm">The honeymoon ends Gen Buhari, who also contested the previous election in 2003 and is a former military ruler of Nigeria, was Mr Yar'Adua's main challenger. | |
His 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. | |
While Mr Abubakar had said 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 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. |
Before the ruling, 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. |
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. |