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| Nigeria opposition plan protests | Nigeria opposition plan protests |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Nigeria's opposition parties are to meet to agree on a common strategy to fight the outcome of last Saturday's flawed presidential elections. | Nigeria's opposition parties are to meet to agree on a common strategy to fight the outcome of last Saturday's flawed presidential elections. |
| Major opposition candidates Atiku Abubakar and Muhammadu Buhari rejected the results and called for protests. | Major opposition candidates Atiku Abubakar and Muhammadu Buhari rejected the results and called for protests. |
| They have also urged parliament to annul the polls and call for a re-run. | They have also urged parliament to annul the polls and call for a re-run. |
| But the powerful Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has advised against any mass protests, saying it is best to head for the law courts. | But the powerful Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria has advised against any mass protests, saying it is best to head for the law courts. |
| Many local and international observers say the election which was won by the governing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was flawed. | Many local and international observers say the election which was won by the governing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was flawed. |
| href="/1/hi/world/africa/6582979.stm">Monitors slam poll "charade" | |
| But the BBC's Senan Murray in Abuja says that having failed to present a common front during the poll, it is not clear how the opposition can now challenge its outcome in a unified way. | |
| 'Evils' | |
| Although the bishops say Nigerians' votes had been "abused, traumatised and brutalised", they also say the answer does not lie in violent protests. | Although the bishops say Nigerians' votes had been "abused, traumatised and brutalised", they also say the answer does not lie in violent protests. |
| "Two evils never make a right. To cause chaos; to cause people to lose their lives and property is definitely wrong" Archbishop Alaba George told the BBC. | "Two evils never make a right. To cause chaos; to cause people to lose their lives and property is definitely wrong" Archbishop Alaba George told the BBC. |
| Mr Yar'Adua gained 24.6m votes, against 6.6m for his closest challenger, Mr Buhari and 2.6m for vice-president turned opposition candidate Mr Abubakar. | Mr Yar'Adua gained 24.6m votes, against 6.6m for his closest challenger, Mr Buhari and 2.6m for vice-president turned opposition candidate Mr Abubakar. |
| UMARU YAR'ADUA Northern Muslim, from Katsina StateLittle known until named PDP candidate last yearSet to be Nigeria's first elected university educated leader Profile: Umaru Yar'Adua A monitor's election experience | |
| Outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo has defended the organisation of the vote. | Outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo has defended the organisation of the vote. |
| "No elections in the world will ever be regarded as perfect... You cannot use European standards to judge the situation in a developing country," he told the BBC. | "No elections in the world will ever be regarded as perfect... You cannot use European standards to judge the situation in a developing country," he told the BBC. |
| The presidential poll was held alongside elections for the National Assembly and Senate. | The presidential poll was held alongside elections for the National Assembly and Senate. |
| Nigeria - one of the world's biggest oil producers - is of key strategic interest to both the West and the growing economies of the East. | Nigeria - one of the world's biggest oil producers - is of key strategic interest to both the West and the growing economies of the East. |
| But despite the country's huge oil wealth, much of the population lives on less than $1 a day. | But despite the country's huge oil wealth, much of the population lives on less than $1 a day. |