Nigeria’s police said on Monday they had uncovered a plot by unidentified elements to use explosives to disrupt President Olusegun Obasanjo’s May 29 swearing-in for a second term.
Obasanjo scored an overwhelming win in April 19 elections that were fiercely contested by the opposition on allegations of rigging. International election monitors agreed that fraud had marred the vote.
Police head Tafa Balogun told reporters in the capital, Abuja, that police had obtained intelligence ”some groups” had planned massive anti-government demonstrations. The groups had acquired explosives and intended to use them to block Obasanjo’s inauguration, Balogun said.
Despite the strong charges, the police chief gave few details.
He said police were prepared to arrest anyone who launched demonstrations without proper permits.
Nigeria’s main opposition candidate, Muhammadu Buhari — like Obasanjo a former military junta leader — has demanded that Nigeria hold new elections. Buhari threatened ”mass action” and said there would be no government when Obasanjo’s current term expires at the end of the month absent a new vote.
A coalition of 17 opposition parties have since joined Buhari’s All Nigeria People’s Party in demanding an interim government headed by the chief justice to supervise a new ballot.
Nigeria’s lower house of parliament, the House of Representatives, also called for voting to be reheld and demanded the resignation of senior election commission and police officials accused of abetting electoral fraud.
International and domestic elections monitors noted serious cases of ballot-box stuffing and other irregularities, particularly in the south and east of Nigeria, where Obasanjo’s party won by a large margin.
However, even the most critical observer groups stopped short of saying the election’s overall results were affected.
Africa’s most populous country has not conducted a successful democratic transfer of power from one civilian government to another since independence from Britain in 1960. The results of previous civilian-run elections have been cut short by military coups. – Sapa-AP