Nigeria’s leading opposition party on Thursday called for the cancellation of disputed presidential elections last weekend, saying it would refuse to recognise a government issued from the poll.
The country’s electoral commission, Inec, meanwhile, announced by-elections on Saturday in 27 states where polls had to be cancelled due to logistical problems, such as ballot-paper printing errors and voting delays.
In the capital, Abuja, the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), whose candidate came a distant second in the race for the presidency, said it was ready to call its members into the street to press for a rerun of the vote.
The election has been roundly condemned by foreign and local observers as falling short of international democratic standards.
”ANPP will not recognise any government installed on the basis of the election of April 21 this year,” said Edwin Ume Ezeoke, ANPP national chairperson.
”Any government installed on the basis of the April 21 election is an illegal government. We are not going to recognise or cooperate with that government,” Ezeoke said.
The ANPP chairperson was presidential running mate to Muhammadu Buhari, who won 6,6-million votes, well behind ruling party winner Umaru Yar’Adua with 24,6-million.
”We call for the total cancellation of the presidential election while requesting a fresh election immediately,” Ezeoke said.
He said the party would back action to have the vote annulled.
”We are prepared to join in any mass action, whether you call it protest or demonstration, to ensure the proper democratic government is installed in this country,” Ezeoke said.
A coalition of opposition parties and some civil society organisations have agreed to peaceful protests next week.
Inec spokesperson Philip Umeadi said the electoral body would conduct elections for the governorship post in south-eastern Imo state, 11 senatorial seats, 48 House of Representatives and 57 State Houses of Assembly seats spread across 27 states.
”Most of the by-elections are as a result of the exclusion of the logos of certain political parties from the ballot papers and their refusal to continue with the elections,” Umeadi told reporters.
Nigeria’s first round of widely flawed elections began with gubernatorial and state assemblies polls on April 14, followed by the parliamentary and presidential polls on April 21.
In Lagos, the economic hub, rescheduled elections will be held in two out of the three senatorial districts.
The Nigerian polls have been slammed by several groups, including the United States and European Union as the worst in the African nation’s recent history. — Sapa-AFP