Nigeria’s literary giant and 1986 Nobel Prize-winner Wole Soyinka has joined widespread calls for the cancellation of the country’s disputed general elections.
The governorship, legislative and presidential polls held on April 14 and 21 have been roundly condemned by foreign and local observers as falling short of international democratic standards.
”It is not right to accept the unacceptable for peace sake,” Soyinka told reporters late on Friday.
He said that since the vote was marred by large-scale fraud, rigging, irregularities, intimidation and violence, it should be cancelled and a rerun conducted.
The world renowned writer and civil rights campaigner also called for the head of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, Maurice Iwu, to be sacked for his poor and
partisan handling of the vote in favour of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
”We call for the dismissal of Iwu. This is the categorical demand. This is a just demand, for even at the level of incompetence,” he said. ”It’s shameful that Iwu has the nerve to still sit in that chair as director or chairman of the electoral commission.”
Soyinka also blamed the head of the country’s police, Sunday Ehindero, for allowing his officers to be used to rig the vote for the ruling party.
”Ehindero, the Inspector General of police, must also accept responsibility for the collaboration of his men in the violation of the political will of this nation,” he added.
The PDP won a landslide victory, clinching a majority of the parliamentary and governorships in the 36 states of the federation.
The party’s candidate and outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo’s anointed successor Umar Musa Yar’Adua also won the April 21 presidential poll.
The Nigerian polls in which 200 people died have been heavily criticised by the United States and European Union as the worst in the African nation’s recent history.
The opposition parties and civil society groups have called for the cancellation of the vote, even threatening not recognise a government formed from it.
A coalition of opposition parties and some civil society organisations have also agreed to peaceful protests on May 1.
Fresh elections were under way on Saturday across the country in areas where the vote in last weekend’s flawed elections was either cancelled or annulled as a result of irregularities.
The electoral commission said it was conducting 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. — Sapa-AFP