Obasanjo orders election probe

2003-05-02 08:44

Abuja - Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo asked the national electoral agency on Thursday to investigate reports by Commonwealth observers that his re-election was marred by ballot-rigging.

Obasanjo has furiously rejected allegations from the opposition, along with US and European poll monitors, that Nigeria's April 12 parliamentary and April 19 presidential elections were marred by widespread malpractice.

But in a letter made public on Thursday he said the milder critique of the Commonwealth group deserved further examination.

"I am of the opinion that where the report raises issues about which administrative or legal actions are possible, such remedial actions should be promptly taken" he said.

The letter quoted portions of the the Commonwealth report on polling in two states - Enugu and Rivers - "where there were widespread and serious irregularities and vote rigging."

European monitors said in an interim report on the vote that the election was "marred by serious irregularities throughout the country and fraud in at least 11 (of Nigeria's 36) states."

US monitors from the International Republican Institute (IRI) said in their report they had "observed incidences of obvious premeditated electoral manipulation."

Obasanjo said that although the fact that the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) might have declared results and issued certificates to winners, "it would be helpful if the Commission can investigate such circumstances, even if only to assist the election (complaints) tribunals in expediting action to ensure some redress."

Obasanjo also quoted a portion of the Commonwealth report which states that there were areas "where elections did not take place."

"Kindly investigate and let me know if there were indeed such areas and what the Commission intends to do about them, particularly with reference to the elections that are yet to come," says the letter, addressed to the Inec chairperson.

Nigeria is due to go to the polls again on Saturday for elections to the country's 36 state houses of assembly.

Obasanjo was declared the victor in Nigeria's April 19 presidential election by Inec, and is due to begin his second four-year term at the helm of Africa's most populous country on May 29.

But the opposition, led by defeated presidential candidate Muhammadu Buhari's All Nigeria People's Party (ANPP), has rejected the election as invalid, claiming that there was widespread fraud.

On Thursday it demanded an interim government of national unity be set up with a mandate to conduct fresh elections "which results shall mirror the wishes and aspirations of the Nigerian people," a statement said. - Sapa-AFP

- SAPA