Official quits after poll re-run
2009-04-29 11:04
Abuja - The chief elections official in Nigeria's southwestern state of Ekiti quit her job on Tuesday over a weekend re-run of gubernatorial elections marred by violence and voter intimidation.
Government rejected the state resident elections commissioner Olusola Ayoya Adebayo's resignation as police warned she would be declared wanted if she did not turn herself in by the end of Wednesday.
Results of the Saturday vote have not been released.
Ekiti was one of roughly a third of Nigeria's 36 states where the 2007 governorship election were annulled by the courts due to proven cases of fraud and irregularities.
In her resignation letter to President Umaru Yar'Adua, Adebayo said the weekend polls had forced her to quit.
The "election in Ekiti state was supposed to be the election that will enhance the image of... electoral process in our dear country Nigeria and the whole black race".
"Unfortunately, the circumstances changed in the middle of the process; my conscience as a Christian cannot allow me to further participate in this process," Adebayo said in a letter.
Falling short of international standards
Information Minister Dora Akunyili told reporters that the resignation was not accepted.
"Government rejects this letter of resignation purportedly written by Mrs Adebayo," said Akunyili.
She said the letter "is suspect and there is need for the weighty allegation contained in the letter to be properly investigated".
Police chief Mike Okiro said Adebayo would be declared wanted if she failed to make herself available within 24 hours to substantiate the allegation in her letter.
Nigeria's last elections in April 2007 were generally flawed and condemned by local and foreign observers, as falling short of international standards.
Since then around a dozen state governors have had their elections cancelled due to poll irregularities while many vote-related cases are still pending in the courts.
Opposition Action Congress (AC) party had earlier urged Yar'Adua to reject Adebayo's resignation and to direct her to conclude the re-run and announce the results of the vote.