Main parties call off boycott
19/04/2007 20:05  - (SA)  

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Race for presidency heats up Violence, boycott threaten poll 18 parties may boycott poll

Abuja - The two main Nigerian opposition parties said on Thursday that they would not carry out a threatened boycott of Saturday's presidential election.

The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Action Congress (AC) announced separately that they would take part in polls to find a new head of state and legislative assembly.

The poll should produce the African giant's first civilian-to-civilian power transfer since independence in 1960.

But it has been preceded by widespread violence and political turmoil over moves to stop a vice president from taking part.

AC spokesperson Alhaji Lai Mohammed said that after the ANPP announcement that it would take part in Saturday's polls, it would be "meaningless" for AC to refuse to take part.

The two parties were among 18 who threatened on Tuesday to boycott the election unless it was postponed.

The opposition parties met on Thursday to decide whether to field a united candidate in the presidential election.

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