Nigerian Election drags on

The 2007 Nigerian vote was marred by irregularities and observers deemed the results not credible.

Some people in the US are expressing campaign fatigue. What if the election lasted as long?

The headline in Al Jazeera was a bit misleading (the "Nigerian leaders" are actually former Nigerian leaders), but the article does describe an aspect of Nigeria's regime. Nine gubernatorial races have been overturned and elections rerun since last year's elections. Losers in previous fourth republic presidential elections have challenged the results in court. Why should last year's losers be any different?In my mind, the significant thing is that the challenges are taking place in the courts -- within the regime.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/89C4FBFD-C58B-43DD-9E4A-9B0454C312AC.htm

Nigeria's supreme court has begun hearing an appeal by opposition leaders against the victory of Umaru Yar'Adua, the country's president, in last year's elections."

Atiku Abubakar and Mohammadu Buhari [at right], two opposition candidates, have asked the court to overturn a lower court ruling that upheld Yar'Adua's victory in the April 2007 vote..."

The hearing, which started on Tuesday in the capital, Abuja, has been adjourned indefinitely to allow for more legal briefs to be filed..."The opposition wants the final tally to be disregarded and another election to be held..."

The case is likely to drag on for several months because once Yar'Adua has made his case, Buhari and Abubakar have a further three weeks in which to reply..."

The seven-judge bench of the supreme court hearing Buhari and Abubakar's petition goes into recess in July and only resumes in September, lawyers said..."

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Leadership, a newspaper in Abuja, described the situation this way:

Supreme Court Decides Yar'Adua's Fate July

"Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Idris Legbo Kutigi, yesterday indicated that the nation's apex court may shift its yearly vacation from July to August to enable it enter judgement in the two appeals filed before it by General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar..."

Buhari and Atiku [at left] want the court to review the tribunal's verdict which dismissed their two consolidated petitions and affirmed the election of President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua in the April 21, 2007 presidential poll..."