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| Africa Subsaharan |
| Nigeria Holding Elections - Sort of |
| 2007-04-14 |
| By SUNDAY ALAMBA probably not Muslim? Voters went to the polls Saturday in Nigeria to choose their state officers in the first of a pair of elections meant to solidify civilian rule in Africa's most-populous nation. Many polling centers opened late around the country and a year of stepped-up violence continued in the southern oil region, which is desparately poor despite pumping all the crude in Africa's biggest oil producer. Non-official road traffic was banned on Saturday and hoardes of young men spilled into empty streets to play soccer, using bricks and tires as goalposts. They want them handy when it's time to riot. Nigeria's 61 million voters will select their state lawmakers and governors Saturday and their national legislators and president a week later. Like in America, many voters have no idea who the candidates are - but vote anyway. Since its independence from Britain in 1960, Nigeria has never seen power handed from one elected leader to another. !!! The campaign period in the country of 140 million has seen isolated bouts of violence that have left some 70 people dead, human rights groups say. Nigeria's voters will head to 120,000 election centers nationwide, with dozens of international observers and hundreds of Nigerian monitors watching the vote. Results are expected within days. Obasanjo's 1999 election ended nearly 15 years of military rule. His 2003 re-election was marred by violence and accusations of widespread rigging. All previous elections were scuttled by military coups or annulments. I've chopped this up unfairly - it is surprisingly well-done for an AP piece. |
| Posted by:Glenmore |