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Nigeria

Test-case poll marred by fraud charges

Incumbent Governer Peter Obi has been declared the winner in an election in Nigeria's Anambra state, despite charges of vote-buying and inaccurate voting lists.

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Obi is the candidate for Nigeria's opposition All Progressives Grand Alliance Party. Anambra is one of only eight of Nigeria's 36 states that is not in the hands of the ruling People's Democratic Party.

"Having satisfied all the legal requirements and won the most number of votes, Obi is declared the winner," the National Independent Electorial Commission announced.

But local television AIT showed footage of people trying to snatch a ballot box from one polling station and hundreds of voters were turned away because their names were not on the voting lists. Some observers said there had been incidences of vote-buying.

About 23,000 police officers were drafted to the state to boost its regular force of 5,000. More than 1.8 million voters were registered to choose from 25 candidates. Voter-turnout was low and authorities said election day passed off fairly peacefully.

"There were hiccups, but by and large I believe this election is better than what we had in 2007," the information minister Dora Akunyili told AIT.

President Umaru Yar'Adua vowed to improve the credibility of elections after the election that brought him to power in 2007 was marred by corruption and the Anambra poll was billed as a test case ahead of the 2011 presidential elections.

"We're waiting to see if anyone will want to contest the result in court," correspondent Ben Shemang told RFI. "I think it's likely someone will want to complain because usually in Nigeria losers do not congratulate winners."

Meanwhile, a senior US envoy arrived in Nigeria on Saturday. Johnnie Carson is meeting Nigeria's acting leader, the vice president Goodluck Jonathan, who has taken over while Yar'Adua is being treated for a heart condition in Saudi Arabia.

He is expected to discuss the failed Christmas Day bombing of a US plane. The bomber was from Nigeria, and it prompted the US to place Nigeria on a list of 14 countries that face extra security checks.

Carson is also likely to raise concerns about the power vacuum that has emerged since Yar'Adua's hospitalisation.

 

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