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Nigeria

Nigeria postpones election by four months

Nigeria has rescheduled its presidential election for 9 April 2011. The Independent National Electoral Commission said Tuesday that the presidential vote will take place after legislative elections the previous week.

Reuters/Afolabi Sotunde
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The vote had initially been scheduled for January, but was moved to allow more time to prepare for reasons of crediblity.

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Shedrock Best, Jos University

Laura Angela Bagnetto

"This announcement of an agenda is important for those who were sceptical, those who were hesitant and those who were unsure," says Shedrock Best, a professor of Conflict Resolution at the University of Jos. "I think everybody's happy; there's a feeling of relief I can see all over the nation."

He says up till now the political atmosphere has been clouded by uncertainty, and the new timetable gives contestants to make plans.

"As for the rest of Nigeria," says Best. "I think there is a kind of delight, a kind of excitement. It clears some of the skepticism that had been in the air. Because they were beginning to think that perhaps something was fundamentally wrong with the electoral commission and that's why timetables were not even announced."

Elections for Governship and State Assemblies will be held a week after the presidential poll.

Voter registration will take place over the last two weeks in January.

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