Nigerian losing candidates struggle to prove fraud
04 May 2007 10:36:12 GMT Source: Reuters
By Estelle Shirbon ABUJA, May 4 (Reuters) - Defeated candidates in Nigeria's disputed elections last month are struggling to gather evidence of fraud strong enough to overturn the results, raising doubts over whether legal action will make any significant impact. Africa's most populous nation held elections for state governors and houses of assembly on April 14 and for president and National Assembly on April 21 but observers said vote-rigging was so widespread the results were not credible. The polls were billed as a landmark democratic transition because it is the first time one civilian president will hand over to another through the ballot box. Instead, there has been an outcry in Nigeria and condemnation from foreign monitors. The ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) scored a landslide victory at both state and federal level, according to official results that the opposition has rejected. Some parties are calling for a re-run but the constitution does not allow that. The only avenue for aggrieved losers to seek redress are election tribunals. Candidates have 30 days from the date of the election to file their cases. The PDP's Umaru Yar'Adua is preparing to succeed President Olusegun Obasanjo and his main challenger has already signalled he is reluctant to go down that route, although many candidates for other posts are preparing petitions. One problem is that much of the fraud that was reported by local and foreign observers is difficult to prove. In many parts of the country, polling stations opened very late or never opened at all because ballot papers and result sheets were stolen by ruling party supporters who used them to fabricate results. The paper trail is hard to follow. MISSING BALLOTS "We're trying to gather the necessary documents and then the lawyers will advise on whether it's worth filing a petition," said Lanre Tejuoso of the opposition All Nigeria People's Party, who stood for a senatorial seat in southwestern Ogun State. "It's difficult because ballot boxes were stolen and in most polling booths they don't have signed documents confirming the number of voters. We're looking for result sheets signed by all the party agents but there aren't any," he said. Tejuoso, who was defeated by Obasanjo's daughter, said he was unable to vote because officials produced only 300 ballot papers in his polling station instead of the 900 that were needed. They did not explain what had happened to the other 600. "It was obviously programmed to fail," he said. Some candidates said they were hesitating to launch into costly legal action with an uncertain chance of success. "One major constraint is that we have all spent a lot of money on our campaigns and the lawyers are charging exorbitant fees," said one defeated senatorial candidate, who did not wish to be named for fear of offending his lawyers. The judiciary demonstrated independence in the build-up to the polls by stopping the electoral authority from disqualifying some opposition candidates who were accused of corruption by panels loyal to the ruling party. This has raised hopes that the election tribunals will be impartial.
