Nigerian Panel Rejects Claims of Vote Fraud

Amid rising tensions before Saturday’s presidential balloting, the country’s election commission on Thursday rejected claims by the opposition and observers that widespread fraud marred recent legislative elections.

With more than three-quarters of the returns counted, President Olusegun Obasanjo’s ruling party has an outright majority in both the upper and lower chambers.

Questions also emerged over high turnout figures in the oil-rich Niger Delta, where ethnic militants boycotted the ballot last weekend and reporters saw few signs of voting for the 109-seat Senate and the 360-seat House of Representatives.

Several opposition leaders say the elections were rigged and have threatened protests.

The president is running for reelection and has said he would use “all constitutional means” to maintain peace and order ahead of Saturday’s vote.

Presidential challenger Emeka Ojukwu, a retired army officer who led Biafran rebels in Nigeria’s 1967-70 civil war, are among those urging protests.

“There is a limit to what people will believe,” Ojukwu said.

Nigeria’s main opposition leader, Muhammadu Buhari, also threatened “mass action” if fraud taints the vote.

Buhari, who like Obasanjo is a former military leader, launched a coup toppling President Shehu Shagari in 1983 after elections widely derided as flawed.

Abel Guobadia, head of the Independent National Electoral Commission, defended last weekend’s vote and advised parties to file appeals with the federal courts.

But critics say the commission, which receives funds from the government, is biased.

The Roman Catholic Church’s Justice, Peace and Development Center, Nigeria’s largest election observer group, said the results do not tally with the reports of its 30,000 monitors across the country, adding that “somebody is fiddling with the figures.”