NIGERIA: Nigerians angry as parliamentary elections postponed after poll materials fail to arrive in several parts of the country

Record ID: 234792

  • Title: NIGERIA: Nigerians angry as parliamentary elections postponed after poll materials fail to arrive in several parts of the country
  • Date: 3rd April 2011
  • Summary: LAGOS, NIGERIA (APRIL 02, 2011) (REUTERS) VOTERS LINING UP TO VOTE VOTERS COLLECTING BALLOT PAPERS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CASTING THEIR VOTE VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WAITING TO VOTE VOTERS DEMANDING EXPLANATION FOR LACK OF INFORMATION ABOUT CANCELLATION OF THE POLL (SOUNDBITE) (English) REVEREND MUYIWA YEWOLE, SAYING: "Something is wrong somewhere. I mean, you guys are just playing with us as toys in this nation." PEOPLE WAITING TO VOTE (SOUNDBITE) (English) REVEREND MUYIWA YEWOLE, SAYING: "I am just baffled. It's annoying, it's upsetting, that we cannot organise simple elections. Ghana there, who are not up to the population of Lagos state, have organised an election, nothing went wrong, everything was smooth. Our own...so much money has been spent, billions, and it's our money, it's our tax payers' money, it's our money, and yet, this is what we get." (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOPE AKULABI, LAGOS RESIDENT, SAYING: "We've been here for the past, not less than six hours, and now in the middle of the way, an announcement came to stop it. And what about those that have voted? I am yet to vote anyway, but the other people that have voted, are they going to be cancelled? That's the question." PEOPLE STILL WAITING TO VOTE EVEN AFTER CANCELLATION OF THE POLLS
  • Embargoed: 18th April 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Nigeria, Nigeria
  • Country: Nigeria
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABKSBKCRX8RRULQRV0B8BDJF0S
  • Story Text: Nigeria's opposition said they suspected the ruling party of deliberate sabotage after parliamentary elections were postponed on Saturday (April 2) when voting materials failed to arrive in many areas.
    Voters had trooped early to polling stations across the country of 150 million, eager for a ballot less tainted by fraud and violence than 2007 elections that lacked credibility in the eyes of Nigerians and international observers.
    But on Saturday, confusion added to the frustration in Nigeria's biggest cities -- the commercial hub Lagos in the south and Kano in the north -- where voting went ahead in some places because election materials had arrived on time.
    Some voters could not hide their anger.
    "I am just baffled. It's annoying, it's upsetting, that we cannot organise simple elections. Ghana there, who are not up to the population of Lagos state, have organised an election, nothing went wrong, everything was smooth. Our own...so much money has been spent, billions, and it's our money, it's our tax payers' money, it's our money, and yet, this is what we get," said Reverend Muyiwa Yewole after spending several hours waiting to vote.
    The poll has been rescheduled for Monday but some voters have threatened not to take part.
    "We've been here for the past, not less than six hours, and now in the middle of the way, an announcement came to stop it. And what about those that have voted? I am yet to vote anyway, but the other people that have voted, are they going to be cancelled? That's the question," said Tope Akulabi.
    The parliamentary polls are seen as a test of whether Nigeria can break with a history of flawed ballots. Presidential elections are due in a week's time and governorship votes in the 36 states a week after that.
    Successful elections would be another fillip for foreign investment in Nigeria and across fast-growing Africa as well as strengthening Nigeria's international clout.
    But failure could raise questions about how well-entrenched democracy is, more than a decade after the end of military rule.
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