NIGERIA: Country's Supreme Court throws out challenge to President Goodluck Jonathan's electoral victory in April
Record ID:
235413
NIGERIA: Country's Supreme Court throws out challenge to President Goodluck Jonathan's electoral victory in April
- Title: NIGERIA: Country's Supreme Court throws out challenge to President Goodluck Jonathan's electoral victory in April
- Date: 29th December 2011
- Summary: ABUJA, NIGERIA (DECEMBER 28, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF LAWYERS IN COURT ROOM GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI, FORMER HEAD OF STATE AND MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER WITH HIS SUPPORTERS GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN COURT (SOUNDBITE) (English) GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI, FORMER HEAD OF STATE AND MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER, SAYING: "The supreme court has turned a blind eye and deaf ear to this gross irregularity that is the theme running through all the three elections since 2003. The country now has to live with the consequences of elections of PDP (People's democratic Party) government in collaboration with INEC (National Electoral Commission), the police and security services over the last ten years." VARIOUS LAWYERS IN THE COURT ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI, FORMER HEAD OF STATE AND MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER, SAYING: "No election is credible where 100 percent of votes cast were for one candidate in many constituencies and 90 percent in some states, this is plain fraud." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE LEAVING THE COURT ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI, FORMER HEAD OF STATE AND MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER, SAYING: "The supreme court has decided but we are moving forward with our party to banish corruption and dispute from this country." GENERAL MUHAMMADU BUHARI AND SUPPORTERS LEAVING
- Embargoed: 13th January 2012 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Nigeria, Nigeria
- Country: Nigeria
- Topics: Legal System,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA61XK36WRDW5OQJSN1L1D3AW0F
- Story Text: Nigeria's Supreme Court threw out a challenge to President Goodluck Jonathan's election victory in April, upholding the result and rejecting calls by the main opposition party for a recount in several parts of the country.
Jonathan was declared winner with 59 percent of the vote but his nearest rival, former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, who scored 32 percent, refused to accept the outcome.
Buhari's Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) party filed a petition to challenge it in May, arguing the vote was marred by irregularities. But the Supreme Court's judgement on Wednesday (December 28) upheld earlier rulings by lower courts in Jonathan's favour.
Justice Olufunmilayo Adekeye told the court on Wednesday that the judgement of the lower court was affirmed and consequently Jonathan won the election on April 16, 2011.
In response to the judgement, Buhari said he acknowledged that no election was perfect anywhere but he questioned how the ruling party could secure almost 100 percent of votes cast in most parts of the country, calling it "plain fraud".
"The Supreme Court has turned a blind eye and deaf ear to this gross irregularity," Buhari said after the judgement.
Buhari said the electoral commission computers were rigged to sway the count against Buhari, a northern Muslim, in parts of the north, and that the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) vote was inflated in some of its southern strongholds.
"No election is credible where 100 percent of votes cast were for one candidate in many constituencies and 90 percent in some states, this is plain fraud," he said.
Although Buhari was ahead in almost all of the states in northern Nigeria, Jonathan also picked up millions of votes in the region, giving him a credible national mandate.
This rulingthe legal challenge against Jonathan's mandate, giving him a breather to focus on governance in Africa's most populous nation, but coincides with more attacks.
Rioting erupted in largely Muslim opposition strongholds in the north after the victory of Jonathan, a Christian from the south, was announced in May. Churches, mosques, homes and shops were set ablaze and at least 500 people were killed.
On Sunday, Islamist militants set off bombs across the country, three targeting churches, including one that killed at least 27 people. On Tuesday (December 27) night, attackers threw a home-made bomb into an Arabic school in Delta state, wounding seven people, mostly children.
The CPC had said the electoral commission computers were rigged to sway the count against Buhari, a northern Muslim, in parts of the north, and that the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) vote was inflated in some of its southern strongholds. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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