Britain slams 'outright rigged' election in Nigeria

LAGOS, Nigeria (Reuters) -- Former colonial power Britain denounced "outright rigging" in Nigeria's elections, but urged the opposition to stick to the constitution in seeking redress.

The electoral commission gave the ruling party candidate, Umaru Yar'Adua, a landslide victory in Saturday's presidential poll, but the opposition called for it to be cancelled and held again after international observers said the result was not credible.

"It was not just a question of disorganization, but there was outright rigging and the results were frankly not credible," High Commissioner Richard Gozney said at a reception in Lagos on Thursday night.

"It is up to Nigerians to decide what should happen next. But we do make a plea for people to stick strictly to constitutional means," he added.

President Olusegun Obasanjo is due to hand over to Yar'Adua on May 29, in what would be the first transfer of power from one civilian president to another since Nigeria gained independence from Britain in 1960.

Obasanjo has urged the opposition to seek redress through election tribunals.

Some opposition groups have called for the National Assembly to install an interim government headed by Senate President Ken Nnamani to run fresh elections, but Nnamani has rejected the idea as unconstitutional.

The opposition is also planning a series of mass protests starting on Tuesday, when trade unions stage their annual May Day parade.

"If constitutionality prevails in Nigeria over the next few weeks that in itself will be a very big step forward," Gozney said, adding that Britain would not accept or endorse any unconstitutional outcome.

Copyright 2007 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/africa/04/27/Nigeria.Britain.reut/index.html

Don't deceive yourself, we are not going anywhere; OBJ has already designed a total failure strategy for us.
Oga Yar'Adua will just be running around like a chicken with no head for the next 4 years with nothing accomplished. (and please do not get me wrong, Yar'Adua is a fine Nigerian and a great man, but the failure has already been designed).

It is sad and a shame!

May God bless Nigeria

Britain should go to bed, Where were they before the elections? meanwhile, they have limitation to contributing to internal issues, Yar'Adua is already the president, and even though his health is in a bad state, we will manage him with OBJ standing in for him anytime his out for bed rest,

Talking from abroad is totally uncalled for right now, meanwhile more of such kind of talks would cause more havoc than good!

I think the international community has a limited power in this regard. A female Activist ALICE UKOKO made known her intentions to pick of the case in UK, but I still believe such a move would cause more harm that expected.

Is just 4 years, and soonest Nigerians just like the word of Fela Anikulakpo, Suffering and Smiling, they always get used to it and this case won't be an exception.

Instead, lets pray for long life for our Mr. New Presido and request that Rev. Pastor Prophet Okotie, take him for healing or even his name sake, the big brother Okotie.

We Also Slam Their Faux Pas In IraQ

Britain's national interests are better served with Yar Adua as Nigeria's president than with any of the other two alternative candidates that ran for president in Nigeria's recent election, regardless of whether or not the election was 100% free and fair.

Buhari would have been an absolute disaster as a Nigerian president, given his outspoken advocacy of turning Nigeria into an Islamic Sharia rogue state similar to Afghanistan where British troops are currently neck deep in combat, trying to stabilize that country and wrest it from the grips of Taliban fundamentalist loonies.  Buhari's rap sheet also includes a stint as one of Nigeria's most brutal and arbitrary military dictators back in the 1980's, a dark period of terror in which the Nigerian press and human rights community saw many from their ranks slam-dunked into dark cells on the flimsiest of pretenses.  As if all those demerits were not enough, Buhari is  also a stark illiterate cow-herding retard who should never gain access to even the lowest level of administrative power in a civilized country.

Atiku, the erstwhile vice-president of Nigeria, who also tried to become Nigeria's next president in the last elections, is the proud perpetrator of a criminal past that would make Al Capone seem like a mere pick-pocket  in comparison.   Atiku has been conclusively linked to a litany of graft, corruption, contract kickbacks and outright embezzlement of state funds ever since the day he found himself "elected" as Nigeria's vice president in an ill-fated 11th hour political compromise designed to pacify the northern Nigerian power block prior to the elections that brought the outgoing Nigerian president Obasanjo into office.

Given a choice selected from the available fielded trio of Nigeria's presidential candidates consisting of (1)  Buhari, a known former dictator of unsurpassed brutality and an Islamic fundamentalist Ayatollah-in-waiting, or (2)  Atiku, a known kleptomaniac of monumental greed,  or (3) Yar Adua, a college graduate and former state governor who left funds totalling several billion in the state coffers when leaving office, most adequately informed observers would agree that Nigeria's immediate and long-term future is best entrusted to Yar Adua, EVEN IF PRE-EMPTIVE COUNTER-RIGGING WAS DEEMED NECESSARY to assure the ONLY safe electoral outcome for Nigeria in these past 2007 elections.

Jakumo:

Britain's national interests are better served with Yar Adua as Nigeria's president than with any of the other two alternative candidates that ran for president in Nigeria's recent election, regardless of whether or not the election was 100% free and fair.

Buhari would have been an absolute disaster as a Nigerian president, given his outspoken advocacy of turning Nigeria into an Islamic Sharia rogue state similar to Afghanistan where British troops are currently neck deep in combat, trying to stabilize that country and wrest it from the grips of Taliban fundamentalist loonies. Buhari's rap sheet also includes a stint as one of Nigeria's most brutal and arbitrary military dictators back in the 1980's, a dark period of terror in which the Nigerian press and human rights community saw many from their ranks slam-dunked into dark cells on the flimsiest of pretenses. As if all those demerits were not enough, Buhari is also a stark illiterate cow-herding retard who should never gain access to even the lowest level of administrative power in a civilized country.

Atiku, the erstwhile vice-president of Nigeria, who also tried to become Nigeria's next president in the last elections, is the proud perpetrator of a criminal past that would make Al Capone seem like a mere pick-pocket in comparison. Atiku has been conclusively linked to a litany of graft, corruption, contract kickbacks and outright embezzlement of state funds ever since the day he found himself "elected" as Nigeria's vice president in an ill-fated 11th hour political compromise designed to pacify the northern Nigerian power block prior to the elections that brought the outgoing Nigerian president Obasanjo into office.

Given a choice selected from the available fielded trio of Nigeria's presidential candidates consisting of (1) Buhari, a known former dictator of unsurpassed brutality and an Islamic fundamentalist Ayatollah-in-waiting, or (2) Atiku, a known kleptomaniac of monumental greed, or (3) Yar Adua, a college graduate and former state governor who left funds totalling several billion in the state coffers when leaving office, most adequately informed observers would agree that Nigeria's immediate and long-term future is best entrusted to Yar Adua, EVEN IF PRE-EMPTIVE COUNTER-RIGGING WAS DEEMED NECESSARY to assure the ONLY safe electoral outcome for Nigeria in these past 2007 elections.

Good and brilliant talk. With your post now i am most convinced that we have some brilliant and matured Nairalanders in da house apart from the hordes of rude and cursing juvenile street urchins posts i have read in the past few days. Bravo Jakumo

(

3) Yar Adua, a college graduate and former state governor who left funds totalling several billion in the state coffers when leaving office, most adequately informed observers would agree that Nigeria's immediate and long-term future is best entrusted to Yar Adua,

EVEN IF PRE-EMPTIVE COUNTER-RIGGING WAS DEEMED NECESSARY to assure the ONLY safe electoral outcome for Nigeria in these past 2007 elections.[/

quote]

A gov who left 7 billion in the coffers of the state while Almajiris flood the street of Katsina is a governor who lacks ideas about how to tackle the problems at hand. What is the use of money in the coffers when Katsina is still one of the most under developed state in Nigeria? It is one of the few states that still boast of cases of wild Polio in Nigeria and are still exporting it to the outside world? Are you still wondering why the state gov, after 8 years still travel abroad to treat constipation?

A gov who left 7 billion in the coffers of the state while Almajiris flood the street of Katsina is a governor who lacks ideas about how to tackle the problems at hand. What is the use of money in the coffers when Katsina is still one of the most under developed state in Nigeria? It is one of the few states that still boast of cases of wild Polio in Nigeria and are still exporting it to the outside world? Are you still wondering why the state gov, after 8 years still travel abroad to treat constipation?

Given the choice between (1) Yar Adua, a master's degree holder who resisted the temptation to empty the Katsina state treasury where he served as governor , or (2) Buhari, an uneducated former military despot of unparalleled sadistic brutality who has repeatedly called for the Islamization of Nigeria's judiciary system, or (3) Atiku, a master thief who exploited every available opportunity to corruptly enrich himself in his erstwhile vice presidential position, I would unhesitatingly select the contestant endorsed by the Nigerian electorate in the last presidential elections - namely YAR ADUA.

Yes sir indeed, just as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow morning, YAR ADUA shall be Nigeria's next president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces.  His ascension must have been greeted by a collective sigh of relief from the leadership of the international community who had been nervously monitoring the Nigerian elections and wondering who would emerge victorious from a contestant field consisting of the learned scholar (Yar Adua), the Islamic zealot and despoiler of human rights (Buhari), and the compulsive kleptomaniac (Atiku).

Any sour grapes sore losers who are depressed with Yar Adua's electoral victory can seek mental refuge by turning to drugs, or physical refuge by emigrating to Somalia to live the fundamentalist theocratic lifestyle of Buhari's demented dreams.

dayokanu:

A gov who left 7 billion in the coffers of the state while Almajiris flood the street of Katsina is a governor who lacks ideas about how to tackle the problems at hand. What is the use of money in the coffers when Katsina is still one of the most under developed state in Nigeria? It is one of the few states that still boast of cases of wild Polio in Nigeria and are still exporting it to the outside world? Are you still wondering why the state gov, after 8 years still travel abroad to treat constipation?

Is Katsina state one of the most under developed states in Nigeria or are you stating what Atiku is feeding you?

Was 'bout asking him the same question.

I Was in Katsina between 2004 and 2006 and I can see that for myself. The polio stuff I am giving you is from WHO as at Nov 2005 that was why the had to do special immunisation days SID's in some northern state including Katsina in 2005 and 2006.
Was it ATiku that told me that Yar'Adua goes to treat himself because of the lack of trust in the heath system he put in place for Katsina people.

Or was it Atiku that told me that Almajiri abound in Katsina.