Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
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April 15, 2007

Nigerians Anxiously Await Election Outcome
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1712FB2:A6F02AD83191E1609C507876FEB776C99574F7DCC14957C0 Saturday's polls
were seen as a test for presidential elections next week to replace
President Olusegun Obasanjo





Officials from Independent National Electoral Commission sort out
material being taken to polling centres in Lagos, 14 Apr 2007Some
results are expected Sunday from Nigeria's gubernatorial elections.
Gilbert da Costa reports from the Nigerian capital, Abuja, authorities
are bracing for the possibility of violence as results from Saturday's
poll are made public.



Election results released Sunday indicate the candidate representing
the ruling Peoples Democratic Party has emerged as governor of the
southwestern state of Ekiti.



Analysts fear the release of election results could spark another
storm of protest and possibly violence. Saturday's elections were
marred by pockets of violence, ballot-box stuffing and other
irregularities.



Poor preparation of the voter register and lack of accreditation for
some observers have also raised doubts about the credibility of the
exercise.



Lagos lawyer and human rights activists Festus Keyamo says the
directive that only the electoral commission can announce official
results is heightening tension and suspicion.



"We need to have a fair reflection of the result and the way the
people voted. In some way, the agents of the various polling units
have a way of collating their results independent of the INEC
[Independent National Electoral Commission] and with this kind of ban
they are putting on the press not to even publish, before INEC
announces it, I don't think that is fair," he said. "The press will
not claim to announce official results for example, but if they have
polling result sheets, it is very important because it will give the
official version credibility."



Saturday's polls were seen as a test for the presidential elections in
a week's time to replace President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is ending
his second four-year term.



More than 60 million people, out of a population of 140 million, were
eligible to vote in Saturday's election of state governors and
legislators.



The head of the electoral commission, Maurice Iwu, says the commission
is contemplating a re-run in areas where voting did not take place.



"There isn't any hidden agenda. If we do well, we do well together. If
there is failing we should say so. It is our country; our job is only
to conduct elections," said Iwo. "We have set up the platform, if the
parties rig the elections we should say so. If it means our re-doing
it in some places, we will go ahead and redo it until we put it right.
But it is really an open system as far as we are concerned."



President Obasanjo and the electoral commission chief acknowledged
that some violence and voting difficulties had occurred, but dismissed
suggestions they were widespread.



Local newspapers reported that more than 40 people were killed in
election-related violence on Saturday.


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