Nigeria races to get aborted elections back on track

Reuters

3 April 2011

Nigeria races to get aborted elections back on track

 

LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigerian election officials raced to get aborted polls back on track on Sunday after the absence of voter materials in large parts of Africa's most populous nation forced parliamentary elections to be delayed.

The postponement by 48 hours of Saturday's polls, hours after voting began in some areas, was a major embarrassment for election commissioner Attahiru Jega, who had promised a break with Nigeria's history of chaotic and flawed elections.

It also raised concern that the 73 million registered voters would lose faith in the credibility of the process, due to continue with presidential elections next Saturday and governorship votes in the 36 states a week later.