Politics

Nigerian opposition parties to run in presidential election.

18 Apr, 2007

Opposition parties have announced that they will be competing in the presidential and parliamentary elections on 21 April and that they will be running individually. The decision puts paid to calls for a boycott and the possibility, aired earlier in the week, of uniting behind a single candidate.

The opposition had earlier said it would boycott the elections unless the 14 April state elections were annulled, the presidential ballot postponed and a new electoral commission created to oversee the vote.

However, on 18 April the head of the commission announced that a postponement of the presidential vote would be in breach of the constitution.

The proposed boycott had the support of vice president and friend-turned-rival of Obasanjo, Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the opposition party Action Congress (AC), but it was rejected by the former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari of All Nigeria People