afrol News, 12 December - The Supreme Court of Nigeria today narrowly rejected an appeal by the opposition to look into the validity of the 2007 presidential election, officially won by President Umaru Yar'Adua, thus giving a final confirmation of his victory.

The rejection however was only sustained by the narrowest majority among the panel of seven judges. Three judges had voted in favour of the appeal, presented by 2007 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and his Action Congress (AC) opposition party.

But the narrow ruling is the final confirmation by the Nigerian judiciary of President Yar'Adua's legitimacy. "The President and Vice President remain the President and Vice President of this country," Judge Niki Tobi said in a concluding statement after the Abuja Supreme Court ruling.

Mr Yar'Adua came to power after the controversial April 2007 elections, which were to find a successor to President Olusegun Obasanjo, who had finished his constitutional two terms in the presidency. Both international and Nigerian election observers had concluded that the poll exercise was neither free nor fair, quoting widespread vote-rigging, intimidation and violence.

While the opposition has expressed its disappointment over the Supreme Court decision, it nevertheless has promised to abide by it. The Court has gained much credibility after its successful interference in several contested provincial elections, revealing rigging and malpractices.

Nevertheless, AC leader Abubakar today said the judgement had been "a lost chance to salvage democracy" in Nigeria. "Millions of Nigerians had looked forward to the Supreme Court to salvage our country's faltering democracy, which was shamelessly mutilated through the scandalous conduct of the 2007 elections," Mr Abubakar said in a statement sent to afrol News today.

"In recognition of the fact that the Supreme Court is the final arbiter in this case, I have no choice as a democrat but to accept the verdict," the opposition leader added. "The debate about the rightness or wrongness of today's verdict in favour of the ruling party will linger, especially at a time the judiciary is widely regarded as the last hope of the common man," he said.

Mr Abubakar further made it clear that the judgement did not change the popular conclusion of what happened during the 2007 polls. "It is well known that local and international observers had noted that the election was characterised by widespread ballot stuffing, ballot snatching, manipulation, intimidation, harassment of opponents as well as open violence, resulting in the massive hijack of the people's mandate," he maintains.

While the Nigerian elections were widely seen as a poor democratic exercise, they were nevertheless internationally hailed as an important progress in a nation that has been plagued by coups and military dictatorships. President Obasanjo indeed was the first civilian Nigerian leader to hand over power to another civilian leader, and Nigeria is currently experiencing its longest-ever period of civilian rule since independence in 1960.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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