Nigerian archbishop urges officials to fix voting procedures

Published: 2007-04-18

LAGOS, Nigeria (CNS) -- The head of the Nigerian bishops' conference urged the Independent National Electoral Commission and government security agents to correct voting irregularities and violence before presidential and National Assembly elections April 21. Archbishop Felix Alaba Job of Ibadan spoke at a press conference in Lagos April 17, three days after gubernatorial and state legislative elections that he called "successful in many regards." The day after he spoke, the Nigerian government said it would proceed with April 21 elections, despite opposition calls that they must be postponed. The archbishop said his assessment of state elections was based on the reports of the 30,000 election observers deployed to monitor the elections under the auspices of the bishops' justice and peace commission. He said although many areas were peaceful, church observers reported intimidation and violence -- "including some maiming and killing" -- in southern and southeastern Nigeria. He also cited reports of stolen and stuffed ballot boxes and the intimidation of election officials and voters in several other states.

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