200810232211 | Court to decide on Nigeria poll

Court to decide on Nigeria poll

Lagos - Nigeria's Supreme Court is expected to decide on Thursday whether to declare invalid the results of the April 2007 election that brought President Umaru Yar'Adua to power. Two opposition candidates - former vice-president Atiku Abubakar and ex-president Mohammadu Buhari - have petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court ruling that upheld Yar'Adua's victory at the much-criticised April 2007 vote.

The court has given no indication whether it will pronounce a judgement or merely set a date for a later judgement.

"Your guess is as good as mine. They could make a final ruling. They could change their minds over last time or they could just announce a new date," an Abuja-based politician told AFP.

The case has deepened political uncertainty in Africa's most populous country where violence has forced a cut in oil production.

The last hearing in the case was in late April.

Sources in Abuja said the parties in the case have submitted all the relevant documents and that the judges are in a position to make a ruling, although court cases in Nigeria are often prolonged by diversionary tactics by opposing lawyers.