AFP - Nigerians voted Saturday in connection with legislative and postponed twice already tainted by the deadly explosion of a bomb on Friday in a polling station at the beginning of a marathon before the presidential election on April 16.
Polling stations have opened in some areas as scheduled at 08:00 local time (0700 GMT) but in others, voting had not begun, noted journalists from AFP.
These elections take place in almost all districts of the country, had been postponed last Saturday April 4 and April 9, due to the absence of electoral materials and personnel in a large number of polling stations.The president was also postponed for a week to 16 April.
"I think today will be different. (Electoral Commission) is ready," said Fatai Awofolaju, an official election in Lagos.
In Lagos, the economic capital, Abuja, the administrative capital and Kano (North), the second city of the country, polls opened at 8:00 or shortly thereafter.In Bayelsa State which is from the President Goodluck Jonathan, they opened with 90 minutes delay.
A bombing and an armed attack put the ballot in danger
This election that is expected to test the ability of the country's most populous country with 160 million people to hold free elections, have already been disrupted by a bomb blast Friday at Suleija, some 45 km Abuja (center) in a polling station who was preparing the elections.
The initial assessment of 8 dead and 26 injured Saturday has risen to 11 killed and wounded and 38. The attack was not claimed. The vote in this constituency has been postponed.
Gunmen also attacked Friday in Shani, Borno state in north-east, a police station where election officials were responsible for the supervision of election materials, killing four people.
The previous elections in Nigeria were marred by fraud and violence.The NGO Human Rights Watch has already recorded 85 deaths in pre-election violence since November 2010.
President Goodluck Jonathan, presidential candidate, denounced a "heinous terrorist bombing" in Suleija and ordered increased security at the premises of the Electoral Commission throughout the country.
The borders were closed, traffic restrictions were imposed on vehicles and soldiers patrolled the strategic points.
The impact of the bombing was difficult to measure."What bomb?" We have no problem here, "commented Bode Oshowole Saturday, a printer 61, in a polling station in Lagos.
"They're trying to scare us but it does not," responded the head of another polling station. "Nigeria can not be turned into another Afghanistan or Iraq," said Nnamdi Ekweogu.
Dysfunctions delay the vote in 10% of precincts
In a little over 10% of precincts where the ballots could not be printed in time, the legislation will be held April 26, the date of elections of governors and assemblies of the 36 states of the federation.The postponement affects 15 out of 109 senatorial districts and 48 constituencies which elect the 360 members in the House of Representatives.
"Several countries in Africa have been able to hold successful elections, and if we fail, we can not claim a leadership role or to discipline anyone for failure," he said Thursday Jonathan to a delegation of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), based in Washington, which supports democratic institutions and practices worldwide.
The NGO in Nigeria has sent more than 50 observers from more than 23 countries, working with 1700 Nigerian observers.
