Violence and fraud dash hopes of democratic transition in Nigeria

An attempt to blow up the electoral headquarters with a petrol tanker, attacks by thugs, missing ballot papers and low turnout undermined Nigeria's presidential election on Saturday.

An abortive truck bomb attack on electoral headquarters, rampaging thugs and stolen ballots appeared to dash hopes on Saturday of a historic democratic transition in Nigeria's presidential elections.

The vote will seal the first handover from one civilian president to another in Africa's most populous nation, scarred by three decades of corrupt military rule. But hopes the election would be a beacon for African democracy seemed to be lost after a catalogue of abuses.

As polling stations began closing at 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) European Union observer Max van den Berg said he was unsure there would be any improvement over the "disappointment" of state polls last week, when there was clear fraud.

Petrol tanker against electoral headquarters

Hours before polling stations opened, unknown attackers tried to blow up national electoral headquarters in the capital Abuja with a fully laden petrol tanker. It hit a telephone pole outside the building and did not explode.

Opposition parties accused the ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) of massive theft of ballots, resulting in a shortfall in polling stations across this huge nation.

Reuters correspondent Estelle Shirbon saw officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in southern Bayelsa state stuffing dozens of completed ballots into boxes. A young man who gave his name as James complained he had thumb-printed 50 ballots for the PDP but had not been paid.

Sabotage democracy

Hundreds of youths wielding sticks smashed cars and set fire to roadside shacks in Daura, Buhari's home town, after his supporters reported thousands of ballots missing. The crowd dispersed after Buhari called for a peaceful vote.

Electoral commissioner Maurice Iwu blamed violence on "desperate Nigerians" out to sabotage democracy.

Late on Friday, militants in the oil-producing Niger Delta had stormed the office of the ruling party's vice-presidential candidate in what police said was an assassination attempt. He escaped but two civilians were killed.

Troops and police were deployed in large numbers on the streets of the major cities and turnout was low in many places after widespread violence since the state elections.

Iwu said voting started late in some places because of last-minute changes to voting papers and transport delays. About 60 million ballots had to be reprinted at the last minute after the Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the electoral commission was wrong to disqualify Vice President Atiku Abubakar, arch-rival of President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Witnesses said the new ballots had no serial numbers, a key feature to guard against fraud.

But the ruling party's presidential candidate Umaru Yar'Adua said the vote would be a democratic milestone. "For the first time in the history of the nation we are handing power from one civilian administration to another and if we succeed the culture of democracy will be established."