Nigerians voted in a delayed parliamentary election on Saturday, determined to hold a credible poll in Africa's most populous nation despite chaotic organisation and violence. At least seven people were killed in four separate incidents in the last few hours before polling. Those deaths followed the killing of at least 10 people by a bomb at an election office on Friday.
-- At least seven more reported dead
Violence has taken around 100 lives in the run-up to the parliamentary election. That and the logistical chaos which forced the postponement of the vote a week ago have renewed doubts over whether democracy can work in Nigeria. "We want to show the rest of the world that we are ready for democracy," said Mukaila Odukoya, a 45-year old trader, in the Obalende district of Nigeria's biggest city, Lagos.
"This one is going to be far, far better than the past. This is going to be one man one vote. It is not going to be easy for people to buy ballot papers, though they are trying," Odukoya said, proudly clutching his voter registration card. Nigeria, with more people than Russia, has failed to hold a fair and orderly vote since military rule ended 12 years ago.
Saturday's parliamentary vote will be followed by the more important presidential election on April 16, which President Goodluck Jonathan is tipped to win. Governorship polls in 36 states will be held on April 26. Preparations for the vote were much better than a week earlier, when ballot papers failed to reach most of the country.
"There was almost no disorder and no intimidation," the head of a European Union observer mission, Alojz Peterle, told Reuters from his initial reports. EU observers said the last nation-wide elections, held in 2007, were not credible. The Swift Count vote monitoring group said twice as many polling stations started work on time as on April 2.
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