Nigerian militants threaten elections

Militants vowed to prevent voting today in a broad swathe of Nigeria’s oil delta during elections that pose a test for civilian rule in Africa’s most populous nation.

On the eve of the vote, ethnic Ijaw militant groups pledged to prevent election officials from setting up voting stations in the Niger Delta’s mangrove swamps and rivers south west of Warri.

The Ijaws, the largest ethnic group in the delta with eight million people, said their boycott was because authorities had refused to change electoral boundaries which the Ijaws say favour rival Itsekiris.

Ijaw activists fought days of battles last month against Itsekiri rivals and government soldiers, with more than 100 people reported killed, prompting thousands of others to flee. The fighting has forced oil multi-nationals to evacuate dozens of facilities, shutting down 40% of the two million barrels of crude Nigeria produces daily.

Nigeria is the fifth largest supplier of US oil imports.

“There is no way we are going to allow elections,” Ijaw activist Kennedy Ikurute told The Associated Press. ”Nobody can come in here without our agreement.”

As campaigning ended 24 hours before the vote, electoral commission officials said on state television that voting would go ahead in each of Nigeria’s 36 states, including the two most volatile Niger Delta states – Delta and Bayelsa.

Thousands of soldiers and police were patrolling Nigerian cities yesterday, including the south-eastern oil port of Warri, where two people died in street violence pitting supporters of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party against opposition Alliance for Democracy militants, witnesses said.

Sixty-one million voters are registered for today’s legislative ballot in which 3,000 candidates are seeking 469 seats in the House of Representatives and Senate. Campaigning ahead of the vote has been marred by political violence and assassinations.

Presidential voting takes place on April 19, pitting the incumbent, military leader-turned-civilian statesman President Olusegun Obasanjo, against 19 opposition candidates – including three other former army generals.

Nigeria has never held successful civilian-run elections. Previous attempts have been scuttled by military coups.