Abubakar

ABUJA, (Reuters):

Nigeria's Supreme Courtyesterday raised doubts over the results of flawed state elections last weekend and cleared the way for a last minute presidential bid by Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

The court ruled that the official electoral body did not have the power to disqualify Abubakar, who said he would now stand for the opposition in Saturday's presidential poll.

The ruling affected not only Abubakar but at least six governorship candidates previously disqualified from the state election. Those candidates could now mount legal challenges.

"Governorship elections where any candidates were disqualified by INEC are null and void," said Lai Mohammed, spokesman for Abubakar's Action Congress party.

As protests spread over widespread electoral abuses, both local and European observers said the state polls were seriously flawed and Abubakar called them worse than robbery.

A European Union (EU) observer mission said it had serious concerns and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure major improvements before the presidential poll.

A coalition of civil society observer groups said malpractice meant the results in 10 of Nigeria's 36 states, "cannot be said to have reflected the will of the people ... and we, therefore, reject them".

Abubakar told journalists: "What happened on Saturday was absolutely not an election, it was worse than robbery."

There was no immediate comment from INEC.

President Olusegun Obasanjo has tried every possible manoeuvre to block Abubakar, with whom he has engaged in a bitter personal feud for years.