More violence is feared in this week's polls

 

They want the election to be postponed, saying the election commission is biased in favour of the ruling party.

But the government has said the election will go ahead as planned. The opposition is believed to be split o­n the idea of a boycott.

Last week's state elections were marred by violent clashes and cases of vote rigging, mostly in the oil-rich south.

The ruling party won 26 of the 33 state contests declared. Two elections were postponed because of irregularities.

Tension was further heightened this week when armed Islamists seized a police station near the northern city of Kano, leading to more than 30 deaths.

Protest call

Opposition sources say o­ne of the candidates, Muhammadu Buhari, does not support a boycott.

The other main opposition candidate, Atiku Abubakar, is believed to support the boycott call.

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His participation in the poll was o­nly confirmed o­n Tuesday by the election commission, after a Supreme Court ruling o­n Monday.

The Independent National Election Commission (Inec) had disqualified him because of charges of corruption, which he denies.

Mr Buhari had called for an opposition alliance against the People's Democratic Party's Umaru Yar'Adua but neither man seems willing to step down.

In a statement o­n Tuesday night, 18 of the main parties demanded that the elections o­n Saturday be delayed and threatened a boycott unless several conditions were met.

We don't know the people. We don't even know where they came from Panshekara resident Mystery attackers in Kano

However, Inec lawyer Joe-Kyari Gagzama said the election could not legally be delayed after a high court ruling two weeks ago.

He also said the tenure of most of those in office expires o­n 29 May.

The opposition parties also urged Nigerians to "protest in a non-violent manner these sham elections so far held, and to resist further elections under the current structure".

The opposition said the electoral commission was under the control of outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Apart from attempting to discredit the elections, many observers question what the opposition would achieve by boycotting.

Many Nigerians fear further violence o­n Saturday, which should lead to the first handover of power in Africa's most populous nation from o­ne civilian administration to another.

President Obasanjo is standing down after two terms in office.