Nigerian Muslims Riot After Election of Christian President
- Posted on April 18, 2011 at 6:34pm by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — Angry opposition supporters in Nigeria’s Muslim north set fire to homes bearing ruling party banners Monday and heavy gunfire rang out in several towns as election officials released results showing the Christian incumbent had gained an insurmountable lead.
Results from Saturday’s election released live on national television indicated President Goodluck Jonathan had a commanding lead of more than 10 million votes with only two states left to be announced. The Muslim north had largely voted for former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari.
Buhari‘s party brought a formal complaint Monday afternoon to the nation’s electoral commission over vote tallies, alleging massive rigging in Jonathan’s homeland. The letter also alleged that the computer software used to tally results had been tampered with in northern states to favor the ruling party.
“What is being exhibited to the world is not collated from polling units but … a lot of manipulations,” the letter read.
In a statement, the federal police blamed the violence on “persons who failed to accept the results,” denying it came from religious or ethnic roots. Election officials said they would finish releasing election results later Monday regardless of the ongoing violence.
Witnesses said youths in the northern city of Kano were setting fires to homes that bore Jonathan party banners. Heavy gunfire also could be heard. An Associated Press reporter there saw hundreds of youths carrying wooden planks in the street, shouting “Only Buhari” in the local Hausa language.
“What I am looking for now is rescue, the mob is still outside. I need rescue,” said Mark Asu-Obi, who was trapped inside his Kano home with his wife and three children. “There are hoodlums all over the place. It’s not just my place that they are attacking. I am not a politician. I am an independent observer.”
In Kaduna, home to the oil-rich nation’s vice president, angry young men burned tires in the streets and threw stones at police and soldiers trying to restore order, witnesses said.
“Right now, I’m holed up in my room. There’s gunshots everywhere,” said Shehu Sani, a civil rights leader. “They are firing and killing people on the street.”
Kaduna state police spokesman Aminu Lawal described the fighting there as an “uprising.” In neighboring Katsina state, a mob attacked a prison and freed 42 inmates, police spokesman Abubakar Mohammed said.
Federal emergency management agency spokesman Yushua Shuaib declined to release casualty figures out of fears it would further stoke sectarian violence.
“Such a thing can encourage a reprisal attack,” he said.
Over the weekend, opposition supporters also rioted in the northeastern state of Gombe. Protesters burned down the house of the local chairman of the ruling party, two hotels and at least two buses there. The rioters accused Gombe’s ruling party government of rigging the results to ensure that Jonathan got at least 25 percent of the vote.
Police chief Suleiman Lawal said Sunday that there had been a “complete breakdown of law and order” there.
Nigeria’s elections have long been marred by violence and rigging. But voting in the Saturday presidential election had been largely peaceful apart from a hotel blast that wounded eight people and the fatal shooting of a police officer at a polling station.
Nigeria, a nation of 150 million people, is divided between the Christian-dominated south and the Muslim north. A dozen states across Nigeria’s north have Islamic Shariah law in place, though the area remains under the control of secular state governments.
Thousands have been killed in Muslim-Christian violence in the past decade, but the roots of the sectarian conflict are often embedded in struggles for political and economic dominance.
Jonathan, who became president after his Muslim predecessor died in office last year, has long been considered the front-runner. His ruling People’s Democratic Party has dominated politics in the West African giant since it became a democracy 12 years ago.
However, the country‘s Muslim north remains cold to Jonathan as the Christian from the south who took over after the death of the country’s elected Muslim leader.
Many of the north’s elite wanted the ruling party to honor an unwritten power-sharing agreement calling for a Muslim candidate to run in this election, yet Jonathan prevailed in the party’s primary.
—
Associated Press writers Maggie Fick and Salisu Rabiu in Kano, Nigeria; Krista Larson in Lagos, Nigeria; Bashir Adigun in Abuja, Nigeria and Saadatu Mohammed in Gombe, Nigeria contributed to this report.
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Comments (50)
ChiRho4Life
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 1:32pmwith all the unrest in middle eastern countries, where, oh where is the outcry from all the supposed ‘moderate’ muslims in america??….dead silence….a leopard can go out in the rain, but its spots won’t wash off
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 4:06pmWhen are those Muslims gonna jump through our hoops?!In case you havn‘t noticed jumping through hoops to appease the american or israeli’s is not their forte.
Report Post »You’d be better off concentrating on“taking your country back”. You got all those tea partiers elected and now they capitulated to the dreaded Democrats. Even your own won’t do your bidding ,you think any self-respecting Muslims gonna jump when you say jump?
ChiefGeorge
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 12:30pmEverywhere you look its about race and or religion. Why? Why now? The slaughter is coming and has already begun in many places where Christians have been rounded up and killed wholesale. It will get worse but why is that the case? I’d look for answers if I was you! Keep your eyes glued to the Israel situation because that is where God will reveal great things very soon.
Report Post »rienheart
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 12:07pmWho Knew?? Muslims not wanting a Christian President? Say it isn’t So. Another Great place that our Troops will be sent to oust another Leader. Obama will not be happy until all Muslim Countries will be under Sharia Law, Israel no longer exists and America is No Longer Guided by our Constitution.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 3:26pmYour cconstitution is like the bible .You can interpret it any way you like.Swearing allegience to the constituion is the most inane meaningless brainwahed thing a person can do. it does not and never has protected any right.it’s interpretation is determined by the spirit of the times as represented by whoever is in power in the judicial, executive legislative branches and in the media. It’s the emporor without any clothes and in the future will be replaced with a parliament and /or a constitution that enumerates what citizens are entitled to[housing, health care, education appropriate punishments for criminalsetc.]The bill of rights is an expression of our inaliable rights, the constituion as it stands is a barriier to authentic reasoning about the issues and policies of the day.it saysd nothing about right or wrong or good and bad[ethics] but [except for technicalities] is alot of pretentious mumbo jumbo.It’s funny to see people ponder the meaning of every line insted of deliberating on what is right or wrong based on basic human principles of fairness, balance protection of inaliable rights and so on. it’s a hindrence rather then an asset. Progress is made and change when enough people in positions of power feel compelled to change [interpret the provisions in the constitutuin differently then previous interpretation].When enough people in positions of power believed oppression of blacks was wrong they passed laws and inpterpreted the constituion to reflect that belief, They did not need a constituion to do that, it was the change of belief[ the spirit of the timeson the part of just enough people] that allowed the laws to change in favor of blacks.The constituon was irrelevant and those changes could have happened without appeal to a constituion.[Decchifering what the constituttions means or what the founding fathers believes] is like counting the angels on the head of a pin.Use less and beside the point of people deliberating based on inaliable rights what the laws should be in a democratic society.
Report Post »ED4237
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 11:41amWhat a shock they don’t tolerate anybody but other muslims. Wait till that place explodes and we don‘t get oil from there either then you’ll see super rockets in prices.
Report Post »ChiRho4Life
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 11:38ami’ve said it many times before….Operation Swordfish
Report Post »Lion420
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 11:22amWhat a surprise!! The violent children don’t get their way…they throw a fit…much like their union ‘brothers’! Sickening…
Report Post »AmeriCat
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 10:22amWatch out for Obama…
he just might step in and force a Unity Government AKA Kenya, 2008.
Remember Obama’s Cousin Odinga and his lost election?
Muslim Odinga and his supporters were not happy:
Burned Christian churches with Christians locked inside,
Christians hacked to death with machetes across Kenya?
But the Great One stepped up to help his cousin and…
Report Post »voila! Muslim Unity Government with new Constitution…
yup…bringing Shariah Law.
dirtydog1776
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 9:58amDenny’s is having a Baconalia Festival, free bacon meals for Muslims, just show your Koran to the waitress. follow dirtydog1776 on twitter. Rub my soft, furry tummy.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 2:59pmI guess that’s called Making a Powerful Statement. All your powerful statements can’t combat a billion muslims doing their thing on the face of the earth.And here inAmerica fearlessly in “your” public spaces knowing the law is on their side.Impotent is as impotent does.
Report Post »Wurlitzer28
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 9:40amOne thing seems universal, no matter where in the world the Is_Slime cancer takes root, violence follows.
To our Jewish friends in the USA, who continue their suicide pact with the democrat party, maybe you want to reconsider what you did to our country and to Israel with your votes cast for the mudslime manchurian candidate in the last presidential election.
If you cannot tell that the democrats and mudslimes are no friend of the USA, Israel and civilization in general, PLEASE stay the heck away from the voting booth.
Report Post »ihaveagun
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 9:19amWill the Muslim in Chief support this democratically elected Christian leader as he did the Muslim leader just last week? I think not. Prepare for the next Crusade!
Go Crusaders!
Report Post »loadingmyclips
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 9:05amWell what would happen if a Christian would be elected in a muzslum country? Well now we know, so why in nigbama still sullying up our beautiful whitehouse??
Report Post »TexasStu
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 8:40amPlease read ‘The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam and the Crusades’ by Robert Spencer. Great book and explains everything that is happening in the Middle East.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 2:16pmOr read the book Orientalism by Edward Said.
Report Post »hightide
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 8:34am60% if muslims worldwide do not practice Islam. They are muslims simply because they were born that way. The majority are beginning to see that Islam is a religion of hate and they are beginning to convert to Christianity, even at the threat of death. Will you do the same when shariah comes to America? For arabs, they do not understand right vs. wrong, but rather honor vs. shame. There is no honor in Islam, only threats of death.
Report Post »CanDan
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 10:45amThe Quran contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers. Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding. Muslims who do not join the fight are called ‘hypocrites’ and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.
It is the duty of every Muslim to kill the infidel
“Suicide bomber” is a derogatory term invented in the West to try and describe what in Islam is known as a Fedayeen or Shahid… a martyr. The point of the bomber isn’t suicide. It is to kill infidels in battle. This is not just permitted by Muhammad, but encouraged with liberal promises of heavenly reward, including food and sex.
The one sure way to get into heaven is to kill the infidel
Only Peaceful Religions are allowed to be practiced here
Time to call them on this
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
Report Post »elrond3737
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 8:31amIslam will never be at peace with any other religion. Period. They must destroy the rest of us or die trying. The funny thing is, the only moderate muslims(no caps…intentional) I know are ones who don’t practice islam(no caps…intentional).
Report Post »CanDan
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 7:44amIs this what America is going to face when your Muslim president loses power in 2012?
Report Post »kenr1963
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 8:32amyep!!!!
Report Post »reconmarine
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 6:32amSo much for free elections. This is what the U.S. is coming to as well. If you can’t beat them at the poll just force yourself into power.
Report Post »BBomber66
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 6:11amI was immediately struck by the similarities with the unions and leftist in Wisconsin and ?Oregon. The radical left is fomenting chaos in furtherance of anarchy so that the government can use the military to restore order. It’s amazing that while they deride the 2nd Amendment, they are real quick to let other do their fighting for them. Oh, did you see the viral picture of the sign in one guys yard. He posted a sign saying that his neighbor didn’t have an alarm system and that he would not use his guns to protect him out or respect for his neighbors feeling about gun ownership. Hilarious.
Report Post »grumpyt
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 6:06amWe have been warned that there would be an uprising in Nigeria and that there would be a disruption in their oil production. The flames keep getting stronger as the world ignites. Beware America! Stock up and keep your powder dry.
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 2:41pmThe differences are political,not religious. like catholics and protestans in ireland, its about power.One group supressing the rights of others.When Christians take contol Muslims become second class citizens[as hapeened in lebanon] and when Muslims take control the reverse. islam is in fact tolerant of other religions and in theorcracies allow seperate judicial systems for other religions[Christisans and Jews were not under sharia laws in Muslim Arab countires but entitled to have their own courts]. That speaks to the tolerance of Muslims toward other religions in their countires. It was the European ccolonization and our unjust policies [support of dicttaros for the sake of cheap oil, military bases and cold war support by those dictators] as well as the unjust creation of israel at the expense of indigenous Arabs living there that led to all these in justices now taking place there.that includes Africa where Europeans[Christians] colonized and priveleged Chrristians and caused divisions that we see today. You can believe that islam is evil all you want .But there’s a billion of Muslims and we still have laws protecting them in this country.Good luck getting your politicians ,legislators, courts and even your media to support a genocide against them. As things stand for all your hatred they are free to be here in your public spaces and you’ll be charged with a hate crime if you act on it. You‘re railing against a billion Muslims doesn’t amount to a hill of beaans.They ain’t going anywhere and we know when they feel threatened they act. All you do is rail impotently at them.[And good for those“moderate” Muslims for keeping silent and not jumping through your hoops to appease you.This is a free country and they don’t have to justify their existence to you and neither do the Muslims in the rest of the world.That you call them to do it speaks to your hubris but they know the world does not belong to you and they have nothing to answer to youand nothing to explain to you. Your hatred and your ignorance is your concern They;re in the world and there is nothing you can do about it except rail and issue your impotent commands.
Report Post »campt1
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 3:50amWake up call once again for Christians.
Report Post »Diane TX
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 3:35amWow! That’s scary that the Muslims refuse to accept that most of the people would rather have a non-Muslim Leader.
Report Post »NuffSaid
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 1:19amI assume that the prison which the rioters attacked held 42 muslim criminals since the rioters themselves and the government which had imprisoned the 42 was also muslim. Seems unlikely that the muslim rioters would have freed 42 Christian prisoners, unless they were really hungry.
We probably need to arm the muslims now that they are being suppressed and discriminated against by the new Christian government.. We should be able to get expect at least one self -inflicted foot would from every weapon issued.
Report Post »marine249
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 12:40ammust be miss placed union members
Report Post »jeffyfreezone
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 10:44amThis brought union thugs to my mind as well.
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on April 18, 2011 at 11:37pmThis is what Democracy looks like!!! Mobs Rule.
Report Post »banjarmon
Posted on April 18, 2011 at 11:09pmIslamic Shariah law CAN NOT exist with any other laws…BEWARE America
Report Post »BannedByHuffpo
Posted on April 18, 2011 at 11:07pmMuslims exist under the edict that they MUST “subjugate” or put all infidels “to the sword”. Otherwise they will go to hell.
Try reasoning with the deranged psychopaths that believe that crap.
Report Post »hifi74
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 6:40amJust more of the “tolerance” proported by the religion of peace. when will people learn?
Report Post »TexasCommonSense
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 7:16amSo, do you think Obama will support the Democratically President, or the troublemakers in the streets?
Report Post »nptden
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 7:46amDoes anyone see a ‘pattern’ here?…And guess who Barry and Hillary ‘support’? Egypt is going after Coptic Christians; now Nigeria the same. Jews are always under their guns. A ‘religion’ of peace. LOL
Report Post »frodis
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 7:51amBurning houses. Hmm. The religion of peace is at it again. I don’t think there will ever be stability in ANY African nation. Can someone name one country in Africa that is safe to visit right now? Where you could walk the streets with no problems?
Report Post »Obama Snake Oil Co
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 8:33amMr Obama, is this that democracy you were talking about? Muslim democracy like Iran? Damn the torpedos, you had better think about what you are doing in Libya vs Egypt. Seems your democracy could be thrarwted by muslims….
Report Post »drbage
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 10:12amHow long will it be before this “social justice” arrives in the US if we, the people do not stand up against it? Will the Muslims in this country rise up and riot if the O is not re-elected? Would love to hear Clapper’s opinion on this and the uprising in Egypt where a Coptic Christian was chosen as governor. Think we should start calling this administration the Ostriches.
Report Post »gingerbread
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 10:57amIt is the muslim beliefs that anyone, other than a muslim, cannot administer “JUSTICE” according to the Koran. Since that is the case, then this election in Nigeria is completely out of the question. It must have been a plot by non muslims, there fore it’s okay to riot.
Report Post »independentvoteril
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 11:35amYep more Muslim tolerance ..
Report Post »snidley-whiplash
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 12:31pmBANNED you write, “Try reasoning with the deranged psychopaths that believe that crap”.So correct are you but let me add a couple of words before deranged psychopaths.
Report Post »(1400 year old INBRED deranged psychopaths)
docgreen
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 1:24pmSo Obama doesn’t stand for the people in Iran whom want change, yet in Egypt, and Lybia he does! Hmmm, is it possible he’s paying both sides? I keep asking myself why!? I’m starting to think, he’s doing this to create World Chaos! Why? Ok, maybe its for the New World Order! Isn’t this exactly what Glenn stated about the 12th Imam/Caliphate; Amadineajad stated this, Obama’s trying to implement this, and it just goes on and on! Wasn’t one of his promises to spread the Wealth? Why is gas and oil prices so high? Well lets see, promise to the really poor, meaning people making less than a dollar a day and not people in our country, or any other modern country , that he would spread the wealth! Obama, Hilary, and Google all stated they helped start these uprisings, and now we see exstremists starting to takeove Egypt and Lybia, I guess this is what Obama wanted, and Islam has waited for! To bring chaos to the World with lots of Bloodshed! Hmmmm, I think I’ve read about this before! Oh, I remember the Bible! One World Religion/Islam, a Roman style govt. that tells everyone what to do, how much money people will make, and last, an World Economic Global system thats run via Islam and Oil! Hmmmm, oil prices are being driven up by Futures, and Chaos in the Middle East, that Obama started! The Islamists are waiting for their Messiah/12 Imam/Caliphate to rule for 7years/ the Christians Antichrist. I have a feeling a peace treaty with Israel is coming; Israel’s being told what to do and how to act! I don’t think a Human could ever come up with this, Ever! Oh don‘t forget who’s pushing to outlaw guns/ he states tighter gun control? Obama, Why? Well, as long as we have our 2nd amendment we have guns and we can fend off Islam. As soon as Obama gets his way, what will happen? My guess then Islam will start killing; I believe its called Ethnic Cleansing! Kind of like, what Hitler did, except it will be Christians and Jews! Don’t you see people, Islam has never been a religion of peace! Its all about Hate and if they can’t Love their own people, Do you Honestly think they’ll Love Christians and Jews? Not! Nigeria just proves it! Look at all the Christian countries in the World, Nigeria, Turkey, Sudan, and the list goes on, all these countries once had large populations of Christians and Jews! Now look at what happens when Islam slithers its way into them! Ethnic cleansing, and the UN and other Groups watch while the men are slaughtered, the women and girls are raped, and the boys are taken and converted into sex slaves for the muslim men; and then their taught Islam! Yet the UN says nothing! It all comes down to this. Obama is very Evil, and he wants Islam to control the World, through Oil! He claims, he’s going to spread the Wealth. It’s not to America! Thats for sure! I don‘t think he’ll spread to anyone, except himself and the fools who follow him! This is what this coming down to. Good VS. Evil, Heaven and Hell, and Last God VS Satan!…. Its coming people, and were very close to the catching away to meet the Lord in the Air!…. Don’t believe anything Obama says! Its all a Lie! And its acceptable to Lie in Islam; God gave us the 10 commandments, one being, though shall not lie! Hmmm, Obama was Born a liar, thats why he’s so great at it!
Report Post »DirectlyUnPCman
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 2:30pmHaha the religon of tolerance is at it again. Kill them ALL!!
Report Post »ConsiderThis
Posted on April 19, 2011 at 3:10pmWhen Muslims don’t get their way this is precisely what happens – everywhere!
Report Post »It‘s this type of behavior I’m seeing all the world that’s changed me from a gun control advocate (in some cases) to a person that now sees the wisdom of the 2nd amendment right to bear arms.
The people that want to fundamentally change America by any means necessary are going to get one hell of a shock if they try to make change using violence.