| KANO, Nigeria — Islamic scholars yesterday rejected the re-election of Nigeria’s President Olusegun Obasanjo as fraudulent, raising fears that religious divisions could fuel the country’s political crisis. Obasanjo is due to be sworn in next week for his second term, and was in confident mood as he dissolved his current Cabinet, but his victory in last month’s elections has been marred by allegations of ballot rigging. The Council of Ulema in Kano State, mainly-Muslim northern Nigeria’s populous region, joined the chorus of protests, calling for the April 19 presidential vote to be annulled and rerun across much of the country. The Ulema are hugely influential among Nigeria’s Muslims, who make up around half of the country’s 120-million-strong population, and their intervention will fuel opposition to the president’s disputed victory. Obasanjo’s chief political adviser hit back at the criticism and warned that interventions by religious leaders could stir dangerous passions. Obasanjo is a Christian and a former military ruler. His ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) dominated last month’s state, presidential and parliamentary polls, the first since the end of military rule. But his main opponent, a Muslim and former ruler Muhammadu Buhari, has refused to accept defeat and has challenged the election results in court. |