LAGOS, Nigeria -- Nigeria continued its move toward democracy Saturday as long lines of voters woke up early to elect governors and state assemblies across the country.
Turnout appeared to be high, particularly in the north and in Lagos, before voting ended in midafternoon. Results were expected later Saturday or Sunday.Military meddling and armed forces coups have long been part of Nigerian politics -- the army has held power for all but 10 years since independence in 1960. But change has come to Africa's most populous nation since Gen. Sani Abacha's sudden death in June ended his brutal dictatorship.
Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, the career soldier who succeeded Abacha, has freed political prisoners, opened up the political process and repeatedly vowed to hand over power to civilians later this year. Nigeria, which became an international pariah under Abacha for its miserable human rights record, is again welcoming foreign envoys and wooing investors.
"We basically have one reason for voting, that is to get the military out of power," said Rahimi Sodunke, a Lagos businessman. "We deserve a change in this country and we must shift power."
Only three parties earned enough votes in local elections in December to qualify for the state polling and for presidential voting next month.
The three parties are the Peoples' Democratic Party of former military ruler Gen. Olusegun Obasanjo; the All Peoples' Party, led by many supporters of Abacha; and the Alliance for Democracy, mainly composed of opposition politicians from the Yoruba ethnic group from Nigeria's southwest.